Last week, the Ministry of Education sent a draft regulation for review that sets requirements for the learning and developmental environment of general education schools. Among other things, the draft regulation addresses the design of school outdoor spaces, which, under the current wording, are expected to be clean, well-maintained and have neatly trimmed lawns.

However, landscape architect Karin Bachmann, University of Tartu researcher Tuul Sepp and several like-minded experts believe the focus is misplaced.

"The draft treats outdoor and natural spaces more like a threat — something to be removed from children's everyday environments. But in reality, we see that children face very different dangers day to day. The real risk is that they don't get enough contact with nature," Bachmann explained.

"There's also the danger of traffic — cars driving too fast, making it unsafe for children to move around independently because they could get hit. For example, there's a new public space guide being developed that focuses heavily on biodiversity in urban design, which the draft regulation directly contradicts."

Tuul Sepp pointed out that both at the University of Tartu and internationally, studies have been conducted whose findings clearly contradict claims made in the draft's explanatory note. International research shows that the more diverse the natural environment, the healthier, smarter and more creative children tend to be.

"They're also more resistant to illness. Meanwhile, the draft suggests a clear link between how frequently grass is mowed and the number of ticks, which is not supported by scientific research," said Sepp.

"When drafting a regulation like this, there's an opportunity to highlight one of the most important values in a child's surrounding environment. For us, that value should be the naturalness of the area — something that has been shown through research to support children's well-being and also benefit local Estonian nature."

According to Bachmann, they are advocating for areas to be as natural as possible, but still balanced.

"In places where children play soccer or have picnics, of course the grass needs to be regularly mowed — how else could you use the space? But there should also be areas with different vegetation — bushes, herbaceous plants, trees — where children can dig in the soil, plant things or explore. Both research and what we intuitively know from our own experiences, whether as kids or now as parents, show that children enjoy these things. And on top of that, they help prepare children for life," said Bachmann.

"Urban life often means kids are driven everywhere, which limits their ability to move around independently. As a result, they aren't well prepared for life. At some point, they'll need to navigate the world on their own and they'll have little real experience to draw from when that moment comes."

The ministry is accepting feedback on the draft regulation until May 7.

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