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Address by the President of the Republic to the 4th Forum of the National Agreement "The Youth without Basic Education" at the Conference Centre of the Hotel Olympia on 28 April 200428.04.2004
Distinguished Parties to the National Agreement,
Honourable Observers and Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The process of the Estonian national agreement has come to its fourth forum. One year ago, on 20 February 2003, 39 parties signed the Memorandum of Estonian National Agreement. For today, as many as 51 parties have acceded to the first National Agreement signed on 20 October 2003.
During the last 12 months, the attention of the public interested in politics was focused on how to conclude our preparations for the accession to NATO and the European Union. But in parallel, a social dialogue also characteristic of these structures that we have joined has been gathering momentum Estonia.
English philosopher Isaiah Berlin, whose works are available in Estonian too, has written, "both liberty and equality are among the primary goals pursued by human beings through many centuries; but total liberty for wolves is death to the lambs, total liberty of the powerful, the gifted, is not compatible with the rights to a decent existence of the weak and the less gifted".
We are facing the question: what should we do in view of that? The scholar has admitted that a clear answer is lacking, yet still, clashes can be alleviated and demands be balanced. It is possible to reach compromises because claims in a specific situation are not all equal in weight. Consequently, there is a third way running between liberty and equality. And also Estonia is obliged to find it.
Our National Agreement, which, in my opinion, can be regarded just as such a third way, suggests that in present situation the focus of Estonia's educational, cultural and social policy should be placed on children and families with children. The objective of that is to ensure our younger generation equal opportunities for comprehensive development, and to create possibilities for lifelong learning.
The last forum in November 2003 discussed how to improve the situation of children and families with children.
The today's forum focuses our attention on these young people who have in Estonia left schools without basic education. Generalising different poll results and comparing data bases it has been assessed that the total of persons aged 17-49 lacking basic education in Estonia amounts to 20,000.
Their number is annually growing by nearly 1000 basic school dropouts. I appreciate the initiative of the Education Committee of the Forum of National Agreement to place the focus of today's discussions just on them, i.e. on the analysis of problems of the most vulnerable members of society and on pursuit of solutions to their problems.
Even more so since a survey carried out in schools by the State Audit Office has shown that the main reason for the absence from school are social problems, including alcoholism, drug abuse, heavy workload, marriage problems and poverty of parents, which have led to the lack of the most essential support for children - parent's support and supervision.
Thus, the children and young people who experience difficulties in acquiring basic education need to be given attention and support by all of us, by our whole society. This must manifest itself in specific measures, which the Parties to the National Agreement are called upon to word.
Last but not least, I would like to express my delight at the participation of representatives of our creative associations both in this and in former forums and consultations. I really do hope that your commitment and strong sense of social responsibility will soon make you join the ranks of the Parties to the Agreement.
I wish the forum creative spirit of cooperation producing a final document of the forum, which would serve as one of the starting points for the debate of national importance on Estonia's educational problems scheduled to take place in the Riigikogu on May 4.
Good luck with your work!
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