Prime Minister replied to interpellation concerning uniform Estonian school

NordenBladet —

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas replied to the interpellation concerning uniform Estonian school (No. 13), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Henn Põlluaas, Martin Helme, Rene Kokk, Siim Pohlak, Helle-Moonika Helme, Jaak Valge, Evelin Poolamets, Arvo Aller, Kert Kingo and Mart Helme.

The interpellators asked11 questions about various aspects of the transition to uniform Estonian school. The interpellators referred to the fact that there were already big problems in the current schools where Estonian was the language of instruction. With substantial numbers of children with other languages, this in turn brings problems to teachers.

Kallas explained the situation that had emerged and the action of the Government in the transition to uniform Estonian school. “The provisions of the Constitution stating that the official language of Estonia is Estonian, and everyone has the right to be taught in Estonian are in force,” the Prime Minister emphasised.

Kallas said that the Government had no intention of Russification of Estonian children. “On the contrary, the Government is intending to stop the funding of the education with Russian as the language of instruction and to transfer to uniform education with Estonian as the language of instruction,” she said. Kallas added that, in the transition to uniform education, when choosing the form of study, the child’s proficiency in the language of instruction needed to be take into account, and the study had to be adjusted to the child in terms of language and method. “It is not lawful to allocate a child whose native language is Estonian to a class where instruction in Estonian is intended for children who cannot speak Estonian,” the Prime Minister said. 

Kallas underlined that the purpose of the transition to uniform education with Estonian as the language of instruction was that all people in Estonia would be in a single information space and that they would be proficient in Estonian and that there would be increasingly more people who would use Estonian. “So that we would not have two different systems, and we are making efforts to achieve this. This has been a big problem. I likewise agree that this should have been done already a long time ago. Better late than never. It is in any case necessary to move on with this,” the Prime Minister said.

Kallas also replied to interpellations concerning the establishment of a nuclear power station (No. 41), the increase of the indirect fire capability of the war-time Defence Forces (No. 72), immigration (No. 133), the demographic crisis and the resolution thereof (No. 232), the need for and construction of Rail Baltic (No. 262) and a permanent connection with Saaremaa (No. 278).

The Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets replied to the interpellations concerning the use of electronic cigarettes (No. 377), the capacity to ensure internal security in the new situation where uncontrolled immigration has made Estonian people worried about their property and their lives (No. 536), and the misuse of the funds of “Slava Ukraini” and the related investigation (No. 578), submitted by members of the Riigikogu.

Kalle Grünthal took the floor during the open microphone.

The sitting ended at 10.39 p.m.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Gunnar Paal
+372 631 6351, +372 5190 2837
gunnar.paal@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Prime Minister replied to interpellation concerning uniform Estonian school

Source: Parliament of Estonia