Universities to Cut Back Student Places
Starting with the fall semester, public universities in Estonia can decide the number of student places themselves, and both Tallinn University as well as University of Tartu have decided to cut nearly 200 places.
An agreement signed in January between the state and public universities abandons state-commissioned education, which means that from the next academic year, universities can decide the number of places, ETV reported on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Education and Research has recommended reducing the number of places.
While the state trusts the choices of the young, it also expects that the demand for specialists is met and welcomes the input of employers, said the head of the higher education department, Helen Põllo.
Universities in Tallinn and Tartu have decided to cut places by nearly 200 to raise the standard of students, and the cuts include specialties that have so far seen an increase in admissions, including social sciences, business, early childhood education and law.