Aaviksoo: High School Closures Will be Voluntary
Minister of Education Jaak Aaviksoo has assured local governments there is no plan to close rural secondary schools by force, a move that has been feared by many communities.
"There will be no closure of local gymnasia by law," Aaviksoo said, as quoted by the Postimees daily.
Aaviksoo, however, maintained his ministry's stance that the optimum number of secondary schools in Estonia was between 50 and 100 instead of the current 200-plus. Hints of reforms that would see dozens of rural schools getting the ax have prompted some rural municipalities to make contingency plans. This week, municipal governments in Järve County voted to form a foundation to run a private high school if such changes were to be made.
Aaviksoo said the decisions about closures would have to be taken by school operators themselves and that Estonia would not deviate from the "liberal model" it had chosen.
"Likely local governments themselves realize that a secondary school with four, seven or 15 students is not reasonable."
Kristopher Rikken