Hobby Education
Session: The 15th Riigikogu, 6th Session, Information Hour
Date: 2025-10-22 15:42
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 10
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 12m
AI Summaries: 10/10 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
MP Riina Sikkut submitted an inquiry to the Minister of Education and Research, Kristina Kallas (acting as Prime Minister), regarding hobby education, focusing primarily on the cuts made by the Environmental Board in the field of environmental education. Sikkut highlighted the closure of the Endla and Iisaku nature centers, staff layoffs, and the change in rules for compensating transport costs, which has resulted in nearly half fewer children receiving environmental education. She criticized the government's choices, arguing they disproportionately affect regions outside of Tallinn, and questioned whether education only values academic success (PISA) at the expense of broader life skills and regional balance. Minister Kallas initially responded that the Environmental Board's decisions regarding cuts do not fall under her jurisdiction and that she could not address those specific details. She provided an overview of general hobby education funding, noting that local governments finance the sector with 208 million euros annually, a large portion of which is allocated to sports infrastructure. In follow-up questions, Sikkut stressed the importance of the regional aspect, and Tiit Maran asked whether the Minister had communicated with the Minister of Climate regarding the centralization of the nature education system. Finally, Kallas provided clarified information, explaining that the Ministry of Climate had changed the funding system, directing money straight to quality-labeled environmental education programs, rather than covering transport costs. Although the total budget decreased by 200,000 euros, the support per program was increased to raise quality. Kallas noted that the system has only been in effect for two months and it is too early to assess its impact.
Decisions Made 1
No decisions were made
Most Active Speaker
Member of Parliament Riina Sikkut was the most active speaker, submitting both an initial question and a clarifying follow-up question, pressuring the minister to address the issue of regional inequality and the broad valuing of education, despite the fact that the topic was not directly within the minister's remit.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar introduced the Riigikogu’s fifth question, which addressed extracurricular education and was directed by Riina Sikkut to the Minister of Education and Research, Kristina Kallas (who was performing the duties of the Prime Minister), before yielding the floor to the questioner.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut sharply criticizes the Environmental Board's decision to cut back on nature education provision by closing the Endla and Iisaku centers and ending the reimbursement of school transport costs. This move will reduce children's access to environmental education by nearly half, particularly in regions located outside of Tallinn. She accuses the government of concentrating investments in the capital while the vital availability of education deteriorates in rural areas, arguing that they are prioritizing narrow academic success over genuine understanding of nature.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas explained that she could not answer the inaccurate question regarding the Environmental Board's budget cut decisions, as the matter does not fall under her jurisdiction. She therefore provided an overview of hobby education funding, emphasizing that local governments are the main funders, contributing a total of 208 million euros in 2024 to hobby education, youth work, and infrastructure. Of this sum, 83 million euros is allocated directly to supporting hobby education and activities, although detailed information on the proportion of nature-themed studies remained unavailable.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar expressed his thanks and then gave the floor to Riina Sikkut so that she could ask a clarifying question.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut is criticizing the government's education and regional policies, specifically faulting them for focusing excessively on academic outcomes when developing environmental education while simultaneously ignoring regional consequences. This concentration has led to investments and jobs being pooled in Tallinn, effectively denying children in rural areas access to nature education programs and transportation subsidies. She stresses that the regional impact must be weighed in every decision made.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas is refusing to discuss alleged cuts to regional environmental education, citing a lack of factual data on the matter. However, she stressed the vital importance of hobby education for children's academic success and for narrowing socio-economic divides, pointing to alarming statistics that show over half of young people do not participate in extracurricular activities. Therefore, she argued, these opportunities should be guaranteed within school curricula.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked the previous speaker and then gave the floor to Tiit Maran so he could ask an additional question.
Tiit Maran
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Tiit Maran expresses deep concern regarding the poor state of biology and ecological education, citing both the issues within formal education (the rapid departure of teachers) and the centralization and subsequent disintegration of the non-formal nature education system in the regions. This situation inevitably impacts Estonia's overall environmental awareness. He then asks whether the minister has consulted with the relevant Minister of Climate and Energy to resolve this nationally important issue.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas explained the change in the funding system for environmental education field trips, which was initiated by the Ministry of Climate. Under this change, schools' transport costs are no longer funded; instead, money derived from environmental fees will be directed straight to supporting programs that have received a quality label, in order to raise the quality of education. Although the total funding decreased by 200,000 euros and the number of funded programs shrank, the remaining programs will receive more money. Furthermore, since the new system was only implemented during the current academic year, it is still too early to assess its success.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar concluded the discussion of today's fifth item, expressing his thanks for it.