Teachers in Estonia began a nationwide strike on 22 January 2024 to press for higher pay, ERR reports. The Estonian Education Personnel Union (EHL) said that altogether 9,471 teachers at 330 general education schools were taking part in the strike. The number of strikers will almost double to 18,176 when kindergarten and vocational school teachers…
Estonia’s three-party ruling coalition will meet on 30 January 2024 to discuss the state of the coalition, according to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, chairman of Estonia 200 (E200), ERR reports. Tsahkna said that E200 would propose ways to revitalise the economy, including measures to reform education, ensure labour and capital availability, and stabilise energy prices…
The Latvian government, which took office in September 2023, has approved a plan of action, LSM reports. The plan foresees 269 specific measures in line with the government declaration. The action plan is divided into three main priorities: “Prosperous Latvia,” “Safe Latvia,” and “Latvian and inclusive Latvia.” All state institutions must submit reports on the…
Lithuania’s Justice Minister, Ewelina Dobrowolska, warned against “populism” over the issue of Russian schools, BNS reported. Earlier, Education Minister Gintautas Jakstas suggested that Lithuania follow Estonia and Latvia in closing Russian schools. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Dobrowolska conceded that minority education faced challenges but insisted that they be dealt with by ensuring…
The Estonian Education Personnel Union (EHL) has called an open-ended general strike of education workers for 22 January 2024, ERR reports. Around 2,800 teachers in Tallinn will participate in the strike and another 500 in a sympathy strike. Meanwhile, teachers in Tartu will not take part in the general strike as they have signed a…
The number of school students learning Russian has declined by 25% in Estonia, ERR reports. An official at the Ministry of Education said that 59% of students in grades 4-6 learned Russian in the school year 2023/2024, which was down from 78% in the year before. Around 20% of students have switched from Russian to…
Lithuania’s Education Minister, Gintautas Jakstas, has proposed phasing out secondary education in Russian, following the Latvian and Estonian example, BNS reports. He suggests focusing on EU languages. The Ministry of Education is exploring ways to suspend Russian as a language of tuition, with a proposal expected soon. Jakstas emphasised that Russian schools would not be…
In his New Year address, Lauri Hussar, speaker of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, outlined key challenges for Estonia in 2024, ERR reports. He emphasised the importance of transitioning to Estonian as the sole language of tuition in schools, viewing it as vital to preserving the country’s language and culture. Hussar urged unity in recognising…
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina’s New Year message emphasised the significance of education for the nation’s future prosperity, LSM reported. Speaking from Riga Technical University, she underscored the importance of science and learning to compete globally. Silina called for investing in children, highlighting the role of education in shaping their future. She paid tribute to…