Former Minister of Education Liina Kersna (Reform) said on Thursday that the coalition has agreed that students will be able to graduate from basic school even if they fail their final exams, as long as their report card grades are passing.

However, Minister of Education and Eesti 200 negotiator Kristina Kallas clarified the situation, saying the thresholds for completing basic school will remain in place next year.

On Friday, Kersna clarified that the threshold for completing basic school will remain, but its practical effect on the student's school life will change.

"We decided during coalition negotiations that students who do not score 51 points on the exam will not be held back in basic school, but can move on with their basic school diploma to other learning opportunities," she told ERR.

From 2026, the exam threshold will no longer be binding for students.

"With the knowledge acquired over their nine years of schooling, a child can move on to the next level of education, and the school will not need to administer a retake," Kersna said.

Retakes are usually organized close to the exam so students can still graduate. But experts say they do not reflect the child's level of knowledge. Kersna said more time is needed.

"Now that we've passed the law requiring all young people to stay in education until age 18, there's no reason to keep students back in basic school due to the final exam threshold. Instead, they should be directed onward with the most accurate possible certificate and exam results. Our education system must be prepared and able to support this," she said.

The former minister said the coalition wants the education system to be centered on the learner.

"For young people who don't pass the threshold, a new option will be introduced: a gap year program at applied colleges and vocational education centers. During this year, they can fill in learning gaps and explore different professions, so that the following year they can make a more informed decision—whether to retake the state exam and apply to upper secondary school, retake the exam and apply to a vocational program requiring higher exam results, or enter a vocational school that does not consider state exam results," Kersna explained.

Kallas: Scrapping threshold lowers knowledge levels

"We cannot get rid of the threshold for completing basic school, because it shows whether the student has acquired the education offered at the basic school level," Kallas told ERR.

She said the threshold is confirmed by an external assessment, which shows whether knowledge has been acquired. "This is important information for the learner, the teacher, and the next school the student wants to attend," the minister said.

The standardized exam, or state exam in everyday terms, shows upper secondary schools whether students from various basic schools have, for example, acquired foundational knowledge in mathematics.

Kallas said she had discussed the issue with the OECD and data from the organization shows that education systems using standardized exams are at the top globally. Some countries, such as Finland and Sweden which scrapped the exams, have started to reintroduce them to gather reliable educational data, she added.

Ministers are still discussing how to reform the system for students who do not meet the threshold.

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