Administrative oversight over the City of Narva and its municipal schools.
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th session, press briefing
Date: 2025-02-26 15:10
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
Today’s sixth question before the Riigikogu concerns administrative oversight of the City of Narva and its managed general education schools in connection with the transition to Estonian-language instruction. The questioner is Member of the Riigikogu Aleksei Jevgrafov, and the central topic is how the oversight is organized, what its scope is, and what objectives it aims to achieve. It is noted that Narva’s municipal schools and one primary school, Narva Vanalinna Põhikool, have come under scrutiny, highlighting a lack of information—particularly concerning Narva and Kohtla-Järve—in the collection of specific information by state institutions regarding the implementation of Estonian-language instruction. The oversight will last for two months, and planned visits will be conducted without prior notification; the aim is to assess the quality of instruction in the first and fourth grades and to provide teachers with methodological support as needed.
Decisions Made 1
Supervision of Narva city and its municipal schools will begin at the beginning of March and will last for two months. First and fourth grades, and kindergarten groups, will be examined to assess the functioning of instruction in Estonian and, if necessary, to provide teachers with methodological and linguistic support. Schools will be notified of the start date of the supervision, and during the supervision, the steps taken by the school administrations for the transition to Estonian-language instruction and the extent of further training needs will be reviewed. Additionally, a goal is set to develop the monitoring and supervisory capacity of Narva city's school administrator and to organize close cooperation with Narva College to create an independent monitoring methodology for the city.
Most Active Speaker
The most active participant was Aleksei Jevgrafov (pid h0h5_KKsWZc), a member of the Riigikogu. His participation reflects the active involvement of participants in the discussion, with questions and observations, which focused on the broader context of administrative oversight and the effective transition to Estonian-language instruction. Positional category: other.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Aleksei Jevgrafov asks the Minister of Education and Science Kristina Kallas about administrative supervision over the city of Narva and its municipal schools.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
On February 25, administrative oversight of the city of Narva and the general education schools it administers was initiated, lasting two months, and carried out by staff of the Legal and Personnel Policy Department of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Supervisory Department of the Language Office without prior notice, and the state-owned Narva Old Town Primary School is under oversight, which raises the question of whether the oversight is organized solely to monitor Narva's municipal schools and what the ultimate aim of this activity is.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Estonian Minister of Education and Science Kristina Kallas announced that the oversight of the transition to Estonian-language instruction will be extended to Narva and Kohtla-Järve municipal schools, and the two-month inspection starting at the beginning of March will assess the first and fourth grades as well as the actions of school principals, providing teachers with support as needed and helping Narva to develop an independent monitoring and oversight methodology.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks and asks Aleksei Jevgrafovit to pose a clarifying question.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Aleksei Jevgrafov criticizes the ongoing controls at Narva schools as inquisitorial in nature, links them to Katri Raik's rise to the mayorship, and expresses concern that the ministry's attitude is causing stress among teachers, asking how the ministry will help teachers continue their work calmly and feel themselves to be needed.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Kristina Kallas noted that, due to the lack of information in Narva about the transition to Estonian-language education, the supervision and training of teachers in methodological and language support will be initiated in cooperation with Tallinn and Tartu universities, in order to ensure high-quality Estonian-language instruction for first through fourth grade students, not as an inquisition, but as ongoing support.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, thanked and informed that his colleague Anti Poolamets would present an additional question.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets said that teachers need support, and Estonian mother-tongue children may in the linguistic environment of schools and kindergartens remain in the minority in several places, which is why he recommended investigating actual language proficiency and forming classes and groups based on language proficiency to avoid inequality and situations resembling experiments.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Kristina Kallas rejected the urban legend that a child studying in an Estonian-language school would start speaking Russian or would say that the capital of Estonia is Moscow, and she recommended in the first grade to form study groups based on language proficiency rather than ethnicity, using government support for language assistance.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, thanks the honorable minister and announces that he will end the consideration of today's sixth question.