Responding to that pressure must also not turn into a measure of success for either the child or their parents, Madise writes in a piece marking the start of the school year, September 1.

Learning begins with curiosity, with the desire to discover life and the world. This is where the joy of learning lies.

The changes made to the organization of education in recent years have disrupted school life more than they ought to have. The task facing adults is to create an environment where children can learn, develop and discover their abilities while at the same time remaining children. Just as parents need to remain human beings, rather than transforming into competitors in a performative parenting contest.

If, due to changes, a child has no certainty about which school they can continue their studies at, or if the holding of exams is hindered by technical problems, it cannot be stated that everything has gone as it should.

If the state changes the rules and creates new systems, it must also ensure that these function. The school community deserves peace and certainty.

A child needs courage to put in an effort, not paralyzing fear. An exam may go badly. A test may go badly. A child may do worse in one subject than in another. This is part of learning. Learning means trying, making mistakes and trying once again. Getting an education must not turn into a constant race in which a child fears that because of one poor result, they will fall behind others or will not get into high school. Even more importantly, how well anyone copes with pressure must not become a measure of either the child or the parents.

It's true, learning requires effort. But that workload must be reasonable. The right to education does not equate only the right to attend school. In addition to schoolwork, there must also be time for extracurricular activities and physical activity, for rest and for play. A time for friends and family. And time simply to be.

Extracurricular education and sport are not mere pastimes. By taking part in extracurricular activities and playing sports, children can learn cooperation, perseverance, responsibility and how to cope with being on the losing side. Some children discover precisely through an extracurricular activity or training what they are good at and what genuinely brings them joy. A child should not have to choose between homework and preparing for exams on the one hand, and training or an extracurricular activity that is important to them on the other. There should be enough time and energy to fit in both.

Extracurricular activities should also be accessible to any child who lives in an area with a sparse public transport network or whose parent is unable to drive them there. Solutions can be found, in every municipality, if children and young people, their parents and the organizers of extracurricular activities are listened to and their actual needs get taken into account.

I wish everyone mutual respect, attentiveness, care, and joy in learning and teaching for the school year ahead. Happy Knowledge Day!

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