Estonia - Preprimary & Primary Education

Preschool education is available at kindergartens and other childcare institutions. The role of preschool education is to support and complement families by promoting the growth, development, and individuality of children. Several practices have emerged including family care, the setting up of integration groups, family counseling services, and the establishment of private kindergartens and centers for children. The childcare institutions offer primary education until the age of seven.

The 1992 Law on Education replaced compulsory secondary education with compulsory nine-year basic education (grades 1-9). The government of the Republic approves the state curriculum for basic and general secondary education; the simplified state curriculum for basic education and the state curriculum for students with moderate and severe learning disabilities have been established in an ordinance issued by the Minister of Education.

The state-approved curriculum for grades 1 through 3 consists of the following subjects: mother tongue, Estonian (non-Estonian schools), nature study, civics, mathematics, music, art and handicraft, physical education, and foreign language. For grades 4 through 6 the subjects are mother tongue, Estonian (non-Estonian school), foreign language A (Estonian school), foreign language B, mathematics, nature study, history, civics, music, art, physical education, and manual training/handicraft/domestic studies. For grades 7 through 9 the subjects are mother tongue, Estonian (non-Estonian school), foreign language A (Estonian school), foreign language B, mathematics, natural sciences, geography, biology, chemistry, physics, history, civics, music, art, manual training/handicraft/domestic studies, physical education, and elective subjects.