Interpellation concerning the unified Estonian school (No. 13)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 3rd sitting, plenary session.
Date: 2024-01-15 17:08
Total Speeches: 59
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 48m
AI Summaries: 59/59 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The Riigikogu session addressed an interpellation submitted by members of the Estonian Conservative People's Party (EKRE) faction to Prime Minister Kaja Kallas concerning the transition to a unified Estonian-language school system. The submitters of the inquiry, led by Helle-Moonika Helme, expressed deep concern that what is actually happening under the guise of education reform is the Russification of Estonian-language schools. They feared that the high proportion of non-Estonian-speaking students in Estonian schools would degrade the quality of Estonian-language instruction and threaten the national identity of Estonian children, even referencing accusations of genocide and unconstitutional activity. The opposition wanted to know how the government plans to ensure the preservation of the Estonian language, nation, and culture in a situation where mixed schools and teacher shortages threaten the Estonian-language education space.
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas categorically rejected these accusations. She emphasized that Estonia is and will remain a nation-state, and the government's goal is precisely the opposite—to cease funding Russian-language education and create a unified Estonian-language education system that would ensure all Estonian residents possess Estonian language skills and a unified value space. Kallas affirmed that the government has no intention whatsoever of Russifying Estonian children. She directed more detailed questions regarding teacher shortages, regional problems, and transition bottlenecks to the jurisdiction of the Minister of Education and Research, which caused resentment among the questioners and accusations of the Prime Minister's incompetence.
Decisions Made 1
No official decisions were taken under this agenda item. This was an inquiry aimed at obtaining clarifications and answers from the government regarding the questions that had been raised.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Mart Helme (EKRE), who used his allotted time during the debate phase (including extra time) to sharply criticize the policies of the Prime Minister and the government. Helme accused the government of deliberately destroying Estonian-language education, labeling the action "criminal" and unconstitutional. He criticized Kaja Kallas for her arrogant and inadequate responses and argued that the government was leading the Estonian state toward catastrophe, creating chaos in the education system and allowing the language of the aggressor state (Russian) to run rampant. Helme represented the right-wing opposition.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Under the first item on the agenda, there will be a discussion of the interpellation concerning the unified Estonian school, which was submitted this year on May 8th by Helle-Moonika Helme.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helme points out that while Estonia is transitioning to Estonian-language education, the concept of a unified Estonian school could genuinely lead to the Russification of existing Estonian-language schools, creating a teacher shortage and a methodology crisis that endangers the continuation of Estonian-language education.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The call urges you to take action, because it is your time.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme said that the questions are ready, and she hopes that the Prime Minister will answer them, as well as any additional questions that may arise during the session.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked [her] and invited Prime Minister Kaja Kallas to the Riigikogu rostrum to answer the interpellation.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas confirms that Estonia is a nation-state and must remain so. She emphasizes that the constitution guarantees Estonian-language instruction, and the state will stop funding Russian-language education, moving instead toward a unified Estonian-language school system. This transition will take into account students' language proficiency and needs. She further asserts that there are no plans for compulsory Russian language instruction, nor are there plans to destroy the Estonian nation through mixed schools. She concludes by stating that Kristina Kallas, the Minister of Education and Research, has done excellent work in this area and will continue her efforts.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanks Madam Prime Minister, announces that there are questions, and first invites his colleague Jaak Valge to speak.
Jaak Valge
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaak Valge emphasizes that the functioning of the unified Estonian school model depends on the proportion of students whose mother tongue is not Estonian: if that figure is about 10% or less, the model may work, but above 20%, linguistic fragmentation and a decline in the quality of education occur, and a greater share generates tensions. He then asks whether this 10% threshold is secured and how it will be guaranteed.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kallas stated that the Minister of Education and Research will soon provide the government with an overview of the transition, the challenges, and the concerns, adding that specific questions should be addressed directly to the Minister, given the differences between regions.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanks the assembly and invites Mart Helme to take the floor.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme criticizes the government for its inability to provide concrete answers and references a previous incident. He then asks when the government will cease using the language of the aggressor state on the official websites and in the official administrative procedures of the Estonian state.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Kaja Kallas confirmed that the official language of state administration in Estonia is Estonian.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar invited Kert Kingo to the stage.
Kert Kingo
AI Summary
Kert Kingo asks whether Estonia is a nation-state if children whose mother tongue is Estonian must attend Russian schools and learn Russian.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the goal of unified Estonian-language education is to create a single information space, increase the proportion of Estonian usage, and avoid having two separate systems, and we must move forward on this, even though it is something that should have been done a long time ago.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chair asks Helle-Moonika Helme to speak.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme criticizes the government and asks how they intend to regulate the situation in educational institutions, where the population of Slavic origin is growing and over 100,000 are registered, in order to ensure Estonian-language education for Estonian children.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas stated that the claims regarding over 100,000 Slavic-speaking individuals are exaggerated, emphasizing that everyone should speak Estonian in schools and elsewhere, thereby avoiding channeling students toward the Russian language.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar calls upon Siim Pohlak.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak returned to the tenth question, asking for three to five specific good practices that will be used to continue preserving the identity and national feeling of Estonian children, while pointing out that the Prime Minister had laconically replied that they would continue with good practices.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas thanked teachers and stressed that in Estonia, schools are instrumental in preserving national identity, language, and culture. She added that traditions such as Kadripäev (St. Catherine's Day) and Mardipäev (St. Martin's Day) are held in high regard, something that is not maintained to the same extent in other countries.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar called upon Anti Poolamets to speak.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The speaker, Anti Poolamets, raises the topic of Ukrainian children’s education, arguing that they should be studying in the Ukrainian language and following the Ukrainian curriculum. Citing the detrimental effect of Russian schools, he asks why Estonia cannot at least mandate that these children attend a Ukrainian school.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas confirmed that a unified Estonian-language school system would be established, and Ukrainian children must become proficient in Estonian-language instruction here, without anyone losing their mother tongue.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Evelin Poolamets to come forward.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
She asks how children's rights are ensured in a unified Estonian-language school and whether children have the right to speak their mother tongue during breaks.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
This is a matter for the school to decide—what the rules are and how students should behave during recess—and regulating something like this at the government level would be absolutely ridiculous.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar said that only one question could be put to the respondent concerning the interpellations. He noted that Siim Pohlak wished to express a protest and asked him to present a question regarding the procedure for conducting the session.
Siim Pohlak
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Siim Pohlak thanks the Chairman and the Prime Minister and emphasizes that the interpellation asks for specific political steps to preserve the identity and national sentiment of Estonian children, and asks what the plans are, because the Prime Minister's response does not appear to focus on this.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar said that the issue was not procedural and that the prime minister would still be able to express his views, but everyone has the opportunity during the negotiations to take the floor and proceed with questions. Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart was called upon next.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart emphasizes that the concept of a "unified Estonian-language school" remained vague to her, and she questions whether it implies children who speak Estonian and children whose mother tongue is Russian studying together, or if it still means maintaining a system of separate schools.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Our goal is to provide Estonian-language education to everyone, regardless of their home language or the school's history, and ultimately bring everyone together into a single informational space.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman asked Vadim Belobrovtsev to come to the stage.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Belobrovtsev, speaking about the transition to Estonian-language education, pointed out that roughly 450 teachers in Tallinn and Ida-Virumaa do not have sufficient command of Estonian. He questioned what provisions would be made for these teachers if they are forced to leave starting in September, and how local municipalities are supposed to manage finding substitutes.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas acknowledged her concern that Estonia has teachers who do not speak Estonian, and that certain local governments have actively resisted the transition to Estonian-language education. She added that the Minister of Education and Research must present solutions for this issue, and she intends to ask the minister directly, or later following the cabinet discussion.
Rain Epler
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Rain Epler noted that a teachers' strike is imminent and the teacher shortage in Estonia is worsening, and he briefly inquired about the government's action plan to mitigate this, specifically mentioning Tallinn and Ida-Virumaa.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman called upon Rain Epler to speak.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas stated that they have significantly increased the number of study places for teacher training and the starting grants intended for new teachers. Furthermore, measures are being implemented to recruit educators in various regions, but she is not currently providing the figures related to the topic of the inquiry and recommends submitting more specific questions.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Aleksei Yevgrafov to come.
Aleksei Jevgrafov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jevgrafov stresses that local municipalities must adhere to the laws and guarantee an adequate number of teachers, but Estonia is currently facing a teacher shortage, which poses a serious challenge for schools come September 1st.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Teachers in Ida-Viru County are paid over 3100 euros to ensure Estonian-language education is guaranteed there and to retain teaching staff. However, specific figures and detailed solutions should be sought from the Minister of Education and Research. The plan is to discuss these matters in the cabinet to clarify the underlying problems, potential solutions, and the necessary next steps.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar calls Arvo Aller to the tribune.
Arvo Aller
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Arvo Aller asks whether a unified Estonian school should use Estonian as the language of instruction, or if it should focus on teaching Estonian as a second language to others.
Peaminister Kaja Kallas
AI Summary
Kaja Kallas confirmed that teaching in Estonian schools is conducted in the Estonian language, and that is the objective: all subjects must be taught in Estonian.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanks the Prime Minister, announces the conclusion of the questioning period, opens the debate, and invites Mart Helme to the podium first.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme, in his speech, accuses the government of destroying Estonian-language education and increasing the burden on the school network and inclusive education, which threatens the foundation of the Estonian language and national independence. Furthermore, he criticizes the responses and the continued maintenance of Russian-language websites.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar requests three minutes of extra time.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme accuses the government of destroying Estonian-language education and amplifying the use of Russian as a parallel state language. He claims that the Riigikogu has become completely meaningless and that the concerns of the people remain unanswered. Furthermore, he argues that the teachers' strike and the influence of the aggressor state will lead the country to catastrophe unless Kaja Kallas resigns.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar announces that now is your time.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He warns that this will lead the Estonian state to catastrophe and the breaking of the nation-state's backbone in the near future, and mentions the possibility of falsifying election results or eliminating EKRE from this very chamber.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman announces that Mart Helme's time has come.
Mart Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Mart Helme claims that preventing the catastrophe will not succeed.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman offered his thanks and now asked that Tõnis Lukas be given the floor at the Riigikogu rostrum.
Tõnis Lukas
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
The shift to Estonian-language education must be organized and gradual to prevent the dominance of Russian-language schooling and the resulting threat to national identity. Teachers and families are key stakeholders in this process, and a successful transition requires more time and proper planning.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar requests three additional minutes.
Tõnis Lukas
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Tõnis Lukas said that the rapid transition to Estonian-language education is at risk if teachers' salaries and working conditions do not improve and the government and teachers fail to quickly reach an agreement. He therefore calls for a solution to improve salaries and career opportunities so that the attractiveness of the teaching profession is maintained and Estonian-language education is guaranteed.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked everyone and announced that there were no further requests to speak, and then invited Helle-Moonika Helme to ask a question regarding the procedural rules for conducting the sitting.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
He suggests that the Prime Minister respond to the interpellations seriously and respectfully, refrain from rushing through the prepared answers, and present both the questions and answers as is customary, ensuring he is truly engaged.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
In conclusion, the Presiding Officer will not intervene in the answering of the interpellations, the questions have been answered, Madam Prime Minister does not wish to take the floor, and we conclude the consideration of today's first agenda item.