Teacher shortages and prospects for future generations
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th sitting, press briefing
Date: 2025-04-16 16:35
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 11
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 12m
AI Summaries: 11/11 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
Eight questions address the shortage of teachers and perspectives on the next generation within the Estonian education system. The questioner is Member of the Riigikogu Vladimir Arhipov, who poses a question to Minister Kristina Kallaste regarding how to ensure the quality of teachers and the long-term viability of schools in relation to language requirements, and what solutions are envisioned to fill future teacher vacancies. A key topic is the impact of language requirements on teachers – both the replacement of experienced teachers and the involvement of new employees; the role and temporary special handling of qualification requirements for assistant teachers are also under discussion. In addition, teacher salaries and the salary fund are being discussed, which are critically important from the perspective of the next generation and teacher motivation related to their work.
Decisions Made 1
No immediate decisions were made during this discussion.
Most Active Speaker
The most active spokesperson is the Minister of Education and Research, Kristina Kallas (position: other, representative of state power). Her presentations primarily focused on clarifying language requirements, the temporary extension of qualification requirements, the situation of assistant teachers, and the need to organize salary negotiations and allocate funding to ensure schools function and the quality of future generations is maintained. Her role is to represent legislative and political decisions in the field of education.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
A member of the Riigikogu, Vladimir Arhipov, poses to Kristina Kallas, the Minister of Education and Science, a question about the shortage of teachers and the prospects for the next generation.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Starting next year, teachers with a B1 language level will no longer be allowed to participate in learning activities, which raises the question of whom to replace with experienced teachers and how the system works if young candidates without the appropriate education and kindergarten assistant teachers may not pass the exam.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, addresses the minister and makes a plea.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Education and Science Minister Kristina Kallas stressed that the Estonian-language teaching post is a decades-long requirement, and a teacher must master Estonian at least at level B2. An extension will be granted for another year, assistant teachers in kindergartens will receive a longer deadline, and there will be no further extensions.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair thanks and asks Vladimir Arhipov to pose a clarifying question.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Vladimir Arhipov emphasizes the importance of today’s and tomorrow’s education and points out an illogical contradiction between the temporary validity of the qualification requirements for teaching assistants until 2029 and the permanence of language requirements until 2026, which allows teaching for a three-year period without education.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Kristina Kallas stressed that the transition to Estonian-language instruction has brought many young teachers into schools without qualifications, but the state gives them time and the opportunity to obtain a vocational qualification (also outside the university) by 2026–2027, and will increase the intake of future teachers at universities so that in the future there will be more qualified teachers in schools.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairperson thanks, and Vadim Belobrovtsev poses an additional question.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Vadim Belobrovtsev notes that the main reasons for the lack of a new generation are the lack of prestige of the teaching profession and, in particular, the very low salary, and emphasizes that in the near future during salary negotiations the minimum threshold could be around 2100 euros and asks whether this level is competitive and what the appropriate minimum threshold should be next year.
Haridus- ja teadusminister Kristina Kallas
AI Summary
Education and Science Minister Kristina Kallas said that there are enough teacher-training places and that many people want to become teachers, and that the state and the teachers' union want, within a two-year agreement, to increase the payroll and differentiate salaries, focusing on a minimum of 2100 euros and reducing teachers' workloads.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Thank you very much; during the course of this question there have been both a clarifying question and an additional question, therefore we will conclude the discussion of today’s eighth question.