Ministry wants school day to start at 9 am
The Ministry of Social Affairs is planning to introduce regulations that will postpone the start of the school day to 9 a.m., set limits on the weight of school bags and break lengths.
Under a new draft of the public health law completed last year, the Ministry of Social Affairs plans to set new rules for schools and kindergartens, among a wide range of measures.
"Maximum walking distance to school. Maximum weight of a school bag. Start and end of lessons. Length of breaks," the draft states, listing topics that have not yet been specifically clarified in law.
The amendments also set requirements for lesson planning, tests, and homework for first graders.
Minister of Health Riina Sikkut (SDE), who spoke about the implementation of the development strategy "Estonia 2035" in the Riigikogu last Tuesday, said the school environment must include the healthiest possible choices.
"For example, there is a cycling route from home to work, hot school lunches are provided, school stadiums are unlocked – a proposal made to municipalities by the Ministry of Education and Research – and recreational activities are affordable," said Sikkut.
Efforts are being made to ensure that school meals contain fewer carbohydrates, she added. Starting the school day at 9 a.m., healthy food, and taking breaks outside, have also been highlighted.
The ministry has been trying to postpone the start of the school day for years. In 2017, a working group of education and health experts suggested the change along with a ban on homework for first graders.
Sikkut was the minister of social affairs at the time, but no regulations were adopted.
The ministry's head of communications Taavi Audo told ERR the drafting process is underway and it is hoped a bill will reach the Riigikogu in the second half of April.
Indrek Kilk, head of the Ministry of Education and Research's legal department, said many topics are still under discussion, but moving the start of the school day back has been agreed upon.
"At the moment, there is a regulation in force which states that school cannot start earlier than 8 a.m. Generally speaking, many schools have already moved towards a later start time themselves," he said.
Kilk also stressed the amendments are still being prepared. The changes could enter into force in July 2025.
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Editor: Helen Wright
