Entrance exams and place offers for those wishing to enter Tartu high schools are over. Several schools, including Tartu Kristjan Jaak Peterson High School, have filled their 10th grade lists.
Peterson High School has nine parallel classes. The city has set 324 places, but an additional 10 percent is allowed. Currently, there are 347 students in the school. Each class has an average of 38 students, said director Merike Kaste.
This summer, eight parallel classes graduated from Peterson High School. Therefore, the school has hired additional teachers. Issues of catering and timetable also need to be resolved.
Tartu Annelinna High School could not fill all places at the first attempt. Continuous admission is currently underway. Director Hiie Asser said that out of 108 places, several dozen are still unfilled.
Students also come to Annelinna High School from Valga, Mustvee, and Paide. Students admitted to Peterson High School come from 65 different schools across Estonia.
Estonian families believe in education. Tartu has no dormitories, so families buy or rent apartments for living. They pay for food and daily expenses, which are large sums, said Kaste.
Tartu statistics show that nearly a third of high school applicants are from outside Tartu. Currently, 64 percent are registered students from Tartu, but 13 percent are graduates from other municipalities.
This year, over 1,500 students graduated from basic school in Tartu. Competition is fierce, as nearly 1,300 high school places are offered. Currently, 1,284 students have been confirmed on the list.