At the end of last year, the Riigikogu passed a new Preschool Education Act, which will take effect this September. Among other changes, children between the ages of one and a half and three will now attend daycares, and nursery groups will be phased out.

The new law will also introduce new regulations, including a national preschool curriculum. Compared to the current national curriculum for preschool institutions, the updated curriculum places greater emphasis on planning educational and developmental activities based on the individual child. In addition to outlining the expected general skills for six- to seven-year-olds, it will now also specify the expected general skills for three-year-olds. For example, this means observing whether a three-year-old can focus on play in a small group or follow simple game rules.

Heda Kala, chair of the Estonian Preschool Education Leaders' Association, said that one of the key aspects of these changes is early identification.

"When children begin attending childcare from as early as one and a half years old, it's crucial because it allows us to observe and support their development at an early age, identify any deviations from age-appropriate development and provide support as early as possible. Intervening before the age of three is ideal for aiding a child's development, as much can be achieved at that stage. Later, it becomes more difficult," Kala explained.

Mari Kummer, CEO of the Estonian Daycare Association, also views this development positively.

"Daycare providers observe how the child is doing, what skills they have acquired and which ones need further support. This is an ongoing process throughout the academic year. It doesn't involve any kind of testing. It's more about observation and giving feedback to parents on how their child is progressing," Kummer explained.

Previously, there was no such requirement, but according to Kummer, many daycare centers have already developed their own curricula and monitor children's development.

Maria Jürimäe, a lecturer in general pedagogy at the University of Tartu, emphasized that setting general skill expectations in the curriculum does not mean assigning grades to young children but rather monitoring and documenting their development.

"It's extremely important that we don't overlook anyone. If we notice early on that a child has issues or developmental delays, it's often due to their environment. A preschool teacher or daycare provider might then discuss with the parents what activities they do at home, how much screen time the child gets or how often they use digital devices. A child might otherwise develop well, but the environment might not be supportive. That's the purpose of this kind of assessment," Jürimäe said.

Daycare center curricula must be completed by the end of next summer.

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