School leaders have called for flexibility on the issue.

Greta Henriksson, director of Merivälja Põhikool in Tallinn told AK: "As a school principal, I'm in favor of flexibility on this."

"The new curriculum to be effective this fall has not diminished the number of lessons. This means that if we start the day later, the students' day also ends later," Henriksson went on.

AK reported that parent surveys find opinions split roughly 50-50.

Parents with younger children often take their offspring to school by 7:30 a.m., so that they can reach work, by car, themselves ahead of the worst of the rush hour.

One parent, Sergei, told AK: "8:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., it suits both parent and child. 9 a.m. however doesn't work because of the traffic jams."

Perhaps unsurprisingly, some schoolchildren said they would prefer the later start.

Ken, an 8th grader, said start-time should be: "At nine. That way you get to sleep longer."

Another, Romet, agreed, saying: "I always feel much more energetic when I have to go to school at nine."

Health Minister Riina Sikkut (SDE) told AK: "Current regulations advise a school day starts at 8 a.m. If we do move forwards and reach an agreement, the start time would be 9 a.m. though, schools could start the day late or earlier, than that, pending a decision from the [school in question's] welfare council."

The issue of pupils' workloads, in every sense of the phrase – the weight of school bags was talked about as well as the length of breaks, the quality and content of school meals and the number of tests and exams to be taken – was the subject of ministerial discussion seven years ago.

Current health minister, Riina Sikkut, said at that time the Ministry of Education and school leaders had proved reluctant, and no agreement was reached (the Ministry of Social Affairs was also involved).

However the education ministry has come round to the idea of starting school hours at 9 a.m. and most of the other workload areas noted above, though the regulation putting that in place would be advisory. Some schools in any case have reportedly moved to a later start time.

A ministry spokesperson said the corresponding bill should reach the Riigikogu in the second half of April, with a view to the law entering force in summer 2025.

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