Primary school graduate: ninth graders have experienced everything no one should this year

Roberta-Lee Vilu, a ninth-grade graduate, writes about how the gymnasium admission system creates tremendous stress for young people and their parents. Applicants have only three days to respond to an offer, rejected offers cannot be reinstated, and waiting lists can leave a student uncertain through the summer about where they will study in the autumn.

In Estonia, ninth-grade students finishing primary school this year have had to go through numerous hardships that no pupil should face, writes Roberta-Lee Vilu, a young voice who has come to prominence as the school year ends.

Three days to decide

Students have only three days to respond to a gymnasium admission offer. This is a short deadline that puts young people under pressure to make one of the most important decisions of their lives: where to continue their education. Even more concerning is the fact that if a student declines an offer, it cannot be reinstated. The decision is final and irreversible.

Additionally, the waiting list system creates a situation where many young people do not know until summer where they will be going to school in the autumn. Such uncertainty is psychologically taxing for students themselves and their parents, who want the best educational future for their child.

Stress affects young people severely

According to Roberta-Lee Vilu, ninth graders this year have likely experienced everything that no student should encounter. Unclear information, short deadlines and irreversible decisions combine to create a situation that generates anxiety and confusion just when a young person needs clarity and support.

Administrative aspects of the education system, which may seem like minor bureaucratic details to adults, have great significance for a teenager. The choice of the right gymnasium affects future study opportunities, friendships and life path as a whole.

Young voices matter

Roberta-Lee Vilu speaks to the public at a critical moment, just before the ninth-grade generation moves on to the next stage of education. Her message is clear: the system needs change so that young people do not feel as though their future is being decided for them, rather than with them.