CAP-CO. According to 37 of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia everyone has the right to education.

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Oswin Potter
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1 Education9 According to 37 of the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia everyone has the right to education. Education is important! It guarantees you and your children a better chance of finding a job that you like and that corresponds to your abilities. The state guarantees free education up to the mandatory level, i.e. basic education. The levels of the Estonian education system are described below. S Nursery school and day-care This is a voluntary level of education. The parents decide whether they will prepare their children for school themselves or use the services of day care, hobby clubs or pre-school children s institutions. If your children do not speak Estonian, the language will be taught to them in the course of various activities. As an asylum seeker, you can send your children to nursery school. Contact the staff at the Reception Centre for further information. After you have been given international protection, contact your local municipality or a child care institution directly to find a nursery school for your children. Inform the local government or the nursery school of your intention to send your children to a nursery school as early as possible the waiting lists are often long! If possible, send your children (aged 1-7) to nursery school it will help them develop and learn the local language as they spend time with other children. 35

2 S Basic education This is the mandatory level of education for children aged It can be acquired at basic school when you are applying for protection. You have the opportunity and obligation to enrol your children in your local school after you have been granted international protection. Parents are free to choose any school for their children. The school in whose catchment area the children live must admit them if there are no vacant places at the school selected. Contact your chosen school or local municipality to find a suitable school. Basic education is divided into level I (Grades 1-4) and level II (Grades 5-9). The working language of schools is primarily Estonian, but there are Russianlanguage schools in larger cities and some counties. It is also possible to study in English in Tallinn and Tartu. In order to enrol in a school, it is usually necessary to submit certain documents, which may include an application, the child s identity document (ID card, passport or birth certificate), the parent s identity document, a photo of the child and the child s health card. You can obtain more information about the necessary documents from the school, its website or the local municipality. If your children have gone to school before but you do not have any documents that evidence their education, the educational level of the child will be determined by the school (e.g. using interviews and tests) and the children allocated to the appropriate form. If your children do not speak Estonian when they start school, the school must arrange additional Estonian studies for them within the scope of an individual study programme. Your children must attend school from the ages of 7-17 in order to comply with law. If you live at the Reception Centre, contact a member of staff to arrange this or contact the specific school or your local municipality if you live outside of the centre. Parents role Parents are responsible for finding a school for their children and submitting the necessary documents. Parents are responsible for their children attending school. They may be punished if they fail to ensure this. Parents should support their children in acquiring new knowledge and skills, adapting to their new environment and maintaining their motivation to study. 36

3 Ask how your children are doing at school and speak to their teachers to find out about their performance. Your role as a parent is to support your children in acquiring new knowledge and skills. You must monitor their performance and maintain their motivation to study. Your role as a parent is to support your children in acquiring new knowledge and skills. You must monitor their performance and maintain their motivation to study. S Secondary education A person who has graduated from basic school and acquired basic education is not obliged to continue their education, but we advise that they do so in order to be more competitive on the labour market. You can continue studying at a secondary school or vocational education centre if you have a document that proves basic education. Secondary schools guarantee general secondary education. Keep in mind that: you can choose a school yourself; this is not restricted to your place of residence; the terms and conditions of admission are determined by the school admission tests are often applied (mostly in spring), but some schools only require an application and a basic education certificate; if you have acquired basic education in another country, make sure you submit evidencing documents, as they may prove useful. However, you still have to comply with the terms and conditions of admission; general secondary education is usually free, unless you choose a private school; Estonian is the language predominantly used in schools, but there are bilingual schools (where the curriculum is 40% Russian and 60% Estonian). Some private schools in Tallinn also teach in English;.and when you graduate from secondary school, you receive a document that provides evidence of your secondary education. This allows you to continue your studies and to become more competitive on the labour market. 37

4 If you choose an institution of vocational education, it is important to keep in mind that: you are taught a vocation, but you can choose whether you also acquire secondary education in addition to the vocation; there are institutions of vocational education in larger cities and generally also in all counties; you can go to a vocational school if you have acquired basic or general secondary education; if you don t have basic education and you are older than 17, you can still acquire vocational education without having basic education; the consent of a parent or guardian is required if the person who wishes to enrol in a vocational school is under 18; you can also learn Estonian at vocational schools; vocational schools may often apply their own terms and conditions of admission, which usually means the submission of documents, but admission tests may also be used in some cases. Ask the vocational school for information; studying in vocational education centres is free of charge and in some cases it is also possible to get free lunches; and information about institutions of vocational education can be found online at 38 S Higher education You can acquire education at the Bachelor s, Master s and Doctoral levels. You can also acquire professional higher education. You can study at state institutions of higher education (for free or fee-paying). The number of free student places is limited and they are usually given to students

5 whose admission results are the best. It is possible to pay fees to study the same specialty if there are no free student places left. There are also private schools of higher education, at which you must pay tuition fees. If you would like to continue or start acquiring higher education in Estonia, take your secondary or higher education documents to the ENIC-NARIC office and they will check their compliance with the Estonian education system. Further information is available on the websites of institutions of higher education. You have several options for continuing your education or re-training in Estonia. Take advantage of them this will give you a better chance of coping successfully. Everyone has the opportunity, regardless of their age or level of education! S Adult learners If you wish to resume your education and are older than 17, you have several options in terms of learning a new profession or improving your skills and knowledge. Acquiring basic or secondary education: you can do this at an adult secondary school, where you can study free of charge. The school takes into account that you have a family and a job; you can enrol in daytime studies or distance learning (you attend school in certain periods, but otherwise study at home); it is generally possible to continue basic education from Grade 7, but adult secondary schools are flexible if you do not have any documents, the school will assess your knowledge and skills; and the language used in schools is usually Estonian, but in some cities it is possible to study in Russian on the basis of basic education and in a mix of Estonian and Russian (60/40) on the basis of secondary education. You can also acquire professional skills and knowledge: the forms of study are flexible, but distance learning is often not provided; you can study part-time; and there are no age restrictions if you want to enrol in daytime studies. Acquisition of higher education: you can choose between part-time and full-time studies; you can apply for a free student place if you choose daytime studies; you may have to pay tuition fees if you opt for part-time studies; you may apply for a student loan from a bank as an adult learner; and 39

6 you can contact educational institutions to enquire about ways of resuming your education. APEL Accreditation of Prior and Experiential Learning This is the process that allows you to obtain recognition of your prior learning and work experience. The recognition is granted when you complete a study programme in a school and/or acquire a vocation. This is a particularly good opportunity for you if you do not have your education documents! Read all about the APEL programme online at primus.archimedes.ee/node/55. Know what options are open to you and ask around. You should definitely try to complete your education or acquire a vocation or academic degree. 40

*Estonian Education tree Haridusepuu_2010_ENG[1].pdf

*Estonian Education tree Haridusepuu_2010_ENG[1].pdf Merlin Müür Estonian Education tree Haridusepuu_2010_ENG[1].pdf * *School attendance is compulsory for children who become seven by 1st October of the current year. Compulsory school attendance lasts until