Kadi Laaneots: The State is ending funding for youth extracurricular education

Estonia's current government plans to end the state support for youth extracurricular education and activities that was established nearly a decade ago. Columnist Kadi Laaneots sharply criticizes this decision, arguing that young people are no longer a priority for the government and that responsibility is being shifted to local municipalities. In her view, this approach is socially irresponsible.

Nearly a decade ago, the Estonian government at that time made a decision that carried a clear message: young people matter to the state. A state-funded extracurricular education and activities support scheme was established, which was supposed to ensure that children's and young people's development did not depend solely on their family's finances or the voluntary goodwill of their local municipality.

Now the situation has reversed. Kadi Laaneots points out that today's government has taken the position that systematic support for young people is no longer a state responsibility. Funding for extracurricular education is to be left to local municipalities to decide, without mandatory state backing.

Growing inequality

According to Laaneots, such a change means in practice that a young person's opportunities will henceforth depend even more on which municipality they live in. Wealthier towns may be able to support extracurricular education, but smaller and poorer parishes will not. This will further increase inequality in children's opportunities.

State-funded extracurricular education was not merely financial support; it was a principled position that every child deserves the opportunity to develop regardless of where they were born. Surrendering this principle sends a troubling signal to society.

What kind of Estonia do we want?

Laaneots poses a direct question: is this the Estonia we wanted? Where responsibility for young people is shifted from one level to another, and where systemic solutions are replaced by the voluntary decisions of local authorities?

Investment in supporting young people is not an expense but a long-term investment in society's future. Extracurricular education develops creativity, teamwork skills and resilience-qualities that Estonia needs both economically and socially. The loss of funding means that many children will miss out on opportunities that they would otherwise take for granted.