For the 2025/26 academic year, a total of 3,906 children have been assigned a place in the first grade of Tallinn’s municipal schools.

Parents could submit applications for first grade via eKool from 1 to 25 March. A total of 3,906 first-grade students will start school this autumn in 57 municipal schools across Tallinn. The highest number of placements were assigned to Tallinn Kuristiku Gümnaasium (153 students), Kadrioru Saksa Gümnaasium (138 students), Tallinn Järveotsa Gümnaasium (131 students), and Tallinn Laagna Gümnaasium (129 students). As of now, 459 students will begin their studies in schools or classes with citywide admissions. In addition, 77 students with special educational needs have been assigned to specialised schools.

Tallinn Deputy Mayor Aleksei Jašin said: “The start of school is a big and important step for every family. Our goal is to ensure that this step is secure and well supported. Tallinn’s network of municipal schools has developed significantly over the past year – new schools, modern learning environments, and dedicated teachers provide a strong foundation for every child’s development. Our aim is to offer every child equal opportunities in education by ensuring a safe, supportive, and local school environment. This year’s biggest challenge is once again the transition to Estonian-language education. The number of applications to transition schools has decreased, while applications to Estonian-language schools have increased. In response, we decided to open citywide admission classes in transition schools where Estonian is taught at a native-speaker level. This option has been chosen by 52 first-grade students. An additional goal is to limit the number of students in new first-grade classes to no more than 24, which has also influenced school placement decisions.”

The Tallinn Education Department assigns school places based primarily on the student’s proximity to the school and whether siblings attend the same school. Parents had the opportunity to choose either a school with Estonian as the language of instruction or a school transitioning to Estonian-language instruction. If more children live near a particular school than there are available places, the date of registration in the population register may be taken into account, with preference given to those who registered earlier.

The most applications were submitted to Gustav Adolf Gümnaasium and Tallinn 21. Kool. Gustav Adolf Gümnaasium received 207 applications and admitted 96 students. Tallinn 21. Kool received 171 applications and admitted 72 students.

According to Kaarel Rundu, Head of the Tallinn Education Department, the number of applications reflects the continued popularity of certain schools, but he emphasised: “The quality of Tallinn’s municipal schools is very high – we have modern learning facilities and professional teachers throughout the city. The main priority in assigning school places is the school’s proximity to the child’s residence. This principle supports the child’s daily well-being and helps avoid excessive commuting.”

In autumn 2025, two new municipal schools will open: Tallinn Avatud Kool, which previously operated as a private school, and Tallinn Põhjatähe Põhikool, which is a completely new school. Tallinn Põhjatähe Põhikool will begin with the first level of basic education and will gradually expand.

The share of parents applying to schools transitioning to Estonian-language instruction has slightly decreased. In 2023, these accounted for 38 percent of all applications, 34 percent in 2024, and 30 percent this year.

Parents must confirm the assigned school place by 10 June. However, they also have the right to decline it if they have secured a place in another school. From 11 June, schools may admit students to any remaining places according to their admission procedures and conditions. The final number of students in each school will be confirmed in September.