Finnish schools in Estonia face closure over strict residency funding rules
The future of Finnish schools in Estonia, particularly the Tallinn Finnish School, is under threat due to a new data-sharing agreement between the two countries. A strict residency rule now risks cutting off vital funding, leaving institutions like the Tallinn Finnish School facing possible closure unless changes are made. The Tallinn Finnish School Support Association has warned Finland’s Ministry of Education and the Finnish National Agency for Education that the school may have to shut down. Their appeal demands a change to the funding model, which currently requires students to be registered in a Finnish municipality to receive state support. The issue stems from a new agreement between Estonia and Finland, forcing individuals to choose one country for official residence by the end of January. This has already affected six students at the Tallinn Finnish School, who lost their Finnish per-student subsidies over the summer after their parents’ residency status changed. Finland funds four Finnish-curriculum schools abroad, including two in Estonia. State support covers around 55 to 60 percent of the Tallinn Finnish School’s annual budget. Without this funding, the school’s survival is uncertain. So far, no Finnish authorities or organizations have publicly backed calls to remove the registration requirement. The appeal argues that Finland should drop the rule linking funding to residency in a Finnish municipality. If unchanged, the policy could force the closure of Finnish schools in both Tallinn and Tartu. The Tallinn Finnish School now waits for a response from Finnish officials. Without a change in funding rules, the school risks losing a significant portion of its budget. The outcome will determine whether Finnish education in Estonia can continue under the current system.
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