School System

The Estonian school system consists of 9 years of compulsory education and 3 years of high school that are optional. Exchange students will attend the 10th or 11th grade according to their age and interest.
A normal school day usually starts at 8 o’clock and lasts until 3 o’clock in the afternoon. One lesson lasts for 45 minutes and the breaks between the lessons are usually 10-20 minutes. In Estonian schools there is a lunch break when you can get warm food, so you do not need to take a lunch package from home. Most schools don’t have school uniforms.

The academic year 2011/2012 will start on September 1st.

Holidays are:
October 22nd – October 30th 2011 (autumn break)
December 23rd 2011 – January 8th 2012 (Christmas break)
March 17th – March 25th 2012 (spring break)
The academic year of 2011/2012 will end on June 4th.

In the Estonian school system it is important to pay attention to all subjects, not just those which interest you the most. Students who want to come to Estonia have to be aware of the fact that they have to study hard and take school seriously. But the level of education is high and if the student wants to work hard, teachers are happy to help them and give their best to develop the student’s skills.

Before the school year, in cooperation with the YFU office, you will visit the school in order to meet your class teacher and the principal of the school. Together, we will talk about your exchange year, including a possible plan of study and finding a support person in the school or your class.