- Friends of the Language Immersion Programme 2010
- Report on language immersion programme published
- Language immersion programme to commence with regional meetings
- Citizen day quiz to open on 22nd November
- Ethnic relations and integration forums seeking organisers
- Information activities for persons with undefined citizenship
Friends of the Language Immersion Programme 2010 are Katri Raik from the Narva College of the University of Tartu and Ene Kulderknupp from the National Examinations and Qualifications Centre.
The Friend of the Language Immersion Programme honour is annually bestowed by language immersion coordinators as a tribute and special recognition for decisively affecting the development of the language immersion programme during the year in question or during previous years. Since 2005 the title has been given to 21 people.
The language immersion programme is run by the Our People Integration and Migration Foundation and financed by the Ministry of Education and Research.
Another language immersion programme report providing an overview on meeting the programme’s strategic objectives for 2004-2008 and introducing strategic objectives for 2009-2013 has been prepared.
This report covers the preceding ten years of activity, and it discusses the results and proposals of research as well as highlighting new achievements, new targets, and new co-thinkers.
Traditionally, the report includes texts by politicians, and this time Laine Jänes, the Minister of Culture, and Paul-Erik Rummo, a member of the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament) and steering committee of the language immersion programme, express their thoughts. President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has given permission to include a quotation from his New Year Message in the report.
This report focuses more on consulting and training teachers. Teacher training is introduced as a university language immersion course. People who compose teaching materials for basic school level are also given an opportunity to share their thoughts in the report.
Janar Holm, the Secretary General of the Ministry, writes about the expectations of the Ministry of Education and Research for the further development of the language immersion programme.
The report, or yearbook, was given to all of the participants of a recently held language immersion conference. The yearbook is electronically available on the home page of the organisation that implements the language immersion programme - the Integration and Migration Foundation (Integratsiooni ja Migratsiooni Sihtasutus - MISA) www.meis.ee.
Further information: Karin Piirsalu, Multicultural Education Unit, tel 659 9854, GSM 521 4194, e-mail karin.piirsalu@meis.ee
In the 2010/2011 academic year, the co-ordinators of the language immersion programme, which is administered by MISA, will continue conducting regional meetings with the heads of educational institutions that have joined the programme. The main topic is the quality of the language immersion programme (internal assessment) and a focus on the learning environment.
During a regional visit, the participants will be introduced to the learning environment and work organisation at the receiving educational institution, and they will meet the teachers and children.
The co-ordinators of the language immersion programme will discuss the programme’s present progress. The next steps and development activities will be planned together with the heads of kindergartens and schools and representatives of local governments in the regions. The first regional meeting will be held at the beginning of November in Narva.
Further information: Karin Piirsalu, Multicultural Education Unit, tel 659 9854, GSM 521 4194, e-mail karin.piirsalu@meis.ee
7th to 12th grade students of general education schools where the language of instruction is Russian or Estonian and pupils of vocational schools giving secondary general education are all welcome to take part in the Citizen Day web quiz. The quiz can be completed on the web page of MISA at www.meis.ee.
The aim of the quiz is to encourage young people to acquire knowledge on constitutional institutions, human and civil rights, freedoms, and duties and issues related to the European Union. One of the topics this year is the euro.
According to Toivo Sikk, a long-term organiser of the Citizen Day quiz, pupils increasingly understand with every passing year that being a citizen means also acting like a citizen, which in turn requires gaining necessary knowledge.
A survey conducted among the pupils who took the quiz in 2008 and 2009 revealed that the Citizen Day quiz was considered very interesting and that completing it required a broad outlook on the world and a good memory of images and environment. The questions were also considered very educational.
The best quiz contestants will be determined in five categories: pupils of 7th to 9th grade of schools where the language of instruction is Estonian, pupils of 7th to 9th grade of schools where the language of instruction is Russian, pupils of upper secondary school and pupils of vocational schools. There are also awards for schools with the largest number of participants.
The best quiz contestants will be given in January 2011 tour to the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament) and the Stenbock building (seat of Government). We will also acknowledge teachers who have made an impressive contribution to citizenship education at schools throughout the years and who have introduced pupils to the Citizen Day quiz.
The quiz will be made accessible on MISA web page www.meis.ee on 22nd November. Before proceeding to the questions, the participants have to fill in a registration form. Each registered person can answer the questions once and the maximum time allowed for answering is 60 minutes. Several questions are provided with links to legislative texts or other sources of information and there are also a number of multiple choice questions.
As in previous year, the quiz contains 50 questions in the Estonian language and contestants are allowed up to one hour to answer the questions. The right answers and the results of all the contestants will be published on MISA home page on 13th December at 10:00.
The 2010 Citizen Day quiz is being held for the eight time. About 20,000 children have taken part and answered more than 350 questions in previous quizzes. Explanatory materials accompanying the quiz are used in social education classes. Please find materials of previous quizzes here.
Good quizzing!
Further information: Toivo Sikk, Co-ordinator of Multicultural Education Unit, tel 659 9850 , e-mail toivo.sikk@meis.ee.
A project competition „Mõttetalgud – edukam Eesti“ (“Thinking together – a more successful Estonia”) is waiting for applications to be submitted before 15th November. The aim of the competition is to activate a social debate addressing ethnic relations and the integration of Estonian residents of different ethical nationalities and citizenship.
The aim of the competition is to support public forums of third-country nationals and citizens of the European Union living in Estonia.
Eligible applicants are the following bodies registered in Estonia: legal persons governed by public law, legal persons governed by private law, governmental authorities, and authorities under the supervision of governmental authorities whose objectives arising from their statutes or specified in their articles of association are in compliance with the proposed activities. An applicant must be directly accountable for the preparation and management of the project.
The competition is funded through the Ministry of Culture from the state budget (25%) and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-country nationals (75%), taking into account the implementation plan of the development plan “Estonian Integration Strategy 2008-2013”.
Further information: Kersti Peterson, Co-ordinator of Civic Education and Migration Unit. Tel 659 9034, e-mail: kersti.peterson@meis.ee
Several information events with the aim of increasing awareness among parents with undefined citizenship about the option of applying for Estonian citizenship for their children under 15 years of age using a simplified procedure will be held in Ida-Virumaa and Harjumaa until the end of May 2011. The parents are also encouraged to apply for Estonian citizenship.
The programme includes information and family seminars in Tallinn, Jõhvi, Narva, Kohtla-Järve, and Sillamäe. An information point and telephone line is open in Jõhvi. Radio 4 broadcasts a programme “The family council” on Mondays.
Further information on the events is available on MISA web page: www.meis.ee/minukodu and www.meis.ee/noustamine-ida-viru.
Information activities are conducted by BDA Consulting OÜ and Kersti Võlu Koolituskeskus OÜ. The European Union, the European Fund for the Integration of Third-country nationals, the Ministry of Culture, and the Integration and Migration Foundation “Our People” all support these activities.
Further information: Tea Tammistu, Civic Education and Migration Unit, tel 659 9062, e-mail tea.tammistu@meis.ee
