20.03.26 NEWS ... Falling birth rates are prompting Tartu to cut kindergarten enrollment by 260 this fall and lay off about 40 teachers, with Annelinn the hardest hit.

20.03.26 NEWS ... A University of Tartu study suggests "good girl syndrome" may be a distinct pattern, marked by perfectionism and fear of mistakes that can affect women's well-being.

17.03.26 NEWS ... Dead swans found along the beaches of Viimsi and Pirita are likely linked to bird flu previously confirmed in local waterfowl.

17.03.26 NEWS ... Homes and the objects within them are currently designed as finished products with a human-centered approach. However, the author of a doctoral thesis defended at the University of Tartu proposes a tool for creating more meaningful living environments instead of conventional homes. Such spaces would turn residents into active and creative co-designers of their surroundings.

17.03.26 NEWS ... As Estonian schools and kindergartens strive to address faculty shortages, substitute teachers on the ASÕP platform can earn more per hour than regular teachers.

16.03.26 NEWS ... University of Tartu Professor of Contemporary Estonian Liina Lindström said swearing often gives people a needed sense of release and can also serve as a way of creating group identity.

15.03.26 NEWS ... Families across Estonia will start applying for first-grade school places for their children this month, but data from Estonia's two biggest cities show that the number of new starters will be considerably smaller this year.

14.03.26 NEWS ... President Alar Karis' all-day reading marathon is back for Native Language Day, with the public welcome to stop by Kadriorg and enjoy readings by dozens of guests.

13.03.26 NEWS ... March 14 is Native Language Day in Estonia, and thousands tuned in Friday for Vikerraadio's 19th live e-dictation contest, putting their writing skills to the test.

12.03.26 NEWS ... This spring, many gardeners have noticed more molehills than usual in their yards. According to a zoologist, it may not mean moles have increased sharply, but rather that this winter played a role.

12.03.26 NEWS ... March 14 is Native Language Day in Estonia, and Vikerraadio is celebrating again this year with its 19th nationwide live e-dictation contest on Friday morning.

12.03.26 NEWS ... Whether artificial intellegence will be used to grade Estonian language e-exams or not will be decided after extensive testing and pilot trials, said Nele Toime, from the Education and Youth Board (Harno).

10.03.26 NEWS ... Suur-Pärnu Pharmacy in Tallinn was founded by Estonia's first woman pharmacist, Olympiada Kann. A century later, its current owner continues to honor her legacy.

10.03.26 NEWS ... Education leaders from around the world gathered in Estonia this week to discuss how schools should adapt to artificial intelligence, with ministers visiting local classrooms.

09.03.26 NEWS ... While spring hasn't officially begun – that starts with the vernal equinox on March 20 – so far as summer visitor birds go, it was already underway before February ended, one ornithologist says.

09.03.26 NEWS ... Bronze Age residents of what is now Estonia ate a surprisingly similar diet regardless of their overall living standards — porridge, milk and meat.

06.03.26 NEWS ... For people with celiac disease, gluten-free food is the only treatment. Unlike in parts of Europe, patients in Estonia must cover the extra cost of gluten-free foods alone.

05.03.26 NEWS ... A new insect has been added to Estonia's official bug roster after entomologist Uno Roosileht identified a previously unlisted ground beetle collected in Southern Estonia.

05.03.26 NEWS ... A new study finds Ukrainian refugee kids who began learning Estonian in school in 2022 caught up quickly to their local non-native speaking peers, even starting from scratch.

05.03.26 NEWS ... Although everyday activities of Estonia's residents are becoming increasingly digital, high-speed cable internet has not reached everyone's doorstep. Settlements with fast internet access have a higher average income per person than elsewhere, according to a study by Estonian geographers.

05.03.26 NEWS ... A forestry worker in Lääne-Viru County filmed the rare sight of a lynx bringing down a roe deer, then going on to consume it, Maaleht reported.

04.03.26 NEWS ... Doctors at Tallinn Children's Hospital found in a study published nearly a decade ago that most obese elementary school children suffer from serious health disorders. According to endocrinologist Ülle Einberg, the situation has not improved much in the meantime and Estonia's food environment for children needs rapid change.

04.03.26 NEWS ... The Ministry of Education plans to begin teaching by 2030 at the latest in the new building of the Tõnismägi State High School in Tallinn, which will be built on Endla tänav next to the National Library.

04.03.26 OPINION ... References to "scientific consensus" should cease in situations where our knowledge is in fact incomplete. Estonia's public institutions must improve the quality of research and ensure greater political independence in decision-making on both energy and medical issues, writes Argo Rosin.

04.03.26 NEWS ... The LGBTIQ+ community is seen as the most hated target in the context of political violence, according to Estonia's youth, a recent study found.

03.03.26 NEWS ... A prolonged cold spell has come to an abrupt end and the first above-freezing temperatures of spring have set both maple sap and insects in motion. ERR looked into whether spring has truly arrived for the plant and insect worlds.

02.03.26 NEWS ... Although e-cigarettes are often considered safer than conventional cigarettes, their vapor still poisons lung cells and causes epigenetic changes in tissues, as well as entirely new diseases. According to doctors, the widespread use of vaping among young people, combined with other lifestyle factors, will lead to an explosive increase in the burden of cancer on society in the coming decades.

02.03.26 NEWS ... Rapid changes in society leave a direct mark on young people's metabolism. Researchers at the University of Tartu studied the health of two otherwise similar generations and unexpectedly found that slimmer young people in the younger generation developed higher blood sugar levels.

02.03.26 NEWS ... The Ministry of Education and Research wants to use paid master's programs to create more flexibility and bring private funding into higher education. Universities say there is no need to fear that one-year programs will begin to replace traditional free studies.

01.03.26 NEWS ... Ice coverage in the Baltic Sea is quickly receding as the temperature warms up, says Rivo Uiboupin, professor at the Institute of Marine Systems at TalTech.

28.02.26 NEWS ... Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an indispensable tool in Estonian hospitals, aiding both stroke and radiation therapy treatment while saving doctors hours of valuable time. At the same time, the new technology brings false alarms and added responsibilities and runs up against the country's e-state data challenges.

26.02.26 NEWS ... Social media and digital culture shape Estonian schoolboys' beauty ideals more than expected, often promoting unattainable, even absurd standards, writes EBS researcher Mehruba Shabaab Haque.

26.02.26 NEWS ... Academic freedom is in very good shape at Estonian universities, incoming Tallinn University rector Priit Reiska tells ERR in an interview, adding that maintaining that freedom depends on preserving the distinct profiles of universities.

25.02.26 NEWS ... The University of Tartu will create a mussel farm in Haapsalu Bay that will help improve the rundown condition of the coastal area.

23.02.26 NEWS ... As it shifts fully to Estonian, an Ida-Viru County vocational school is ending its Russian-language continuing education programs, despite state funding that remains for them.

23.02.26 NEWS ... Estonia is extending vocational programs to four years and boosting their general education component, giving students a stronger foundation to continue into higher education.

23.02.26 NEWS ... The only intestinal simulator in Estonia has arrived at the Estonian University of Life Sciences and researchers plan to use it to test health-beneficial compounds from food by-products.

21.02.26 NEWS ... A new dedicated drone academy is set to open this fall at Tallinn University of Applied Sciences (TTK). Director Ott Pärna believes all students should receive drone training.

21.02.26 NEWS ... Estonian universities are increasingly offering students the option of passing a final exam instead of writing a thesis in order to obtain a master's degree. Some see this as a practical solution, while others believe graduates may not acquire sufficient professional skills.

20.02.26 NEWS ... Winter weather can feel colder than it is. Also called wind chill, "feels like" temperatures factor in moisture, body heat loss and wind, an Estonian meteorologist explains.

20.02.26 NEWS ... The antics of a large dog on the women's cross-country sprint finish straight at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics have brought the breed a lot of global attention.

20.02.26 NEWS ... Estonia's Education and Youth Board (Harno) is holding trial e-exams in March and April to test schools and a new online system ahead of next year's full rollout.

19.02.26 NEWS ... The Ministry of Education's updated guidelines on school financing say parents should not have to pay for materials or equipment deemed necessary to fulfill the curriculum. Schools say this raises questions about where to draw the line.

19.02.26 NEWS ... A large share of waste is biological in origin and therefore suitable as food for bacteria. As part of his doctoral research, a materials scientist at the University of Tartu created so-called 3D-printed hotels from hydrogel for microbes. There, they can live and function — and in the process upcycle waste — without interference from the external environment.

18.02.26 NEWS ... ERR posed questions about the Estonian language and culture to five of the most popular large language models and compiled a ranking based on their responses. Grok provided the sharpest answers, while Estonian researchers are also satisfied with the performance of a model trained specifically on Estonian-language material.

17.02.26 NEWS ... According to Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas (Eesti 200), the government has no plans to stop providing free higher education in Estonian.

17.02.26 NEWS ... The Baltic Sea's water level has dropped significantly since the start of the year as high-pressure systems and easterly winds have pushed seawater into the North Sea. In the long term, however, this is expected to have a positive effect as oxygen-rich water flowing back from the North Sea will significantly improve the Baltic Sea's ecosystem.

16.02.26 NEWS ... The current cold snap has often brought the hardy out for a spot of winter swimming, if social media is anything to go by.

15.02.26 NEWS ... The Education and Youth Board (Harno) is discussing the possibility of using artificial intelligence to grade mother tongue final language exams in the future with Tallinn University.

13.02.26 NEWS ... Estonia's Annual Museum Awards were presented in Rakvere Thursday night, spotlighting standout exhibitions, research and community work across the country.