The Education Ministry’s plan to scrap mandatory basic school resits could signal that education can be completed without key skills, the Economy Ministry warns.
In September, the Ministry of Education sent a draft proposal to local governments, school representatives and other relevant organizations that would eliminate the requirement to pass resit exams in basic school. Under the proposed change a student could graduate from basic school even with one or two subjects graded as weak or insufficient or without meeting the 50 percent threshold on final exams.
In its feedback, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications stressed that the minimum requirements of the national curriculum must be clearly defined. If gaps in learning are allowed to persist in basic education, they will carry over into upper secondary and vocational education and eventually into the labor market.
There, however, such gaps are much harder and costlier to address than through early intervention at the basic school level.
“We are concerned that the proposed change would deepen existing issues, especially in STEM subjects, by signaling that it is possible to complete one’s education without acquiring all the required skills or passing exams,” said Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Erkki Keldo (Reform). “Given the significant shortage of STEM professionals in the labor market, this is troubling.”
Instead of abolishing resit exams, Keldo believes the focus should be on preventing learning gaps throughout the student’s entire education to ensure that all pupils acquire the necessary knowledge.
Claims of no additional expenses untrue
“We would like to point out that the explanatory memorandum does not include any estimate of how many basic school graduates are expected to finish school without having achieved all required learning outcomes,” Keldo added, calling for the inclusion of separate statistics in the document.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications also criticized the Ministry of Education’s claim that the proposed changes would not entail additional costs, noting that the draft simultaneously assumes upper secondary institutions will provide extra support to students graduating with academic deficiencies.
According to Keldo, this inevitably means a heavier workload for teachers and a greater need for support specialists.
The draft also fails, in the Economy Ministry’s view, to clarify how learning gaps from basic school would be addressed in the next level of education or how a student’s academic path would proceed if they lack sufficient knowledge. It is essential to specify whether such a student would be able to move directly into general secondary or vocational education or whether participation in preparatory programs or remedial courses would be required.
The ministry stated that it will only approve the proposal if its concerns are addressed.
The Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities also highlighted that several local governments have expressed uncertainty about where and how preparatory education will be organized.
“There’s also concern about whether all students graduating with insufficient grades will be able to find a school for further studies, especially in municipalities that don’t have a vocational education institution,” said the association’s executive director, Veikko Luhalaid. “Clearer communication is needed in this regard.”
Student bodies: Change requires more robust support systems
Karl Erik Kirss, chair of the board of the Estonian School Student Councils’ Union, told the Ministry of Education that the union strongly supports the idea of providing additional support to basic school graduates who score below 50 percent to help them acquire the necessary knowledge either at the next level of education or in preparatory programs.
“Right now, however, students have no guarantee that preparatory education will actually address learning gaps from basic school, as there is no clarity regarding its format, structure or quality standards,” Kirss said.
According to the union, it is realistically difficult to close learning gaps while simultaneously pursuing upper secondary education. For that reason, the proposed change requires stronger support systems, especially in vocational education where most students with learning difficulties tend to continue.
The student councils also recommend focusing not only on those who fall below the 50-percent threshold but also on those who barely surpass it, as they are also likely to need extra support.
“Why should a student who scores 48 percent automatically receive support, while one who scores 51 percent is only offered it as an optional extra? Such a rigid cutoff does not reflect students’ true potential or developmental needs,” Kirss noted.
The student councils would prefer a cross-disciplinary maturity exam in place of the current three subject-specific final exams, as it would provide a more comprehensive assessment of a student’s knowledge.
The Ministry of Education plans to review all feedback on the draft regulation — set to amend the national curricula for both basic and upper secondary education — by the end of this week, after which it will decide how to proceed.
If implemented, the changes would take effect as early as next spring, according to the ministry’s current plan.
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