Only a few children starting this September in Estonia's smallest schools
Just a handful of children will begin their education at several smaller schools next week. Municipalities have no immediate plans to close these schools, but restructuring could be on the horizon in five years.
While Meremäe School in Setomaa still operated as a high school in the last century, it became a basic school in the early 2000s. The school building now also houses a kindergarten and there are a total of 26 students across its nine grades. Two students will begin first grade in the new school year.
"The last time we had a situation where no students at all entered first grade at Meremäe was the year before last. Last year, three students started, but our municipality has taken the position that at least the first six grades should be taught close to home and I very much hope the municipality will make the effort to ensure that this can continue," said Pille Liblik, director of Setomaa's schools.
Although the number of students has declined over the past decade, Liblik said the number of children starting school in Setomaa has increased over the past two years. Children are also unevenly distributed across Peipsiääre Municipality. At Kolkja School, which has 37 students, two students will also start first grade this year.
"Urbanization has drawn many young people away from this area, but I believe having a school here keeps some families in the area. We are in a region where an Old Believer community has lived for centuries. I think one of the school's most important roles is to show how the Republic of Estonia, with the responsibilities of citizenship and the laws of the country, can be brought together with this old culture and tradition. They do not have to be at odds; they can coexist," said Aitel Käpp, acting director of Kolkja School.
This year, however, the kindergarten section at Kolkja School will be empty. As a result, it is also unclear how many students may enroll at Kolkja School in the coming years. Peipsiääre Municipality said it has no plans to close the school, but restructuring is likely in the future. An analysis due to be completed by spring will determine what form those changes could take.
Some schools will begin the new school year without any new students. These include Unipiha Primary School in Kambja Municipality and Laiuse Jaan Poska Basic School in Jõgeva Municipality, which is currently undergoing extensive renovations. Jõgeva Municipality nevertheless expects the number of children attending the school to increase in the coming years.
"According to forecasts, based on where children live within the municipality, between eight and 12 children are expected to start school next year and the same is true for the following year. What happens five or six years from now is a question facing every municipality with a declining population. I think it makes sense to discuss with communities whether some schools should reduce the number of grades they offer. As for the upper grades of basic school, that is certainly a discussion that will need to take place," said Jõgeva Municipality Mayor Karro Külanurm.
Several parents, however, said having a basic school close to home is something worth preserving.
"My children also went to a small village school that no longer exists. Hanna is going into second grade now and there are six of them in her class. The teacher still has time to work with every child," said Ere, a grandmother.
"I don't think it's reasonable for primary or basic school students to have to spend 40 minutes or more traveling by bus to school and then back home in the evening because that also reflects how the state and society treat children, who are our future generation," Urmet, said.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Marko Tooming
