Important changes in the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act
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Director of the Estonian National Museum
The preparation of the new draft Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act was occasioned by the need to significantly improve and supplement the legislative framework pertaining to general educational schools.
The Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act currently in force was adopted in September 1993 and has been amended 38 times over the years, which has made it difficult to read, out of date in terms of its regulatory techniques, and open to multiple interpretations. Due to the multiplicity of amendments, it was expedient to adapt the entire text and structure of the Act and to prepare an entirely new Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act. The author stresses that for the first time, the important fundamental principles of the national curriculum have been encoded into the draft act – to this point they were set out only in the curriculum itself. The separation of upper secondary schools from basic schools is an important step in improving the quality availability and effectiveness of scholastic education at all educational levels. The author feels that this need has been perceived in society for some time now. It was emphasized at all of the recent forums on education themes, as well as at the discussion of education as an issue of national importance in the Riigikogu. The basic school and the upper secondary school are different and independent educational levels with different purposes, content and requirements, and each has their own educational methods and environment.