News

The City of Tallinn has announced the 2025 City Council Scholarship (Raestipendium) competition. The purpose of the scholarship is to support and recognise master’s and doctoral students whose research addresses Tallinn’s development and offers practical solutions for the city. Applications can be submitted from 1–15 October.

The Tallinn City Government has approved the 2025–2035 mental health action plan for children and youth. The plan aims to strengthen mental wellbeing and improve prevention efforts in schools, public spaces, and support services. Its central goal is to create a safe and nurturing environment for all children and young people in Tallinn.

The Tallinn City Government is submitting a draft regulation to the City Council aimed at gradually reducing class sizes to the legally mandated 24 students per class.

The Tallinn Education Department has launched a program that provides all municipal school students with a free hot breakfast. The necessary preparations were carried out in January, and as of today, all schools have joined the program. Currently, approximately 4,000 students are taking advantage of this opportunity.

On January 23, Tallinn’s Deputy Mayor for Education, Aleksei Jašin, met with an education delegation from Helsinki, led by Helsinki’s Deputy Mayor for Education, Johanna Laisaari. The visit focused on the shared challenges of the two cities' education systems and opportunities for closer collaboration. One significant initiative under consideration is organizing an education conference in Tallinn in 2026.

Starting in the fall of 2025, five schools transitioning to Estonian-language education in Tallinn will, for the first time, open classes where instruction is conducted at the mother-tongue level of Estonian. These classes are offered through citywide enrollment, meaning children are not automatically assigned to these classes. The decision to enroll a child in one of these classes rests with the parents.

Tallinn's 2025 city budget allocates €418 million for education, focusing on creating new school places, transitioning to Estonian-language education, and developing and renovating educational institutions.

The Tallinn Education Department is inviting nominations for the annual youth work recognition contest “Great Deeds,” now in its 20th year. Nominations can be submitted from November 19 to January 10, 2025.

Tallinn’s Deputy Mayor Aleksei Jašin is participating in the Helsinki Education Capital Event, an international gathering of education experts held in Helsinki from November 12–14, where he is presenting Estonia’s ongoing education reforms and sharing the city of Tallinn’s experiences.