The Law on Amendments to the Law on Basic Schools and High Schools (799 SE) is a combined draft in the wording of the Bill (729 SE) initiated by the Government of the Republic (the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Basic Schools and High Schools 729 SE initiated by the Government of the Republic and the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Basic Schools and High Schools and the Law on Vocational Educational Institutions initiated by the Estonian Reform Party faction 505 SE are combined).
The bill creates an opportunity to apply to students additional influence measures with the aim of ensuring a safe, learning-friendly school environment. An opportunity will be created to apply influence measures to students whose use of an item is prohibited at school. Pursuant to § 44 of the Act on Elementary and Secondary Schools, the school has an obligation to ensure the safety and health protection of the children staying at the school. In order to ensure safety, to prevent dangerous situations and to intervene if necessary, the changes stipulate that the student is not allowed in the school the list of objects and substances and the possibility for the school to apply an additional influence measure to confiscate and store prohibited objects.
The centerpiece of the bill's changes is raising the age limit for sexual self-determination
from fourteen to sixteen years and related changes. Also, the exceptional marriageable age included in the Family Law is repealed, as this change is directly related to raising the age limit for sexual self-determination. From now on, only persons of legal age can marry.