By Agendas: Liina Kersna

The speaker offers moderate support for the overall increase in the education sector budget, deeming this growth essential. However, they strongly question the government's actions and transparency regarding the funding of the transition to Estonian-language education, pointing out contradictory budgetary decisions. The primary focus remains on the clarity of the policy and the budget procedures.

The political stance is one of staunch opposition to Bill 620 SE, which concerns increasing school lunch subsidies, arguing that it is not a government priority. He/She stresses that the 30 million euro expenditure should be redirected toward raising teachers' salaries and supporting higher education to ensure quality education. The position is clearly driven by policy and priorities, serving to defend the government's budget strategy. He/She reiterates that the compilation of the state budget is a question of priorities, with the increase of teachers' salaries taking precedence.

The speaker takes a firm stance on education policy matters, opposing the screening of children for first grade, a practice they argue is unsupported by scientific evidence. They stress the necessity of amending the organization of secondary school entrance exams at the legislative level to resolve logistical issues, while focusing on the development of a society rooted in freedom and responsibility. The political framework is clearly driven by policy and values.

The speaker represents the Reform Party faction and adopts a strong procedural stance, expressing astonishment at the Center Party's unwillingness to work in the Riigikogu's main chamber. A second key role is representing the Culture Committee, focusing on the Riigikogu draft resolution for the election of members to the national broadcasting council. The political framework is primarily procedural and centered on institutional governance.

Strong support for the education reform bill (653 SE), which is framed as a political necessity for stabilizing the teaching workforce and preventing the collapse of the education system. The main emphasis is on supporting unqualified teachers and increasing the certification and accountability of school leaders. The political position is primarily policy- and solution-driven, seeking opportunities to improve the bill.

The political position is one of strong support for the Research, Development and Innovation Organisation Act (554 SE), which is considered vital for making the national economy more knowledge-based. The stance is clearly policy- and structure-centric, emphasizing a distinct division of responsibilities between the Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. The bill is supported with the goal of ensuring a clear funding structure and the overall prosperity of society.

The political emphasis is directed toward modernizing the legal system through the implementation of artificial intelligence, as well as reforming legal education. There is strong support for creating a secure, state-based AI model under Estonian control specifically for processing sensitive data. The overall focus is policy- and solutions-driven, emphasizing practical application and the strategic development of education.

The political position is strongly focused on supporting the objectives of the "Estonia 2035" education strategy, underscoring the necessity of increasing the proportion of lifelong learning and higher education. Particular emphasis is placed on proactively investing in artificial intelligence (AI) topics and doctoral studies, viewing this as the key to the country's economic and social success. The position is clearly policy- and value-driven, highlighting the importance of maintaining initiative and taking on a pioneering role.

The political focus centers on the procedural correctness and specialized expertise required for the appointment of members to the Council of the Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR). The speaker strongly endorses the Culture Committee’s selection of Paavo Nõgene and Raul Rebane for the council, highlighting their extensive, long-term experience. Furthermore, the speaker takes a firm stance on the lack of gender balance within the ERR council, urging parliamentary factions to resolve this problem. This viewpoint is fundamentally policy- and value-driven, underscoring both compliance with the law and the critical need for diversity.

The politician's main priorities are ensuring the vitality of the Estonian language and culture, and supporting the extension of the Estonia National Opera building. He strongly supports the Estonia project, calling it a nationally important commitment. The political framework is clearly value-based, emphasizing the need for continuous nurturing of culture and the adoption of new ideas. He questions the effectiveness of the horizontal management approach to language policy.

The political focus centers on the constitutional obligation to ensure that Artificial Intelligence achieves a high proficiency in the Estonian language. The speaker strongly supports the goal of doubling the language corpus to 15 billion words, but is questioning the minister regarding specific actions and outcomes, indicating a results-based approach. This issue is framed by the necessity of fulfilling both a constitutional duty and the state's long-term development strategy.

The most crucial topic is developing the economy toward higher added value, which is tied to establishing a science- and innovation-intensive economy. The political stance is moderately critical of the government's actions, asking what more the state could do to increase the contribution of skilled labor. The focus is on a results-based and policy-centric framework, assessing the implementation of the "Estonia 2035" strategy.

The political focus is on the systemic integration of the funding and organization of research and development (R&D) and higher education. The speaker supports proposals that improve the coherence of science and higher education, while simultaneously emphasizing the importance of universities' financial autonomy. The approach is policy-driven, focusing on clarifying and improving the specific mechanisms of the draft law (TAIKS).

The political position is strongly focused on supporting the quality and accessibility of mental health services for youth, underscoring the necessity of qualified specialists. Criticism is aimed at the ministry's actions (or inaction) regarding the promotion of the information line, suggesting a results-based evaluation of the policy. The speaker defends a specific political solution initiated earlier (the counseling line 1226).

The political position is one of strong support for amending the Adult Education Act to codify the concept of micro-qualifications and ensure the quality of curricula. The approach is policy- and procedure-centric, emphasizing the need to align legislation with university practices. We support the rapid adoption of the draft bill, proposing a final vote as early as January. Taxpayer interests are also being protected by opposing the drastic reduction of the state fee.

The political stance involves strong support for the education reform (raising the compulsory schooling age to 18), which is viewed as the catalyst for significant substantive change. There is an emphasis on increasing flexibility and individuality in learning paths, offering young people options like a gap year or vocational training. However, concerns have been raised simultaneously about the substantial need for additional funding that will arise in the education sector in 2026. The overall focus is centered on policy and reform.

The political position is strongly supportive of the Draft Act on Amendments to the Adult Education Act (465 SE), which legalizes micro-qualifications and micro-degrees. The speaker emphasizes the long-term preparation of the bill and its initiation during their previous tenure as minister, demonstrating a strong personal commitment and political continuity. The framing of the bill is policy-driven, focusing on establishing the necessary legal framework.

The political focus is on the quality of the legal system and the standards for qualifying as a judge. The speaker asks whether the low pass rate for the judicial examination (one third) points to poor legal education or a qualification bar that is set too high. This stance is policy-based, seeking an interpretation of this specific result in order to identify systemic shortcomings.

The political stance heavily emphasizes the prioritization of Research and Development (R&D) funding as crucial for ensuring economic growth. The speaker criticizes the government's potential decision to cut R&D funding via a negative supplementary budget, deeming this move unwise. They advocate for investing borrowed funds into R&D to prevent these cuts and guarantee innovation. The position is strongly policy-driven, stressing long-term economic benefits.

The political stance strongly favors preventative measures within the social sector, stressing that prevention is considerably more cost-effective than addressing consequences. This position focuses on policy efficiency and the rational utilization of resources, supporting the expansion of the target audience for parenting programs.

The political position is one of strong support for the draft amendment bill concerning the Pre-school Institutions Act, the Vocational Educational Institutions Act, and the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act. The aim is to establish legal grounds for removing students from the lists in order to free up study places for other children, who are referred to as "Estonia's own children." The position is clearly policy-driven, focusing on the administrative streamlining and efficiency of the education system.

The central theme is the improvement of teachers' working conditions and the creation of a career model, which is being addressed within the framework of the ongoing national Education Agreement negotiations. Kersna supports a cautious and comprehensive approach, emphasizing that in education, one should rather "measure ten times and cut once." He positions himself as a proponent of procedural solutions that are already underway in ministry working groups. The political stance is geared towards finding solutions through existing negotiation structures.

The political position is moderately supportive of science-based health and education initiatives, such as the "Active School" program (Liikuma Kutsuv Kool) and postponing the start of the school day. However, the speaker is critical and demanding regarding the government's inaction or inefficiency when it comes to suicide prevention. The focus is results-oriented, highlighting the failure to achieve the expected outcomes (a decrease in the number of suicides).

The political stance is strongly supportive of the six education reforms spearheaded by Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas, which are being implemented under the "Estonia 2035" strategy. However, concerns are simultaneously raised regarding the pace and scope of the reforms' execution, with a warning that the sector must not be "broken" or fundamentally damaged. The political framework represents a blend of results-orientation (praising the minister) and value-based principles (the fundamental role of education in society). One critical issue pertains to the social impact of extending the compulsory education age and whether sufficient consultation has taken place with school psychologists and child protection specialists.

The speaker focuses on Research and Development (R&D) policy, noting that discussions tend to lean excessively towards economics and innovation. They raise a question regarding the role of development in the social sciences and humanities (SSH), showing interest in a more balanced and broad-based approach to R&D strategy. This position is moderately policy-driven, seeking clarification on the government's priorities.

The political stance focuses on reforming education funding mechanisms. The speaker strongly supports the position that per-student funding should be tied directly to the school, rather than the school maintainer, to allow successful schools to raise teachers' salaries. This is a strongly policy-driven position that criticizes the current equalization mechanism.