Grades 4-8 in Tallinn municipal schools are currently on remote learning and schools will begin deciding which classes to rotate on remote learning from next week.

Education ministry adviser Mario Kadastik told ERR that school managers gaining more authority from next week is a positive development, but remote learning needs to be coordinated with the Health Board, something Tallinn city government failed to do in their initial decision.

"What we certainly do not support is complete remote learning without it being epidemiologically justified. There are certainly schools in Tallinn, which have issues in some age groups, but that decision should be coordinated with the Health Board before implementing it," Kadastik said.

The adviser noted that the education ministry is considering initiating monitoring proceedings against the schools, which sent classes to remote learning.

"It is likely that we will do it in a broader sense, looking at all schools, which went to remote learning after the school break (October 25-31 - ed). The proceedings aim to find out what the basis of going to remote learning has been and if it was justified. We know there are regions, where it was justified. This might not be the same for all schools," Kadastik noted.

If an infraction is identified, the school can be issued a precept to have the infraction eliminated and for all students to return to contact learning, the adviser added.

Kadastik said Tallinn's decision to put all of its municipal schools on remote learning is incomprehensible to the ministry because schools have also begun testing, which is done three times a week.

"We pick up infectious people in classrooms early. We do not understand why such a decision was necessary, if we have alternative measures to lower the risk levels. There have been hundreds of positives, testing has worked well," the ministry adviser said.

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