The Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (HTM) has faced significant challenges in the development of the SAIS3 school admission system. Initiated two years ago with an investment of nearly one million euros, this new system has not met its deadline, which was supposed to be January, and it was discovered in early February that several risks had come to fruition, preventing its use during the critical school admission exams.

Henry Kattago, Deputy Secretary General for Educational Infrastructure, emphasized that despite these setbacks, the SAIS3 system will be launched, confirming that the state has already spent 805,000 euros on its development. He pointed out that the team is currently working on optimizing the system to ensure that it can handle peak loads during critical periods, which has been one of the key concerns raised regarding its reliability.

The situation reflects broader systemic issues within public sector software development in Estonia, raising questions about project management, accountability, and the capacity of IT developers to fulfill contracts under pressure. As the HTM pushes forward with the SAIS3 project, clarity on its operational stability and the management of public funds will be crucial for gaining public trust and ensuring that the educational needs are met in a timely manner.