Ministry Cuts University Curriculum, Seeks Higher Quality
Next year, the Ministry of Education is cutting state-commissioned university programs that fail to meet quality standards.
For example, students will no longer be able to study painting at the University of Tartu; Tallinn University will likely have to stop teaching theoretical physics; and the Võru County Vocational Training Center must consider why it offers degrees in the first place, wrote Postimees.
"All schools must determine what they are best at, and if that is clear, they must ask [in which subject] they could be the best in the world," said Minister of Education Jaak Aaviksoo. "The desire just to teach something is no longer enough," he added.
During the evaluation process, the Maritime Academy turned out to be one of the most problematic universities, where a total of three specialty programs will be shut down, said Mart Laidmets, head of the Higher Education Department at the ministry.
The total amount of the cutbacks will be determined by next week.
Ingrid Teesalu