Gallery: Students protest in Tallinn in support of free higher education
On Thursday morning, school and university students from across Estonia rallied in front of Stenbock House in Tallinn to remind the Estonian government how vital it is to maintain access to free higher education.
Protesters explained that they had gathered to protest after hearing claims in recent weeks that the government plans to scrap free higher education in Estonian-language majors as well as do away with merit-based scholarships completely. The latter is written into next year's state budget.
"These changes would not only jeopardize our education system, but also lead to broader social and economic consequences," read a statement issued by the Federation of Estonian Student Unions (EÜL).
According to EÜL representatives, merit-based scholarships have been a crucial motivator for students.
"This little bit of support helps recognize and value [students'] achievements in [their] studies, and, in many cases, also simply helps make ends meet," the organization explained.
"Considering that the sum of merit-based scholarships has remained unchanged since 2013 already, one would expect the government to increase the scholarship, which has been steamrolled by inflation and the rising cost of living," they said. "However, on the contrary, they want to abolish merit-based scholarships altogether."
Estonia risking brain drain to Nordics
In the current, already lacking student support system, the scrapping of merit-based scholarships would mean more than just a failure to recognize students' dedication to their studies, the EÜL underscored. For many students, this would also mean losing a source of income that has kept them financially afloat.
Furthermore, if free higher education were to be abolished in Estonia, there is a significant risk of brain drain toward the Nordic countries, which still offer free higher education as well as a strong support system, they continued.
"That would mean the gradual decline of Estonian-language higher education and research, and a decrease in our society's education level," they noted. "This is in direct contradiction of the national strategy, however, which states that we want half of the population to have a higher education."
Of Estonia's government officials, Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets (SDE) briefly visited the protest. Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) is currently in Brussels, due to which the government held its Thursday meeting remotely instead of convening at Stenbock House.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Aili Vahtla