Pilot program: Free Year School

Tallinn Art Gymnasium wants to pilot the “Free Year School”, where 15.-19. year-old students who have finished elementary school or high school can take a break from studying for one year and continue their education after a year if they wish.

“Free Year School” applicants joining the Art Gymnasium can choose between two directions:

• join as an assistant teacher as part of the transition to Estonian-language education, as a native speaker, in the last group of kindergarten or 1st grade;
• join as an assistant teacher of Estonian as a second language and start teaching Estonian as a second language to students with another home language who reach the A1 and A2 language levels in the role of assistant teacher.

Why does the school need this from the point of view of the education system?

• There is a great shortage of teachers in the country
• The country switches to Estonian language learning;
• The teaching profession is known as hard work;
• Education needs a new generation as an education provider

Why is this school needed from the point of view of students (ages 15-19)?

• It is a safe environment to develop a work ethic and gain an understanding of how work is done;
• Young people experience career counseling
• Young people can take time off from academic studies and develop a new profession
• There is the first respectable work that is well funded

When?

> Piloting in  January 2024 – March 2024

> 10 students go to 1st grade or kindergarten in 5 schools as teacher support

The program supports students with short and practical training on topics such as children’s rights, developmental psychology, well-being at work, labor law, verbal and non-verbal communication, using ICT in the classroom, giving and receiving feedback. The program supports educational institutions with practical training on similar topics.

If you are a student and want to register for the project, write to the address edugsuuringud@gmail.com your first and last name, age, which school you entered and indicate your preferred direction for enrolment. 

If you represent a school or kindergarten and want to connect with the Vaba Aasta Kooli support student, write to haridusuuringud@gmail.com. Provide information about the location of the school, your role at school, your goal for this project and the list of participating teachers.