Estonian president approves integration of childcare into education system

TALLINN - Estonian President Alar Karis approved on Monday a bill on preschool education, which transfers childcare from the social system to the education system and aligns the requirements for childcare centers and existing nursery schools.

Childcare as a social service will remain available only for children with significant care and support needs.

Early childhood education in childcare centers and kindergartens must be conducted in Estonian in accordance with the national curriculum for early childhood education. Private kindergartens not authorized by local governments to fulfill public responsibilities may continue education and care activities in other languages, but they must ensure Estonian language instruction based on the national curriculum.

The law aims to eliminate kindergarten waiting lists. To achieve this, the law requires local governments to guarantee, upon parental request, a spot in a childcare center for children aged 1.5–3 years and in a kindergarten for children aged 3–7 years, taking into account the parent's preferred location. Additionally, the law supports cooperation with the private sector for securing childcare and kindergarten spots, as local governments will have the option to purchase services from private providers. In such cases, private kindergartens will be subject to the same requirements as municipal kindergartens.

The law raises qualification requirements for staff in pre-school institutions. Kindergarten directors must hold at least a master's degree, childcare providers must have at least secondary education and a level 4 childcare qualification, and assistant teachers must have at least secondary education, a level 4 childcare qualification, or pedagogical competencies.

Parents will now be eligible for income tax deductions for children attending childcare centers. Additionally, a parliamentary amendment specifies that private childcare centers may operate in residential buildings and on residential land, allowing existing centers to continue in their current locations and providing flexibility for new ones.

Another amendment allows kindergarten directors to offer teacher trainees a fixed-term employment contract of up to three years instead of the current one-year term, providing professional stability. This change is justified by the standard three-year duration of the early childhood education teacher training program.