The Estonian Ministry of Education is moving forward with a plan to amend the population register to allow individuals to record two mother tongues instead of just one. This proposal aims to address the needs of a growing bilingual population in the country, which includes both children and adults. Education Minister Kristina Kallas has proposed this initiative, emphasizing that the current one-language system does not accurately reflect the linguistic diversity in Estonia.

The idea of allowing the recording of two native languages has been discussed for years, but previous attempts have stalled primarily due to funding issues. Kätlin Kõverik, a language policy advisor at the Ministry, highlighted that the number of individuals identifying as bilingual has been increasing, indicating a pressing need for this legislative change. Currently, information on language diversity is collected during the census, but with only a decade-long gap between censuses, the data may not reflect real-time linguistic shifts effectively.

This proposal not only seeks to modernize the population registry but also aims to enhance educational strategies and support for bilingual families in Estonia. By facilitating the acknowledgment of multiple native languages, the Ministry hopes to promote cultural inclusivity and offer better support in the education system, responding to the evolving demographic landscape in the country, where more people are recognizing and celebrating their bilingual heritage.