TALLINN, Mar 17, BNS - The Estonian integration program worked out at the Population Minister's Office projects keeping the present level of growth in the number of citizens but does not set any concrete figures to be achieved.
The previous integration program for the years 2000-07 stated that Estonia would get at least 5,000 new citizens a year.
In her presentation of the new integration program on Monday, Population Minister Urve Palo said that the program envisaged favorable terms for increasing the number of citizens and that the country had been successful if after the expiry of the program the number of stateless persons had declined and that of Estonian citizens had increased.
Palo said that the policy of the state was to favor growth in the number of citizens, but it would be good if the growth would remain at the present level. Last year Estonian citizenship was granted to 4,228 persons.
At present Estonia has 115,672 stateless residents, 9 percent of the population.
Palo said that integration was an on-going project which had to be consistently continued and it was not possible to say at any given moment of time that the integration process was completed.
According to the program communication between people of different mother tongues must increase by 2013. In 2007 65 percent of ethnic Estonians and 39 percent of non-Estonians did not have any mutual contacts.
The state also wants to promote participation of non-Estonians in civic associations. Last year 12 percent ethnic Estonians and only one percent of non-Estonians were members in such associations.
The population minister underlined that if in the previous integration program for the years 2000-2007 language learning occupied an important place then also the new integration program set a lot of store on proficiency in Estonian.
In 2005, 22 percent of non-Estonians in the age group from 15 to 74 assessed their command of Estonian as good, 25 percent as intermediary, 29 percent as poor and 25 percent as missing. The program says that by 2013 the command of the official language would be better at all levels.
The program also sets the aim that by 2013 most non-Estonians will be getting regular information via the Estonian media and trust it. According to a 2005 poll 26 percent of non-Estonians used Estonian-language media and 62 percent Estonia's Russian-language media.
Palo said the launching of a Russian-language ETV2 program was of vital importance in bringing the non-Estonian population of the country into the Estonian information field.
According to plans viewing of programs of the Estonian National Broadcasting Corporation (ERR) would increase to 75 percent by 2010. In 2007 viewing of ERR programs was 60 percent among Estonia's Russian-speakers.
The total cost of the integration program is 472,410,000 kroons (EUR 28,3 mln). The actual financing of integration each year will depend of the state budget.
Palo underlined that not just the Population Minister's Office would be dealing with integration, but also different other ministries, such as the Education and Science Ministry, had major roles in it as well.
Population Ministry adviser Eva-Maria Asari said the integration program set concrete aims where the state wanted to reach by its integration.
The program sets the aim that by 2010 80 percent of non-Estonian children can study Estonian in kindergartens or other pre-schoool children's institutions. In 2007 75 percent of non-Estonian children had such an opportunity.
The result of the school-leaving exam in Estonian should average 68 points against the 2007 average of 62.7 percent.
The program also sets the aim that in 2010 the command of Estonian of 80 percent of leavers of non-Estonian medium school would be assessed at 60 or more points at the Estonian exam. In 2007 the percentage of such students was 78.
The program also lays down some other aims of the integration program, such as upgrading of the command in Estonian of 100 teachers of non-Estonian-medium schools with 400 teachers taking language immersion courses. According the program eight further educational establishments will accede to language immersion studies and by the end of the year there will be 62 such educational institutions.
There will be courses of Estonian for 200 teachers of Russian-medium school this years and additional Estonian tuition granted to 80 university students. The state is planning to give to 6,000 students of Russian-medium schools on overview of the work of the president, the parliament and the government.
According to Matlik courses of Estonian will be offered this year to 750 non-Estonian speaking unemployed and 129 non-Estonian speaking rescue workers and police officers.
According to the program 2,200 persons will pass courses on the Estonian Constitition and the Citizenship Act and 350 people more will attend free language courses for the application for citizenship.
The integration program for the years 2008-2013 will probably arrive for endorsement in the government at the end of March of the beginning of April.
Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8862, sise@bns.ee
