A survey conducted by pollster Kantar Emor shows that the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences (SKA) has a good reputation among graduates of the high schools of Ida-Viru County, spokespeople for the academy told BNS.

"It is a particular pleasure to see that young people from Ida-Viru County choose the speciality of interior security as part of their high school curriculum; in this way, we have more people with a Russian background among our police and tax officials, which only makes Estonia stronger and more united," said SKA rector Katri Raik, commenting on the fact that the urban populations of the Northeastern Estonian county were predominantly Russian-speaking.

SKA has been offering internal security as an optional course in the high schools of Ida-Viru County for seven years already, and over the years, a couple of hundred young people have had the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the professions of internal security. The rector described the high school course as sustainable and said that the conditions for teaching it will improve further when the SKA's new Narva college is completed.

The two-year course provides young people with basic knowledge and skills in the enforcement of public order, guarding of the national border, firefighting and rescue work as well as the work of tax, customs and prison officials.

Priit Männik, former SKA rector and adviser at the academy in charge of the program, pointed out that the academy received more applications this year from students from the Ida-Viru high schools where the program is taught than from Järva, Põlva, Lääne, Saare and Hiiu Counties combined.

"These young people apply for a spot in the academy not for a moment's emotion, but have studied this field for two years and know where they want to be admitted," he commented.

Applicants whose first language is any other than Estonian must take an Estonian language proficiency test in order to be admitted to the academy. Of graduates of the high school program in internal security taught in Ida-Viru schools, 96 percent of those taking the test in the past two years have successfully passed it.