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Address by the President of the Republic on the occasion of the beginning of school year on September 1, 2002, at Tartu01.09.2002
Distinguished Minister of Education,
Honourable Mayor,
Dear Students,
Distinguished Teachers,
Dear People,
We have declared that the 1st of September is Wisdom Day. On that day, not only children and youth but also parents and grandparents, employees and employers, politicians and scientists, cultural figures and servicemen begin with a new academic year. That's the way it is because we are living in a time when life-long learning is becoming a standard. Education in the modern world is no luxury any more but a means to cope with daily life for every individual but also for the country and the people.
This year, in Estonia 13 450 children go to the first class - that is nearly nine and a half thousand less than in 1995. Over the last twelve years 144 comprehensive schools have been closed down in Estonia. In the present school year, 16 more schools will close their doors.
I hope from my heart that the students of all these 16 schools have found themselves new schools, teachers and classmates. Moreover, I do hope that they would overcome their sadness provoked by the thought that, henceforth, other business will be done in the houses where they felt at home and that their pals are scattered across other schools now. And so, I believe that they will also get used to their new environment.
Yet it must not be a comfort to us - the adults. We should ask ourselves if we have been able to shape the Estonian education system in a way enabling children to be happy about acquiring new knowledge, not provoking bitterness of loss because of multiple school changes and concomitant stress.
During the last weeks, in the Estonian public there has been much talk on the quality and system of education. I suppose that this was due to the fact that the new school year was beginning and both the local and national elections are approaching. But what matters most is that the speakers and writers tried to put their good ideas into practice. However, today's problems did not crop up overnight. Already at the time when the Republic of Estonia was restored we wanted to link our future to those nations, which outdid us both in economic and social terms. Those who believed that one could succeed in that using the methods of double-crossing or making a quick buck are definitely disappointed. Already those days, we knew well enough that our human resources were limited and, therefore, conditions should be created in which every child, youngster and grown-up willing to learn had the chance of getting the best possible education or in-service training. Yet the principle of reforms for the sake of reforms themselves, unfortunately so characteristic of Estonia, has manifested itself in education too - be it in the case of relocating the ministry or introducing capitation fees, thus overshadowing the contents, meaning and effect of education itself.
However, in view of Estonia's sustainability, this is the most important area. For education - means preparedness. It cannot be an end in itself, it rather is a process running through and shaping all areas of life, starting by the easiest everyday job and ending by scientific theories. Education does not necessarily mean that a person had a whole bundle of diplomas in his pocket, but it shows the actual level of vocational training needed for some profession. It means the complex of knowledge, skills and experience enabling to be an effective decision-maker in charge.
Thus, Estonian educationists have seen a serious problem in it. The Estonian system of education is regarded as being too biased towards university. True, if the education given by universities turns into an intense hunt for points only, then both the studies and the diplomas certifying them become a mere formality. On the other hand, it is no argument for scaling down higher education. 70 % of the young in developed countries are university students. The higher education just is becoming a standard general education. The contents and quality of this education are quite another question. The Estonians have preferred the humanities to the technical sciences already since our national awakening. Yet however deep the global division of labour in modern times - the nations and peoples hardly are going to divide into humanitarian and technical ones. The contents of education depend on general development strategy of a country. Our development strategy is targeting at sustainability both in the demographic, economic and cultural sense. This presupposes balance and Estonian education system, likewise, ought to be based on balance.
For that reason, vocational education needs to be valued more highly than so far. And indeed, there has been much talk about it recently. It is obvious that we cannot train skilled workers of tomorrow using material training aids from yesteryear. On top of that - teachers and masters able to teach modern technologies would not apply for the jobs at our vocational school considering the salaries paid there.
I am really very glad that we can mark the Wisdom Day together by opening just here, in Tartu, a new centre of vocational education. Tartu throughout history has played a leading role in Estonian education. And our "Athens at Emajõgi" is safeguarding this role also today by opening this training centre of modern standards. I congratulate those who can continue schooling here and wish to the teaching staff readiness and strength for performing all the tasks of the new centre.
Our national order concerning the number of places in educational establishments must be drawn up on the basis of the demand in labour market. It is a regrettable fact that thousands of young people drop out of the basic school and are left on their own. But what does it actually mean that each year at least three thousand young leave basic schools without the relevant certificate? Foremost, that the conditions of their development have not guaranteed them the skills, abilities and will to acquire the elementary education. Without the education - no employment, but bread is a must for living in any case. If there is no money to buy it - stealing follows. And the young would not like to live by bread alone. Idolizing the rich and beautiful indiscriminately hits just those who were not able, or who did not want, to cope with the most crucial thing: acquiring the basic education. And if miracles wouldn't occur, the majority of them will reproduce just the likes. Such sad scenarios are hiding behind these dry statistical data.
Unemployment is also waiting for many high school leavers who, for economic reasons or due to weak graduation certificates, fail to make it to colleges and universities. That does not mean a lack of jobs but the lack of qualifications to fill one or another post. Therefore, both our basic and secondary education needs to be orientated towards vocational training far more.
Another problem facing not only Estonia is low level of functional literacy. People's ability to understand interrelations between different fields and to generalize them has been worsening year in, year out. In estimation of many teachers, growing helplessness to express and write down one's thoughts is a testimony to that. General deterioration of the reading habit is deemed to be particularly dangerous. Despite the fact that reading is also thinking, but thinking in turn - a perpetual process of making and explaining choices.
And the third, I would say - a chronic problem, is the continuous underestimation of teacher's profession and work. The problem is not only that, compared to other professions, the salary paid for teaching is unjustly low. Teachers and professors must become the highest-ranking in the system of values of our society. If in Estonia the schoolmasters once were called the salt of the earth then - they today still are. Provided that the teaching profession requires full commitment, cordiality and honesty. It depends on the Estonian teachers if our national and patriotic values and the Estonian spiritual power will be able to endure. Just the intellectuals must be regarded as guarantee that our nation state will survive.
In this context, I would like to touch upon one further essential matter - the inextricable connection between education and culture. The Estonian school must emphasize the continuity of Estonian culture, which is grounded in the Estonian language. The tolerance of our state towards the right of other ethnicities living in Estonia to get basic education in their mother tongue, should orientate all those studying in Estonia to continue their studies in Estonian. Education in the Estonian language is a component of the Estonian identity, but an expression of patriotism as well. It is no obstacle in adapting to the globalizing world. On the contrary, it is our wealth, the privilege of a small nation to be able to interpret the world in Estonian and in the context of Estonian culture.
Beginning with my address, I said that September means going to school for the whole people. It really makes sense! Namely, September in the course of years has come to mark the beginning of a new season in the life of Estonian society. This season will be special with the people electing their representatives to the local governments in autumn, and to the Riigikogu in spring. At both elections, the future of Estonia's education system will definitely play an important role too. However, education must not be a playground of politicians alone. Since it is about one of the fundamental factors enabling the Estonian state to function and to survive, it has to be our common cause. Thus, one of the cornerstones of our new national pact being on the anvil will be education, its accessibility and system. I would like all of us to feel equal parties to this pact.
Dear Students,
Dear People,
Quite frequently our independent state of Estonia has been thought to be a miracle. Our ancestors and grandparents made it to this miracle, first, through education. We must continuously admit that education not only is our constitutional right but also a duty. Only when life-long learning including all people of Estonia will come true, we can hope that Estonia survived.
Dear Young, get off to a good start! A good school year to all of us!
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