Learn about some of the changes taking effect in the new academic year and beyond for schools in Estonia.
Following approval of a new national regulation on the school learning environment, there will be several changes for all Estonian schools regarding learning environments, school routines and more. Some of these will take effect from Autumn 2025 and others from Autumn 2026. The national regulation ‘merges several earlier regulations into one, easing administrative burden and strengthening the focus on students’ health and well-being.’ 1 The changes recognise the challenges for administrators, and that learning and working environments need to be updated to fit modern standards. The national regulation aims to provide students with an ‘inclusive and learner-centred school environment that supports both educational outcomes and student well-being’. For example, the change to the later start to the school day is to help students get enough sleep, which is important to their developmental needs. 1
Changes in the new national regulation:
- School will start at 9AM (the standard is 8AM), with autonomy to work with local authorities and school boards to adjust this for their context, e.g. to avoid rush hour traffic in inner-city schools.
- Lunch breaks must include at least 20 continuous minutes for eating (this does not include time spent walking to the dining area, queuing for lunch etc.).
- Schools must provide daily outdoor activity for at least 20 minutes.
- Lessons are not permitted in classrooms where the indoor temperature exceeds 27 °C.
- Secure and weather-protected storage must be provided for bicycles and scooters.
- Local authorities must organise transport for students whose school routes cross high-traffic roads.
- Teachers and support staff must have basic first aid training. 1
There will also be updated rules on classroom size, furnishings and the physical learning environment; as well as more responsibility placed on school owners for ensuring safety and conducting risk assessments. 1
