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The Ministry of Education and Research is directing €6 million next year to municipalities and also private school operators.
The funds aim to upgrade teaching materials for physical education and natural sciences.
This initiative seeks to modernize classrooms and address critical gaps in education.
The funding was prepared over the course of the year and will be split evenly between the two subjects.
The need for funding aligns with the implementation of a new physical education curriculum introduced this year.
Ülle Matsin, head of the ministry’s general education policy department, said:
“To enter natural sciences studies, it is fundamentally important that teaching in schools is conducted in a modern way.
“Without that, we won’t have students going to university to study in this field,” Matsin went on.
Maret Pihu, a lecturer in physical education didactics at the University of Tartu and one of the curriculum’s developers, emphasized the importance of the funding.
She said: “Over 80 percent said they have this need, and especially when we consider that the new curriculum presents schools with new challenges regarding resources, this result is entirely understandable.”
While many school leaders welcomed the funding, others questioned whether it addresses the most pressing needs in education.
Tartu’s Hugo Treffner High School principal Ott Ojaveer voiced his concerns about prioritizing resources over teacher salaries.
Ojaveer said: “As a school principal, I certainly don’t prioritize things; I absolutely value people. First, teachers need to be paid a good wage, and only then can we look at whether the school needs any extra resources.”
Ministry officials defended the decision, arguing that better teaching tools improve both working conditions and the quality of education.
Ülle Matsin said: “If a teacher has the tools to carry out teaching effectively, it’s also beneficial for the teacher. It improves their working conditions and allows them to diversify their teaching activities.”
Schools have until December 23, ie. Monday, to submit applications for the funding.
Any allocated resources must be utilized by the end of the next calendar year.
Most schools in Estonia are municipality-run, on top of which state high schools and various private schools can be added.
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