Margit Sutrop

Profession and Skills Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 18 June 2026

Uus kutse- ja oskusseadus seob senisest tihedamalt hariduse, tööturu vajadused ja oskuste prognoosimise, et Eesti oskuste süsteem vastaks paremini muutuva töömaailma ootustele. Kutsestandardite kõrvale luuakse paindlikumad kompetentsiprofiilid, mis võimaldavad kiiremini ajakohastada tööelus vajalike oskuste kirjeldusi. Eelnõuga luuakse esmakutse süsteem, mille järgi saab õppija kutse juba kooli lõpetamisel, kui õppekava on koostatud töömaailma vajadustest lähtudes ja vajalikud kompetentsid on omandatud. Samuti tugevneb varasema õppe ja töökogemuse arvestamise (VÕTA) roll, et töö käigus omandatud oskused oleksid senisest paremini tunnustatud. Muudatustega väheneb märgatavalt halduskoormus nii õppijatele, õppeasutustele kui ka ettevõtjatele, sealhulgas väheneb kutsestandardite arv ligi poole võrra. Ühtlasi muudetakse kutsesüsteemi juhtimine tõhusamaks, ühendades dubleerivad nõukogud ja eksperdikogud ühtsemaks tervikuks. Reform aitab kokku hoida ka avalikke vahendeid, võimaldades suunata rohkem ressursse kutseharidusse ja oskuste arendamisse. Muudatused rakenduvad järk-järgult ja täies mahus 2029. aastast.

Act on amending the Vocational Education Institution Act, the Youth Work Act and the Basic School and Gymnasium Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 23 February 2026

Eelnõuga täpsustatakse koolide vastuvõtu-, väljaarvamise ja mõjutusmeetmete regulatsiooni ning ajakohastatakse testide andmekogu puudutavaid sätteid. Gümnaasiumide vastuvõtus luuakse võimalus arvestada õpilaskandidaadi koolivalikute eelistusi juhul, kui kool on selle oma vastuvõtu tingimustes ja korras ette näinud. Kutseõppeasutuste puhul täpsustatakse põhivastuvõtukonkursil esitatavate avalduste arvu. Eesmärk on muuta vastuvõtuprotsess selgemaks ja ühtsemaks. Eelnõuga muudetakse ka koolist väljaarvamise regulatsiooni. Täpsustatakse tingimusi, mille alusel võib õppetöös edasijõudmatuse tõttu õpilast koolist välja arvata. Edaspidi on väljaarvamise alused sätestatud üksnes seaduses. Täiendavaid koolist väljaarvamise aluseid gümnaasiumite kodukorras enam kehtestada ei saa. Mõjutusmeetmetest jäetakse seadusest välja meede, mis nägi ette õpilase käitumise arutamise õppenõukogus. Mõjutusmeetmete rakendamise otsustuspädevus koondatakse kooli direktorile. Lisaks muudetakse testide andmekogu puudutavaid sätteid, et ajakohastada andmete töötlemise ja haldamise regulatsiooni.

The Law on Amendments to the Law on the Organization of Research and Development and Innovation

Estonia · Riigikogu · 10 February 2026

The bill provides for the position of scientific adviser under each minister and in the State Chancellery. The explanatory letter states that scientific advisors have already been employed in most ministries and the State Chancellery, which clearly confirms that this is an Estonian success story. However, these positions have not yet been legislated or regulated. The purpose of the bill is to ensure by law the continuity of these positions, the competence of the research advisor in research or development work and harmonize the relevant requirements, as well as ensure that scientific advisors are selected through a public competition by a competent and non-political foundation (Estonian Science Agency) through a committee formed for this purpose, i.e. the scientific community, not political forces.

The Law on Amendments to the Study Grants and Student Loans Act and the Credit Institutions Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 1 December 2025

The bill prepares a student loan reform that will make student loans more accessible to students than before. The focus of the reform is easing the conditions of student loans and updating the system to meet current needs. The most important change is the abolition of the guarantor or real estate guarantee requirement from September 2026. Instead of the previous guarantee, banks will begin to evaluate the payment obligations and payment behavior of applicants, which makes taking out a student loan possible also for those young people who so far have not been able to find a suitable guarantor. According to the bill, loan conditions will become more favorable: the interest rate will drop, and the state will in future guarantee banks a commercial interest rate of up to 1.5% + 6 months of Euribor per year. Currently, the limit is 3% + 6-month Euribor. The state will continue to guarantee both the maximum rate of student loans, 2025/2026. up to 6,000 euros per academic year, as well as the interest to be paid. An important change is also the extension of the repayment period. If until now the student loan had to be returned within twice the nominal study period, in the future the term will be extended to four times and the maximum repayment period will increase from 20 years to 25 years. A longer term means lower monthly payments and eases the financial burden on graduates. During the preparation of the reform, it has been taken into account that currently approximately 1,800 students per year on average use student loans, or only 4% of potential loan recipients. In turn, nearly 8% of them take a loan to study abroad. Student loans are issued by Swedbank and LHV at interest rates of 1.99% + 6-month Euribor and 1.95% + 6-month Euribor, respectively.

Act amending the Language Act, the State Fees Act and the Basic School and Gymnasium Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 6 October 2025

The organization of language learning will be consolidated in the administrative area of ​​the Ministry of Education and Research in order to end fragmentation and ensure more effective solutions for society and the labor market. The regulation of the use of the state language will be updated, the principles of Estonian-language administration in the public sector will be strengthened, and the teaching of the Estonian language for adults will be improved. Supervision of the fulfillment of language requirements will become stricter. Since Estonia has become a destination country for migration in recent years, it is important to require Estonian-language administration in all institutions providing public sector services. The requirement is extended to all public institutions and local governments. Exceptions to the language requirements remain valid for top specialists and temporarily arriving teachers from abroad in international or foreign language curricula.

The Act on the Organization of Research and Development and Innovation

Estonia · Riigikogu · 16 December 2024

The draft establishes the complete text of the new Act on the Organization of Research and Development, which provides for the national organization of research and development and innovation (TAI) and the tasks of the parties, as well as the basis for quality assurance, financing and supervision. In addition to research and development, the draft also regulates innovation based on research and technological development. As a result, the ministries and the tasks and names of advisory bodies, for example the former TAN is renamed the Council for Research and Development and Innovation Policy (TAIP). The State Chancellery is given the task of coordinating public sector innovation activities. The tasks of the ministries in planning, organizing and financing research and development activities and innovation activities in their area of ​​government and in the transmission of relevant information are also specified. To the Ministry of Education and Research. Information related to research must be reflected in the Estonian Science Information System. The law stipulates the applied research center as a new party in the national organization of research and development activities. As a new task, the responsibility for ensuring the functioning of the research ethics system is added to the Ministry of Education and Research. To this end, the Estonian Science Agency will be tasked with forming a research ethics committee and a commission for violations of research ethics for processing. In the future, research and development institutions and higher education institutions can send research to the research ethics committee for evaluation or create their own ethics committee. The Research Ethics Committee is independent in its work and decisions. In accordance with the amendment to the Personal Data Protection Act, the data protection and ethical aspects of policy analyzes and studies commissioned by the executive state authority are assessed by the Data Protection Inspectorate, which consults the newly established with the scientific ethics committee. The quality assessment procedure of the TA institution remains broadly the same. The draft outlines the funding methods through which research and development activities and innovation are supported. The current system, where research and development institutions were funded through base funding, will be changed. According to the new system, funding for institutions is divided into two parts: base funding and performance funding. When determining the base funding, the institution's last three are taken into account year's funding, while in the case of performance funding, the institution's results. The funding of research and development institutions operating as commercial companies will come from the budget of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. The specific conditions of the grants are established by separate implementing acts, but the ministries have the opportunity to use other options provided for in the legislation to finance research and development activities and innovation.

Act amending the Estonian Academy of Sciences Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 26 September 2024

The bill modernizes and simplifies the Act on the Estonian Academy of Sciences. According to the draft, obsolete provisions in the law are declared invalid, provisions describing the internal structure and decision-making processes of the Estonian Academy of Sciences in too much detail are excluded from the law, and the terms of the law are brought into line with commonly used terms. The purpose of the bill is not to change the academy's basic tasks or mission, management model, academics tasks and rights or the role of the academy in the functioning of the state and in the research and higher education system. The aim is to modernize and simplify the law by repealing provisions that are not regulated at the level of law according to modern good law-making practice. Therefore, the provisions regarding the principles and competence of the formation of the academy's collegial management bodies, as well as the appointment and competence of the academy's senior managers, will not be changed. in basic matters.

Early Childhood Education Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 11 April 2024

Eelnõuga tuuakse seni sotsiaalhoolekande seaduses reguleeritud lapsehoiuteenus alusharidussüsteemi osaks. Muuhulgas tähendab see koolieelsete lasteasutuste personalile kehtivate kvalifikatsiooninõuete tõstmist ning nõuet kohalikele omavalitsustele tagada kõigile lastele vanema taotlusel koht lasteasutuses. Samuti märgitakse seadusesse, et alusharidust tuleb lasteaias ja lastehoius korraldada eesti keeles vastavalt alushariduse riiklikule õppekavale. Lapsehoiu teenus sotsiaalteenusena jääb kehtima üksnes lapse suure hooldus- ja abivajaduse korral. Vanema taotlusel peab kohalik omavalitsus tagama elukoha järgselt koha kõigile 1,5-3aastastele lastele lastehoius ja 3-7aastastele lasteaias. Teenust võib pakkuda ka teise linna või valla territooriumil, kui kohalike omavalitsuste vahel on vastav kokkulepe. KOVid peavad lastehoide ja lasteaedu ise, kuid nähakse ette võimalus osta seda teenust eraettevõtjalt. Sellisel juhul laienevad eralasteaiale munitsipaallasteaiale kehtivad nõuded. Eralasteaias, kellele KOV ei ole volitanud enda ülesande täitmist, võib õpe jätkuda ka muus keeles, kuid tagada tuleb eesti keele õpe vastavalt alushariduse riiklikule õppekavale. Seaduse muutmisega tõstetakse kvalifikatsiooninõudeid lasteasutuse direktoritele, kes peavad olema kõrghariduse omandanud vähemalt magistrikraadi tasemel. Lapsehoidjate senine kesk- või kutsehariduslik nõue tõstetakse vähemalt kutse 4. tasemele, samuti kehtestatakse nõuded abiõpetajale, kellel peab olema vähemalt keskharidus ja kutse/pedagoogilised kompetentsid ning eesti keele oskus. Eelnõuga ei tehta üldjoontes muudatusi alushariduse rahastamise süsteemis. Eelnõu kohaselt toimub KOVide rahastamine nende eelarvest ja selles osalevad ka vanemad. Võrreldes kehtiva seadusega, mille kohaselt nähakse riigieelarves võimaluse korral ette toetus KOVidele lasteasutuste kohtade loomiseks ja renoveerimiseks, lasteasutuste õpikeskkonna arendamiseks ja lasteasutuste õpetajate palgavahenditeks, nähakse eelnõuga ette võimalus KOVe riigieelarvest toetada õpetajate täienduskoolituseks, eesti keele õppeks ja õppevara soetamiseks.

The Act to Amend the Education Grants and Student Loans Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 25 September 2023

In the draft, the loan repayment period has been extended to four or five years, the size of the student loan has been increased to 10 minimum wages in one academic year, it has been stipulated that only citizens of the Republic of Estonia and other European Union countries studying in Estonia can receive student loans, differentiated student loan guarantees, so that no guarantee or guarantee is required for citizens of the Republic of Estonia studying in Estonia, and it has been stipulated that the state will write off half of the student loan if the borrower there is one minor child in the established family, and the entire student loan if there are at least two minor children in the borrower's established family.

Riigikogu decision "Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic to initiate draft legislation to ensure the comprehensibility and advance planning of the design of the school network"

Estonia · Riigikogu · 21 September 2023

The draft mandates the government to develop such legislation that would give municipalities with sparsely populated areas confidence that they will be able to keep the necessary small schools.

Law on the Amendment of the Law on the Organization of Research and Development Activities

Estonia · Riigikogu · 13 May 2023

The purpose of amending the law is to ensure adequate and stable state budget funding for national sciences.

The decision of the Riigikogu "Nomination of members of the Council of the National Opera from the members of the Riigikogu

Estonia · Riigikogu · 10 May 2023

Pursuant to Section 6(2)(1) of the National Opera Act and based on the Riigikogu's decision of May 27, 2019, the Riigikogu's culture committee submits a draft Riigikogu decision with a proposal to nominate Riigikogu members Ester Karuse, Signe Kivi and Kadri Tali to the National Opera Council.

Act to amend the Language Act and the Public Transport Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 26 April 2023

The draft amendments are for updating the legal framework in the language field in order to strengthen the status of the Estonian language as the state language and the position and visibility of the Estonian language in the public space. The purpose of the changes is to ensure that Estonian is the main language of information and communication in society. The most important changes concern the Estonian-language management of public legal entities, foreign-language trademarks, audio advertising, and state and local the language of web addresses of local government institutions, as well as the language requirements of persons working on the platform. The content of the amendment to the Public Transport Act is to stipulate the requirement for the knowledge of the national language at the required level for a taxi driver as a prerequisite for obtaining a service card.

The Act to Amend the Education Grants and Student Loans Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 24 April 2023

In the draft, the loan repayment period has been extended to four or five years, the size of the student loan has been increased to 10 minimum wages in one academic year, it has been stipulated that only citizens of the Republic of Estonia and other European Union countries studying in Estonia can receive student loans, differentiated student loan guarantees, so that no guarantee or guarantee is required for citizens of the Republic of Estonia studying in Estonia, and it has been stipulated that the state will write off half of the student loan if the borrower there is one minor child in the established family, and the entire student loan if there are at least two minor children in the borrower's established family.

The Act on the Organization of Research and Development and Innovation

Estonia · Riigikogu · 16 January 2023

The draft establishes the regulation of the organization of research and development activities and innovation as a new complete text. The strategic management of the field will be updated and the basis of the work organization of the bodies that advise the government and ministers will be specified. The organization of financing in the field of research and development and innovation will be changed. If up to now all research and development institutions have been guaranteed funds primarily with base funding, then with the draft, this is ensured with operating support intended for public universities that have passed external evaluation, state universities of applied sciences under the administration of the Ministry of Education and Science, and public research and development institutions for the implementation of research and development activities. In the case of state-founded research and development institutions, the relevant ministry must ensure the necessary funding. Private research and development institutions are starting to get support in the state's priority areas, the conditions of which are stipulated by ministerial regulation. The requirements for evaluation remain the same. New tasks will be added to SA Estonian Science Agency, for example in connection with the formation of a research ethics committee.

Act amending the Higher Education Act and the Study Grants and Student Loans Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 15 December 2022

The draft specifies the basis for reimbursement of educational expenses. According to the draft, it will continue to be possible to study several study programs at the same time, but in the future it will generally be possible to study only one study program for free. The aim of the changes is to ensure access to higher education for a larger number of upper secondary school graduates and to guide learners to make a responsible choice of major. According to the bill, this period will be extended, after which it will be possible to occupy the same place again and free of charge to study at the higher education level. The bill states that at least 10 years must have passed since the completion of the same higher education level. The bill abolishes the right to study for free in several study programs at the same time and limits the possibilities of free study after interruption. Higher education institutions are given the opportunity to ask for a fee from students who have already matriculated to the same degree twice. In order to change the curriculum for free, you have to make sure of its suitability for one year in the future during. In addition, the right to demand reimbursement of study costs from those who drop out at the end of the semester is established. Higher education institutions retain the right to offer a second education free of charge in justified cases, for example in areas with a greater labor demand such as teacher training and health care. Amendments to the Education Grants and Student Loans Act specify the Euribor fixing dates and interest calculation. According to the bill, the amendments to the Higher Education Act will enter into force on January 1, 2024. from August. Before 2024/2025. The higher education institution has the right to demand reimbursement of study costs from students matriculated in the academic year before 2024/2025. under the terms and conditions of the academic year until August 1, 2027.

Act of Accession to the Agreement Establishing the European Laboratory of Molecular Biology

Estonia · Riigikogu · 10 October 2022

According to the draft law on the merger, the Republic of Estonia will join the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) founding agreement. The purpose of the Joinder Act is to join a contract to enable the contract to be enforced. After accession to the treaty, the instrument of accession is deposited with the Swiss government. Joining the founding agreement allows Estonia to become a full member of EMBL

The Act to Amend the Education Grants and Student Loans Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 31 August 2022

Eelnõus on laenu tagasimaksmise tähtaega pikendatud neljale või viiele aastale, tõstetud õppelaenu mahtu 10 miinimumpalgani ühes õppeaastas, sätestatud, et õppelaenu saavad ainult Eesti Vabariigi ja Eestis õppivate teiste Euroopa Liidu riikide kodanikud. Õppelaenu tagatised on diferentseeritud nii, et Eestis õppivate Eesti Vabariigi kodanike puhul pole käendust ega tagatist vaja. Sätestatakse, et riik kustutab õppelaenust poole, kui laenusaaja loodud perekonnas on üks alaealine laps. Kui laenusaaja loodud perekonnas on vähemalt kaks alaealist last, siis kustutatakse kogu laen.

Language Act Amendment Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 7 April 2022

According to the draft, the Estonian language proficiency requirements will not be adjusted for applicants for international protection and recipients of international protection who have arrived in Estonia before December 31, 2022 and have stayed in Estonia for less than two years. The initiators of the bill propose to quickly allow war refugees who have arrived in Estonia to enter the labor market, temporarily exempting them from fulfilling the Estonian language requirement.

Riigikogu decision "Making a proposal to the Government of the Republic"

Estonia · Riigikogu · 16 March 2022

The bill proposes to the government to allocate additional financial resources to local government units to support the continuation of the education of children and young people who arrived from Ukraine, which is necessary to increase the availability of Estonian language learning according to the needs of children and young people; for additional support of interest education and interest activities and to increase the salary fund of teachers and support specialists.

OTRK: "Role, quality and funding bases of higher education"

Estonia · Riigikogu · 23 November 2021

Language Act Amendment Act

Estonia · Riigikogu · 29 September 2021

The draft stipulates that, in order to enable the Language Inspection to better and more effectively carry out the activities assigned to it and at the same time to motivate legal entities to require their employees to know the Estonian language, it is desired to raise the corresponding fine ceiling for legal entities from EUR 640 to EUR 6,400.