Education and Science, Estonia, Legislation

Three schools in Tallinn, as well as six schools in other places in Estonia will be closed. Also two high schools will be merged.

Last autumn, municipalises closed just four schools. Although local education officials say that some enlivenment can be noted in reorganising the schools network, most municipalities are still waiting for the new schools law to be approved by the Riigikogu first.

The number of pupils in Estonian general education schools has fallen by 5,000–6,000 a year in recent years. This year, there are 149,641 pupils while last year there were 154,481 and in 2000, 218,555.

There are 559 general education schools in Estonia at present, in 2000, there were 685. Thus, while in ten years the number of pupils has fallen by a third, the number of schools by 20%.