The Ministry of Culture distributed a total of 4.9 million kroons to 19 national culture society umbrella organisations through the Integration and Migration Foundation in March. Some of the more than 250 different national culture societies in the country will therefore obtain base financing from the state. The highest single amount of support allocated was 624,600 kroons; the lowest was 89,390 kroons.
Minister of Culture Laine Jänes has said: “National culture societies have an important role to play in the cultural life of Estonia, since they make both Estonians and the representatives of other cultures who live in the country emotionally richer and culturally more diverse.” The minister meets regularly with representatives of national minority umbrella organisations at meetings of the cultural council of national minorities which operates at the Ministry of Culture, and says that national culture societies are reliable partners to the ministry in the promotion of Estonia’s cultural policy.
National culture societies have been receiving base financing from the state since 1991. However, while this support was distributed directly to the societies until 2008, since 2009 the allocation of funding has taken place through umbrella organisations.
Umbrella organisations receiving base financing and the national culture societies they represent are partners to the state whose aims are to promote the unique natures of different cultures, to support national culture societies in the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage, and to develop cooperation with Estonian culture societies. It is also important to improve the exchange of information between members of umbrella organisations.
In 2010 base financing can only be applied for by umbrella organisations and their member associations who were attested by the Office of the Minister of Population and Ethnic Affairs in 2008 or the Ministry of Culture in 2009. The relevant list is available on the website of the Ministry of Culture at (http://www.kul.ee/webeditor/files/koda/attesteeritud_(2).doc). Umbrella organisations or their members who receive funding directly from the state budget cannot apply for base financing.
For further information please contact: Kristina Pirgop, Coordinator, Culture and Youth Work Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9024 / E-mail: kristina.pirgop@meis.ee
On 16 April the Integration and Migration Foundation will be presenting the ‘Ethnomosaic’ set in the Winter Garden of the Estonia Theatre. 300 copies of the set have been published in Estonian and Russian.
The set includes a DVD of films, the text parts presented in a book and worksheets supporting the short films. The set is to be distributed to basic schools for use as auxiliary material in social studies lessons.
‘Ethnomosaic’ is a series of documentaries about the different nationalities living in Estonia. The films introduce their cultural works and the historical traditions and customs they have maintained and developed while living in Estonia. The films also provide an overview of the everyday work and activities of the representatives of the nationalities depicted.
The series was completed between 2004 and 2008 with the support of Estonian Television, the Alliance of Nationalities of Estonia and the Integration Foundation and the funding of the Ministry of Education and Research. Registration for the presentation can be completed HERE. The presentation is free of charge. Registration is open until 13 April or until the maximum number of attendees is reached.
For further information please contact: Kaie Kullik, Coordinator, Culture and Youth Work Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9025 / E-mail: kaie.kullik@meis.ee
Theme-based supervision training for advisers will be held on 29 and 30 April. The themes will be trainer self-assertion; how to find time to advise people; dealing with people who talk too much/have nothing to say; and coping with resistance from the person you are giving advice to.
Development of the concept for advising teachers began as part of the language immersion programme in 2006; the concept for monitoring and advising secondary teachers dates back to the 2007-2008 academic year. By the end of the first quarter of 2010 a total of 78 teachers had completed either at one or two training stages of adviser training based on these concepts.
Advice on Estonian-language studies in schools with Russian as the language of instruction has been coordinated by regional centres in Kohtla-Järve, Narva, Tartu and Tallinn since the end of 2008. All of those who have undergone advice training now have experience advising as part of training or as part of the work of regional advisory centres.
The constant expansion of advisory services had led to a constant need for supervision. This is of great importance for the professional development of advisers and for the support of restoration of working ability, as well as for studying and learning from the experiences of regional advisory centres. Individual supervision, teamwork supervision and supervision of the network of advisers as an organisation all play important roles. The main aim of supervision is to restore a person’s (in this case adviser’s) working resources and to ensure their professional development overall.
For further information please contact: Natalja Mjalitsina, Coordinator, Multicultural Education Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9854 / E-mail: natalja.mjalitsina@meis.ee
From 19–23 April the Integration and Migration Foundation is organising a national ISLS week, where students will have the chance to study in another language. ISLS stands for ‘integrated subject and language studies’.
During this week we will take a closer look at the nature of ISLS and discuss Estonia’s experiences against an international background. We will also look at the implementation of ISLS in schools and nursery schools. (See also the website focussing on European ISLS experience).
A number of events will be taking part in Tallinn and elsewhere in Estonia as part of ISLS week. Registration for these events can be completed online at www.meis.ee/LAK-oppe-nadal2010, where you will also fine the complete programme of events.
Studying in another language is a long-standing tradition in the Estonian education system. Foreign language subject studies were launched in Tallinn School no. 7 and Tallinn School no. 21 as they were then known in the 1960s; various other schools joined the programme thereafter. English-language studies were introduced at Tallinn Humanities High School in the 1970s and continue to this day.
Language immersion was launched in Estonia in 1992. Language immersion is one of the most effective methods of bilingual learning. It requires a systematic approach, uniformity of methodology and a tried and tested theoretical basis enabling comparison on an international scale – and these are also its greatest strengths. 30 schools and 31 nursery schools around Estonia have joined the language immersion programme.
For further information please contact: Natalja Mjalitsina, Coordinator, Multicultural Education Unit / Telephone: +372 659 9854 / E-mail: natalja.mjalitsina@meis.ee
Selection of ISLS week events
For the full programme see www.meis.ee/LAK-oppe-nadal2010.
21.04 Main event for the week: ISLS day – Estonia’s experiences set against an international background
Registration is open to anyone interested to attend this event at Reval Hotel Central (Narva mnt 7c, Tallinn) where Irene Käosaar and other coordinators will be showcasing the Estonian language immersion programme and Peeter Mehisto will be leading a discussion on the nature of ISLS. There will also be an exhibition on education institutions and ISLS.
15–16.04 A training event will be held in Tallinn for language immersion programme trainers, methodologists, advisers and teachers, language immersion programme coordinators and teaching directors titled ‘The context and nature of ISLS’, which will include a discussion led by Peeter Mehisto on such topics as terms related to bilingualism and the results of brain studies.
19–20.04 ISLS training for directors of secondary schools with Russian as the language of instruction titled ‘Integrated subject and language studies and why it is needed today’.
22–23.04 Spring school for language immersion programme school directors titled ‘The updated language immersion programme – the national curriculum, research and self-analysis’ led by Peeter Mehisto, Maie Solli and Urve Rannaääre.
19–23.04 Exhibition titled‘ISLS in Estonia’.
Further information is available from the language immersion programme contact people at the Integration and Migration Foundation:
Natalja Mjalitsina – Telephone: +372 659 9854 / E-mail: natalja@meis.ee
Maire Kebbinau – Telephone: +372 659 9847 / E-mail: maire.kebbinau@meis.ee
Svetlana Belova – Telephone: +372 659 9848 / E-mail: svetlana.belova@meis.ee
Kai Võlli – Telephone: +372 659 9846 / E-mail: kai.volli@meis.ee
A project competition titled ‘Open-mindedly’ and designed to support the education of new immigrants is to be launched by the Integration and Migration Foundation in association with the Ministry of Culture in April. Applications can be submitted until the end of May.
The general aim of the competition is to support the teaching of new immigrant pupils in Estonian educational institutions.
There are four areas within the competition for which applications are awaited:
1. New immigrants in Estonian preschool institutions 2010
Projects are awaited which support the Estonian language studies of new immigrant children in preschool institutions. The target group of the projects should be young people with citizenship of the European Union and third-country nationals within Europe (including young people without citizenship).
2. Development of methodology materials in support of the Estonian language studies of new immigrant pupils
Projects are awaited which support the studies in general education schools in Estonia of children with a home language or native language other than Estonian. The aim of the projects should be to produce and publish three sets of teaching and methodology materials: a description of the language skills of basic school pupils; a best practice handbook for the organisation of language studies in general education schools; and a practical collection of language learning games used in teaching work.
3. Survey of the success of the studies of new immigrant children and the educational opportunities open to them
Projects are awaited in order to chart, as part of a survey lasting several years, the ability of new immigrant children and pupils who are third country citizens studying in Estonia’s general education schools to cope both academic and socially and the conditions created and required to achieve this, and to analyse the results and present proposals in order to make the organisation of learning more effective.
4. In-service training for teachers of new immigrant pupils
Projects are awaited which provide in-service training for teachers of new immigrant pupils (including study trips) so as to boost their ability to teach in a multicultural classroom.
For further information please contact: Ave Härsing, Coordinator, Multicultural Education Unit / Telephone: 659 9037 / E-mail: ave.harsing@meis.ee
