Tallinn Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) emphasized that reducing class sizes is a crucial step in improving the quality of the city's education system, according to a press release.

"Our goal is to ensure that children can learn together in smaller classes, and that teachers can work with a manageable workload," Ossinovski noted.

"Over the years, the number of students in Tallinn has significantly increased, yet the city did not build additional schools in time," he continued. "Existing schools and classes were expanded instead, which has led to overburdened teaching staff and negatively impacted many students' mental well-being."

According to the mayor, the city is now addressing this issue step by step, starting with the first grade.

"On one hand, we're creating new school spots, with the first ones opening this year at Põhjatäht Basic School," he highlighted. "On the other, we will ensure that new first grade classes are formed with no more than 24 students [per class], as required by law. This will help ease the situation in schools in the years ahead as a result."

Tallinn Deputy Mayor Aleksei Jašin (Eesti 200) admits this is a serious challenge for the city's education system, as past management decisions have led to there being more than 700 classes in the school system exceeding the 24-student limit.

"We have decided to begin resolving this issue by focusing on first grade classes," he reiterated. "This year, relief will come in the form of new school spots in Põhja-Tallinn, with further additions planned for Lasnamäe and Haabersti in the coming years."

The deputy mayor added that the city is also providing targeted funding specifically to address the overcrowded classroom issue.

"Our analysis indicates that by September, we will need to find solutions for over 20 classes to ensure that the set limit is not exceeded," Jašin acknowledged. "Overcrowded classrooms have been a problem for years, but now we're taking concrete steps to improve the situation."

More than 2,000 in overcrowded classrooms

Currently, there are 711 classes in Tallinn exceeding 24 students in size, meaning that more than 2,000 students are learning in overcrowded classrooms, the city said. This situation places additional strain on teachers, and also affects education quality.

Starting in September, the city will implement a cap for first grade admissions to prevent any more overcrowded classes from forming.

Under the new regulation, Tallinn city government will be the one to determine first grade class sizes, while for grades 2-9, class size will remain the responsibility of the head of the Tallinn Education Department.

These decisions will be made based on proposals from school principals and with the approval of school boards, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations.

The regulation will come into effect following approval by Tallinn City Council. The city government and Tallinn Education Department will continue working closely with schools to ensure a smooth transition and to prevent potential issues during the implementation period, the city said.

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