The Minister of Education and Research Jevgeni Ossinovski replied to the interpellation concerning the quality agreement of state secondary schools, and the workload of teachers (No 405), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Eldar Efendijev, Enn Eesmaa, Heimar Lenk, Jüri Ratas, Kadri Simson, Mailis Reps, Mihhail Stalnuhhin, Tarmo Tamm, Urbo Vaarmann, Viktor Vassiljev, Vladimir Velman and Yana Toom on 5 May.

The interpellators referred to the position voiced by the Minister, that work with state secondary schools would be continued where agreements to open state secondary schools had been concluded or were being concluded. The quality agreement of state secondary schools sets out that students are guaranteed high-quality upper secondary education with many choices in all counties. The interpellators wished to know if the agreement for the establishment of state secondary schools had already been concluded or was being concluded with all counties.

In Ossinovski’s words, the quality agreement had been born in the schools, and its content had been agreed upon in cooperation of students, teachers and managements of schools, and owners of schools. It is a vision as to where we will begin to move together and where we wish to arrive. “The aim of state secondary schools is to guarantee students high-quality upper secondary education with many choices, and its availability in every county. According to the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act, the state will keep at least one upper secondary school in each county,” Ossinovski said. He stressed that state secondary schools are established only in cooperation with local governments and pursuant to relevant agreements. This academic year, five state secondary schools operate in four counties, and they are the following: the two state secondary schools that functioned already earlier, that is, Nõo Secondary School and Noarootsi Secondary School, and those operating on the basis of the “new model”, that is, Viljandi Secondary School, Läänemaa Joint Secondary School in Haapsalu, and Jõgevamaa Secondary School in Jõgeva. “In the academic year 2015–2016, Jõhvi state secondary school, Pärnu state secondary school, Tartu state secondary school and Võru state secondary school will start operating. In the academic year 2015–2016, Hiiumaa state secondary school, Põlva state secondary school and Valga state secondary school will start. An agreement to establish Kohtla-Järve state secondary school starting from 2017–2018 or 2018–2019, depending on the progress of the project, has also been concluded, Ossinovski explained. He added that local government councils had made proposals to establish state secondary schools also in Viimsi municipality, the city of Paide linn, the city of Saue, Saue municipality, Harku municipality, Saku municipality, the city of Keila, Koeru municipality, Kadrina municipality, Haljala municipality, Kuusalu municipality, the city of Maardu, Rapla municipality and the city of Elva. In Ossinovski’s words, he had made a proposal, on his own initiative, to negotiate the establishment of state secondary schools also in the city of Tallinn and in the city of Narva, but no agreements had been reached so far.

Ossinovski also replied to the interpellation concerning participants in pupils’ summer brigades (No 407), and the interpellation concerning the valuing of the work of nursery school teachers (No 413).

The Minister of Justice Andres Anvelt replied to the interpellation concerning a suspicion of corruption in the construction of Viimsi mole (No 408), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Aivar Riisalu, Enn Eesmaa, Kalev Kallo, Lauri Laasi, Mihhail Stalnuhhin, Peeter Võsa, Tarmo Tamm, Valeri Korb, Viktor Vassiljev and Vladimir Velman on 8 May.

During the open microphone, Viktor Vassiljev, Andrus Ansip, Maimu Berg, Peeter Laurson, Jüri Jaanson and Valeri Korb took the floor.

The verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian).