Comment of the week

Albert Einstein

Theoretical physicist

All of science is nothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking.

The Ministry of Education and Research will allocate a total of €5.1 million to the keepers of municipal and private general education schools, kindergartens and nurseries to support the continuation of the education of war refugee children and young people from Ukraine in Estonia.

According to Liina Kersna, Minister of Education and Research, the supplementary budget is key to enabling Ukrainian refugees to continue their education in all Estonian regions. "We have promised to offer children and young people from Ukraine the opportunity to continue their education at all levels, teaching of Estonian language and cooperation in the fields of general education, hobby education and youth work," Minister Kersna expressed.

The support will amount to €465 per child in municipal and private kindergartens or nurseries and €506 per pupil in general education institutions. The funding will be based on the data of Ukrainian war refugee children registered in the Estonian Education Information System (EHIS) as of 31.05.2022. The allowance paid in June is granted retroactively for the period of February-May, taking into account the monthly change in the number of pupils. In September, the allowance will be paid for the period of June-August and in January 2023 for the period of September-December of the current year.

The grant will be available to the keepers of educational establishments:

  • for the creation of a place of learning in primary and general education (including the remuneration of teachers and teaching assistants, the purchase of teaching tools and technological equipment, the organisation of field trips);
  • providing additional basic Estonian language tuition;
  • organising educational support services (interpreters, speech therapists, psychologists, etc.);
  • educational support services (e.g. student transport, catering, etc.);
  • the provision of recreational and/or leisure education
  • and youth work.

Also in state schools and vocational schools of local authorities, a student who is a refugee of the war in Ukraine is guaranteed a subsidy from the state budget as well as a free place of study.

A total of €77.2 million has been allocated to the Ministry of Education and Research in the supplementary budget, most of which - €76.7 million - is designed for the education of Ukrainian war refugees. The Riigikogu adopted the 2022 supplementary budget on 18 May.

Nearly 13,800 Ukrainian refugees aged up to 19 have remained in Estonia, of whom 4,700 are registered in EHIS in primary and general education.

Source: https://www.hm.ee/en/news/government-estonia-allocates-eu51-million-educational-institutions-supporting-ukrainan-refugee