Koolikohustuse vanusepiiri tõstmine tuli koolijuhtidele üllatusena

Koolikohustuse vanusepiiri tõstmine tuli koolijuhtidele üllatusena

EN

Raising the age limit for compulsory schooling came as a surprise to school leaders

Koolijuhid teadsid, et 17 aastalt 18-le. See muudatus pidi algama järgmisest õppeaastast ehk 2026. aasta sügisel. Üllatuslikult selgus, et muudatus kehtib juba selle aasta 1. septembrist.
Koolijuhtide ühenduse juhatuse esimees Urmo Uiboleht ütles, et . Ta lisas, et sellele, miks selline olukord tekkis. Samuti tuleb parandada kommunikatsiooni, et ei tekiks segadust.
Üks direktor arvas sügisel gümnaasiumiõpilase koolist välja, tuginedes kooli kodukorra tingimustele. Õpilane vaidlustas otsuse. Siis selgus, et ja .
Eelmise aasta lõpul kiitis riigikogu heaks seadusemuudatused. Nende järgi pikeneb kohustuslik kooliskäimine 18. eluaastani. Seni oli piir 17 aastat. Uut korda ei rakendata neile, kes lõpetasid põhikooli enne selle aasta 1. septembrit või said enne seda 17-aastaseks.
Koolijuhtide arvates pidi muudatus algama järgmisest sügisest. Nad tahavad, et praegu kehtiks veel vana kord. See annaks neile rohkem aega teha vajalikke muudatusi töökorralduses.
Uiboleht rääkis, et ja hindamise korda. Samuti tuleb leida lahendusi õpilaste õppelünkade täitmiseks. Uute meetodite jaoks on vaja aega, koostööd ja häid lahendusi.
Haridusministeeriumi selgitusel tekitab segadust üks seadusepunkt. See punkt kirjeldab koolist väljaarvamise tingimusi. Seni võis kool kehtestada lisatingimusi väljaarvamiseks, kuid nüüd võib seda teha ainult 18-aastastele ja vanematele õppuritele.
Ülle Matsin, haridusministeeriumi üldhariduspoliitika osakonna juhataja, ütles, et see muudatus oli vajalik. Ta lisas, et seda seadusemuudatust ei saa edasi lükata, sest tegu oli õigusvastase olukorraga.
Koolijuhid toetavad muudatusi, kuid nad ei olnud valmis nende rakendamiseks. Nad vajavad rohkem aega, et teha plaane ja leida lahendusi. Uiboleht ütles, et peavad rääkima läbi koolide, omavalitsuste ja ministeeriumi vaated. Samuti tuleb arvestada vanemate ja õpilaste vastutust.
Matsin rõhutas, et kool ei ole õpilastele lahenduste leidmises üksi. Koostööd on vaja teha. Ta lisas, et koolijuhtidele on pikalt räägitud muudatustest ja neile on antud soovitusi. Peamine koormus on riigikoolidel, kuhu on plaanitud lisaõppekohti.
Uiboleht tunnistas, et koolijuhid võisid midagi märkamata jätta. Ta ütles, et haridusvaldkonnas on praegu palju muutusi. Sellised suured muudatused vajavad rohkem tähelepanu ja selgemat kommunikatsiooni.
School leaders knew that the age of compulsory schooling would increase from 17 to 18. This change was supposed to start from the next academic year, i.e., in the fall of 2026. Surprisingly, it turned out that the change applies already from September 1st of this year.
The chairman of the board of the School Leaders' Association, Urmo Uiboleht, said that in education, there should be no surprises with such major decisions. He added that we must quickly find a solution to why such a situation arose. Communication also needs to be improved to avoid confusion.
One director expelled a high school student in the fall, based on the school's internal rules. The student contested the decision. Then it became clear that compulsory schooling applies until the age of 18, and the school cannot expel the student.
At the end of last year, the parliament approved legislative amendments. According to these, compulsory schooling is extended to the age of 18. Previously, the limit was 17 years. The new rule does not apply to those who graduated from basic school before September 1st of this year or turned 17 before that date.
According to school leaders, the change was supposed to start next fall. They want the old rule to still apply now. This would give them more time to make necessary changes in work organization.
Uiboleht said that they need to change school internal rules and assessment procedures. Solutions must also be found to fill students' learning gaps. New methods require time, cooperation, and good solutions.
According to the Ministry of Education, one legal provision is causing confusion. This provision describes the conditions for expulsion from school. Until now, schools could set additional conditions for expulsion, but now this can only be done for students aged 18 and older.
Ülle Matsin, head of the general education policy department at the Ministry of Education, said that this change was necessary. She added that this legislative amendment cannot be postponed because it was an unlawful situation.
School leaders support the changes, but they were not ready to implement them. They need more time to make plans and find solutions. Uiboleht said that they need to discuss the views of schools, local governments, and the ministry. The responsibility of parents and students must also be considered.
Matsin emphasized that schools are not alone in finding solutions for students. Cooperation is needed. She added that school leaders have been informed about the changes for a long time and have been given recommendations. The main burden is on state schools, where additional study places are planned.
Uiboleht admitted that school leaders might have missed something. He said that there are currently many changes in the education sector. Such major changes require more attention and clearer communication.