The situation is still better than last year, when 709 under‑18s did not continue their studies after basic school, but language barriers and exam results remain major obstacles.

Thursday was the deadline for schools to enter student data into the Estonian Education Information System (EHIS), the Ministry of Education said.

In Tallinn, 245 young people were without a place as of Friday morning, according to Haridussilm data, though officials said the number may be lower due to technical delays.

"I know that schools have currently had difficulties entering students into EHIS, so there may actually be fewer of them simply for technical reasons," said Krista Keedus, head of the education management department at the Tallinn Education Department.

She noted that the situation is comparatively better than in previous years. "In previous years more than 400 young people in Tallinn have failed to continue their studies after basic school."

One of the main problems is a mismatch between students' wishes and their academic results. "Parents have contacted us who would like their children to study at an upper secondary school, but whose basic school final results — most often their mathematics exam result — are not good enough to continue," Keedus said.

Poor Estonian‑language skills are also a major barrier, particularly for students from schools transitioning to Estonian‑language education. For those arriving from abroad, especially Ukrainian students, Keedus recommended preparatory studies at Tallinn Tõnismäe State Upper Secondary School.

She offered several options for those still without a place. "Preparatory studies are suitable, for example, for those who want to retake a basic school exam," she said. "They could also consider vocational education, or look outside Tallinn, because there are actually plenty of school places across Estonia."

"I would definitely recommend that a young person start studying somewhere, accept a school place and then see what happens," Keedus added.

In Tartu, only 10–11 young people are without a place, according to Irina Ušanova, the city's coordinator for the compulsory learning requirement. She said the most common reason is insufficient Estonian‑language proficiency. "They could not go to an upper secondary school and could not continue to a vocational school to study a specialty," she said.

Ušanova also noted that some students lacked a backup plan. "There are also those who chose one specialty, applied, did not get in and had no plan B or C," she said. Preparatory studies are available in Tartu, with individual curricula and additional emphasis on learning Estonian.

However, Ušanova acknowledged that motivating some young people is difficult. "Not everyone takes up the opportunity or is willing to enter preparatory studies," she said.

The Riigikogu adopted a legislative amendment in December 2024 extending compulsory education until the age of 18, replacing the previous compulsory school attendance requirement.

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