The Riigikogu passed three Acts at the second additional sitting: 

The Act on Amendments to the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act and Other Associated Acts (340 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 49 votes in favour (34 votes against). Its aim is to update the organisation of education: to better ensure equal availability of high-quality education and to change the forms of operation of basic schools and upper secondary schools, the organisation of studies, the management of schools, the work of teachers and remuneration of their work. The Act contains a provision which obligates upper secondary schools to provide different options for students. The Chairman of the Cultural Affairs Committee Urmas Klaas said that the state undertakes to more clearly ensure the availability of high-quality upper secondary school education and, according to the Act, every county will have to have at least one state-managed upper secondary school by 2020. The current regulation concerning the school of residence will continue where a school of residence must be guaranteed to every child and students from outside the region can be accepted to the class if vacant places are available. This Act does not concern school admission tests; this regulation was not changed. Basic schools and upper secondary schools are granted the opportunity and right, not an obligation, to establish an additional school holiday in the spring period. Klaas: “A significant amendment is made which ensures better availability of support services – a special education teacher, a social pedagogy specialist and a psychologist. The Act creates the legal basis for establishing support services centres in counties which will certainly significantly improve their availability. During the legislative proceeding, the planned amendments relating to financing were omitted from this Act on the proposal of the Cultural Affairs Committee.  

The Act on Amendments to the Penal Code and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (393 SE), initiated by the Government, which specifies the provisions concerning criminal official misconduct, was passed with 67 votes in favour. As regards criminal official misconduct, the definition of both the public official and the private sector official is systematised and it is brought into conformity with the wording and meaning of the Anti-corruption Act which entered into force on 1 April 2013. Liability for repeated acceptance of gratuities or bribe is also specified.  

The Act on Amendments to the Financial Supervision Authority Act and the Investment Funds Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (430 SE), initiated by the Government, was passed with 72 votes in favour. Its purpose is to enhance financial supervision of financial conglomerates, to enable units of investment funds of other Member States to be offered pursuant to a simpler procedure in Estonia and to set the Financial Supervision Authority a clearer role in the promotion of the financial knowledge of the population. 

The second additional sitting began at 6.26 p.m. and ended at 8.36 p.m. 

As all items on the agenda have been deliberated, the extraordinary sessions of the Riigikogu convened for 21 June are cancelled.

The Riigikogu Press Service