Estonia to centrally manage special needs schools

The Ministry of Education and Research plans to reorganize the management of some state-run schools for children with special educational needs starting from the 2025/2026 academic year. The proposed changes are estimated to save €300,000 annually.
The number of students attending state-run schools for children with special educational needs (SEN) has decreased over time. However, due to their low student numbers, the state does not plan to close these schools. Instead, these educational institutions will be merged under unified management, said Raivo Trummal, head of state school operations at the Ministry of Education and Research.
"The main goals are to streamline management, reduce bureaucracy and minimize the administrative workload associated with operating small, separate schools so that all school staff can focus on teaching and educational work," Trummal explained.
Initial projections estimate that the reorganization will save €300,000 annually in management costs, which could be reallocated to salaries and recruitment for those working directly with students.
Under the plan, Emajõe School and Hiie School in Tartu will be merged on July 1. For nearly a decade, both schools have been managed by the same principal, Kristel Mets. She noted that the legal merger of the schools is a necessary step.
"Since Emajõe School is so small, we often cannot offer employees full-time work. This alone is a reason why merging the schools creates opportunities for better working conditions and allows specialists to secure full-time positions," said Mets.
Mets added that in the years immediately following the merger, educational activities would continue at separate buildings. However, in about four to five years, all students and staff will be relocated under one roof.
"The plan is to consolidate educational activities into Hiie School's current buildings once they have been modernized and adapted to meet special needs. Emajõe School currently occupies two buildings in central Tartu, neither of which were originally constructed as school facilities, nor do they have suitable outdoor spaces for visually impaired students."
By the start of the next academic year, the ministry also aims to merge seven small schools for children with special educational needs, located in seven different counties. These schools currently have between 24 and 48 students each. According to Trummal, discussions are ongoing about how to manage schools that are physically far apart under unified leadership.
"One thing we've determined is that one school cannot have seven separate principals. In general, there will need to be a core team somewhere to handle central responsibilities. On-site, some employees might take on additional local responsibilities, such as ensuring that lights are turned off and rooms are cleaned, but they wouldn't organize these tasks, sign contracts or be deeply accountable for them," Trummal explained.
Former Minister of Education Tõnis Lukas expressed skepticism about the financial benefits of merging the management of the seven schools.
"Naturally, there won't be financial savings if, as stated, this does not affect students or teachers and the schools continue to operate under unified management. Financial savings could only come from selling some real estate or reducing the number of schools," Lukas said.
Trummal emphasized that merging the management of the seven schools will not involve any physical relocations.
"They will remain operational in their current locations. The principle of proximity to home is very important and we want students to have the opportunity to live at home. This rules out concentrating students in one location," he said.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Marcus Turovski