Alo Savi, head of the Vocational Education and Skills Policy Department at Estonia's Ministry of Education and Research, provided insights on the circumstances under which Russian-language vocational education will continue to be available in the country. He emphasized the need for continued clarification on this matter, as there is significant confusion among the public regarding the transition to instruction primarily in the Estonian language.

According to the Vocational Educational Institutions Act, the language of instruction for vocational upper secondary education is already stipulated to be Estonian. Although school sponsors can decide on the use of other languages for instruction, the predominant medium remains Estonian. Importantly, Savi pointed out that if vocational training is conducted in a language other than Estonian, the government will not cover the costs, meaning students will need to pay for such instruction themselves.

Looking ahead to the 2025/2026 academic year, Savi confirmed that there will not be any non-Estonian language vocational curricula open in state-funded vocational education institutions in Estonia. While certain lessons may be taught in other languages, the current framework outlines a clear transition to Estonian as the main language of instruction, which raises implications for Russian-speaking students and educational institutions catering to them.