TALLINN - According to the Ministry of Education's forecast, the current school year is expected to have 5,500 students less than the previous year. This drop in numbers will last at least two more years, though the ministry predicts some growth in pupil numbers afterwards.
The ministry says that opening day for the school year, September 1, will see 13,350 first-graders in class. Total head-count for last year was 147,500, compared with this year's count of 141,990 students. "The steepest decrease for pupils in comprehensive schools is already behind us, but now the decrease has reached the high school level as well. The number of students will continue to fall for some time, but then should rise, though it won't be a sharp one," said Minister of Education and Science Tonis Lukas at press conference on Aug. 26.
According to the Ministry of Education's forecast, the lowest student count in Estonia will be for the 2011/2012 year, when only 137,440 will be attending school. The present school system, says the minister, "is purpose-built for at least 20,000 first-graders, but, in reality, the number has
turned out to be much smaller, down to about 12,000 now."
There are 582 'general,' or comprehensive schools in Estonia; after the end of the last academic year, four schools were closed. Lukas added that schools, by the beginning of the coming academic year, are well prepared and the lists of staff members are almost fully filled. "Nowdays, there are schools where for each position of school teacher there are over 20 applicants, and that's why the schools have the large variety of choice," he said.
Tallinn mayor Edgar Savisaar on Aug. 26 inspected the newly reconstructed and renovated building of the Tallinn gymnasium, as well as Tallinn secondary school nr. 53, "to make sure that the schools are in good condition for the new academic year." While visiting the gymnasium, Savisaar organized a briefing where in attendance were officials including the head of Education Department Andres Pajula and the vice-mayor of Tallinn, Kaia Jappinen.
The Aug. 27 traditional event took place in 'Kosmos' cinema, where the children from needy families, ranging from grades 1-5, received necessary school equipment such as school bags and accessories. Donations received covered a considerable part of the costs for buying the materials.
The organizers of 'Koolikott 2009' presented 280 school bags to the students, where 70 of the bags were presented to those of needy families living in the Lasnamae district. For the organizers of 'Koolikott 2009,' the total cost was about 150,000 kroons (9,615 euros). Additionally, the department of social affairs and healthcare for Tallinn sponsored 100,000 kroons toward the event.
The project was organized by the Council of City Regions, which has been running the event since 1997; only from 2000 did Tallinn City Council take over coordination and sponsorship of the project.
