Eighteen county schools across Estonia to receive a total of €1.3 million extra funding from the state

According to Minister Kristina Kallas, it is in the interest of the state to keep small schools viable and the new support measure, which has a class-based funding model, will help local authorities to maintain small primary schools. ‘At least until the sixth grade, children should be able to go to school close to home. Small schools are important both for children’s education and health,’ the Minister noted, adding: ‘This time, we supported 18 schools, but in total, there could be more than 30 eligible small schools next year and the support will continue in the coming years.’  

Local authorities in rural areas could apply for additional state support to maintain primary schools or education centres for grades 1 to 6, which had 20–89 pupils enrolled on a full-time basis this academic year. In order to receive the grant, the local authority had to submit an application to the Ministry, confirming that it was moving towards the objectives set in the Education Strategy and that it was committed to maintaining the local primary school covered by the application.  

The grant is allocated to the local authority for one calendar year and is intended to ensure the availability of class teachers and support specialists in small schools, as well as provide certainty for the future. Schools that will start operating as 6-grade schools from the autumn will be eligible to apply under the 2025 call. The measure to support local primary schools has been approved by a decree of the Minister of Education and Research for the period of 2024–2026. 

The creation of a support measure for local rural schools was agreed in the government’s coalition agreement. There is also a social pact to ensure education close to home – the Estonian Education Strategy 2021–2035 states that education must be accessible and available and that local authorities responsible for organising basic education must ensure the provision of education close to home at least in the first and second stage of basic school. In areas with a declining population, the third stage of basic education must be provided at least in the larger centres of the municipality, including, where necessary, by ensuring services such as transport to support attendance.