According to Mihhail Kõlvart, higher education should be accessible regardless of a person's socioeconomic background.

"The higher education reform initiated in 2013, which aimed to provide accessible Estonian-language education, has actually had the opposite effect. The availability of Estonian-language curricula is declining, and access to quality higher education is increasingly dependent on socioeconomic background. While we made higher education free, we failed to ensure the necessary funding for universities. As a result, universities now prioritize paid English-language programs as a way to generate the needed revenue," Kõlvart said.

As a solution, he suggested that the state should identify priority curricula, where government orders would be larger, and education would remain free.

"In the future, we should also ensure that young professionals have an obligation – if they received free higher education, they should be required to work in their field in the country for at least two to three years. I'm talking about doctors, for example, but also teachers."

However, in fields where the state does not have a particular need, Kõlvart believes that there should be fewer government-supported study places.

"And if someone has a strong desire to study in those fields, then they should pay for it. At the same time, it's important that talented young people can study for free. But where the state has no need, students should also pay," said the Center Party chairman.

Banking tax in order

Kõlvart also discussed the broader financial situation of the state, asserting that the economy cannot be revitalized through new taxes alone. He emphasized that the Center Party will not merely criticize the coalition's plans but has also proposed several solutions to increase state revenues.

"Funds should be drawn from where they exist, not from people's pockets, which are already quite empty today. First, a banking tax – this should have been implemented two years ago, especially considering the significant profits banks have made. But it's not just the banks; international corporations like Facebook should also contribute. Why aren't they paying taxes in Estonia?" Kõlvart asked.

As another way to increase state revenues, he suggested implementing a progressive income tax. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of creating favorable conditions to attract foreign capital to Estonia.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!