Estonian Integration Strategy 2008–2013Implementation Plan for 2011–2013

Anne-Ly ReimaaUndersecretary

September 16th, 2011

Topics

• Estonian Integration Strategy 2008–2013 implementation in 2010 and during next period 2011-2013

• The Monitoring Survey of 2010 and new Integration Survey 2011

• Implementation Plan for 2011- 2013

• Priorities for 2011-2013

Estonian Integration Strategy 2008–2013

• Adopted by the Government on April 4, 2008• Continuation to the state programme

“Integration in Estonian Society 2000–2007”• Action plan for governmental and other

institutions for the years 2008−2013 in the field of integration

• The Strategy is implemented in three areas: • educational and cultural• social and economic • legal and political+ Integration Strategy Management Area

Estonian Integration Strategy 2008–2013

Objective:

• To support every permanent resident’s feeling of solidarity with the Estonian society and knowledge of the state language, the possibility to learn one’s own native language and preserve national culture

• The Integration Strategy adheres to European values (democracy, human rights, etc.) and the Estonian Constitution, is aimed at the prevention of national seclusion and strengthening of state identity.

Implementation of the Estonian Integration Strategy 2008–2013

Ministry of Culture – support for the activities of national minorities’ cultural institutions, intercultural cooperation activities, management and evaluation processes of the Integration Strategy

Ministry of Education and Research – Estonian language study in kindergartens, schools, as an extra-curricular activity and for adults; support for the transition to Estonian-language teaching

Ministry of Social Affairs; Labour Market Board Ministry of the Interior; Police and Border Guard Board

Implementation – Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA), www.meis.ee

Main activities under the 2010 Implementation Plan

• The preparation of the Implementation Plan for 2011-2013;

• The performance of the 2010 monitoring survey of the achievement of the objectives of the Estonian Integration Strategy,

• The work of the Steering Committee in the strategic management of the Integration Strategy, in which the deputy secretary-generals of the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Counsellor of the Government Office;

• The completion of the programme “Development of Language Studies in 2007-2010” financed from the European Social Fund and the approval of the new programme “Development of Language Studies in 2011-2013”.

The Monitoring Survey 2010 of the achievement of the objectives of the Integration Strategy, results and challenges:

• The self-estimated Estonian language skills have improved among the Russian-speaking population;

• Contacts between Estonian-speaking and Russian-speaking residents have become closer and participation in citizens’ associations and organisations has increased;

• Both language groups trust and recognise each other more than before. Russian-speaking respondents have lower confidence in some public institutions than Estonian-speaking respondents;

• The majority of Estonian-speaking and Russian-speaking respondents are self-critical and sense the need to contribute more to the integration process on behalf of their language group. There is no fear of losing ethnic identity;

• The proportion of persons of undetermined citizenship has been constantly decreasing in the society, reaching 7.5% by the end of 2010.

• Russian-speaking people sense the socio-economic inequality more acutely;

• The consumption of media produced in Russia is still high among Russian-speaking people;

• Among persons of undetermined citizenship, the motivation to change their status has decreased.

Financial resources 2010 divided by areas

• 61.5 million EEK (53%) for the educational and cultural integration area,

• 23.8 million EEK (21%) for the social and economic integration area,

• 12.3 million EEK (10%) for the legal and political integration area • 8.4 million EEK (16%) for the area of management, monitoring

and evaluation of the Integration Strategy

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Plan

Actual

Plan 52% 20% 9% 19%

Actual 53% 21% 10% 16%

V1 V2 V3 A

Estonian Integration Strategy Implementation Plan for 2011-2013

• Describes the general measures and the distribution of resources for the three-year period of 2011–2013, on the basis of which the Steering Group and the Steering Committee will approve the content of concrete activities and the distribution of resources every year.

• The activities will be implemented by:

• the Ministry of Culture (MoC),

• the Ministry of Education and Research (MoER),

• the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF)

• the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MIF).

Budget for 2011-2013

• The planned volume of the Implementation Plan is 20.65 million EUR of which external funds make up 8.34 million EUR.

• By financers, the resources are divided as follows:

• the Ministry of Education and Research 9.82 million EUR,

• the Ministry of Culture 9.92 million EUR

• the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund 0.91 million EUR.

Budget for 2011-2013

The financial resources are distributed by areas:

The priorities are based on the following

• objectives of the development plan of the Integration Strategy for 2008–2013;

• operational Programme of the Government of the Republic for 2011–2015

• Strategic Development Plan of the Ministry of Culture for 2012–2015;

• results of the consultation process of preparing the Implementation Plan and the analysis of the implementation of activities in previous years;

• development plans of responsible ministries.

The priorities of the Implementation Plan:

• To support the process of transition to partially Estonian-language based subject studies in Russian-speaking upper secondary schools through enhancing the efficiency of the Estonian language studies of teachers and ensuring the necessary support services, incl. the active informing and inclusion of parents.

• To continue work with young people, paying more attention to making youth work services, incl. career counselling, available to young people whose mother tongue is other than Estonian, and to foster contacts and cooperation between young people of different nationalities in Estonia.

• To develop citizens’ associations in order to implement the activities of the Integration Strategy more effectively and efficiently; in order to enhance contacts between people of different nationalities; in order to increase the participation of people whose mother tongue is other than Estonian in the civil society; in order to involve people whose mother tongue is other than Estonian more efficiently in social life.

• To systemically develop the communication and information space, in order to reduce information deficiency and seclusion from Estonian-minded information of people whose mother tongue is other than Estonian. 

V1. Educational and cultural integration areaEducation

To support the Estonian language proficiency of young people whose mother tongue is other than Estonian at a level necessary for continuing studies or competing in the labour market in Estonia.

• To support the availability and quality of Estonian language studies and subject studies in Estonian language at all levels of education - publication of study materials, support language immersion methodology

• To support the teaching of Estonian culture, history and social studies in an informal environment - extra-curricular language studies in camps and families, cooperation activities of young people with different cultural background and mother tongue.

• To strengthen the competitiveness of young people whose mother tongue is other than Estonian in the labour market.

• To continue further training and support services for teachers and the personnel of educational institutions - To expand the activities of counselling and methodology centres.

• To support the further studies of students whose mother tongue is other than Estonian in Estonian universities.

V1. Educational and cultural integration area - Culture

To preserve and value the cultural heritage of ethnic minorities and to allow the studying of mother tongue in Estonia. To develop a culturally diverse Estonian society.

• To support the studying and preservation of the mother tongue and cultural heritage of ethnic minorities in Estonia.

• To enhance the civil activity of ethnic minorities and to foster contacts between people of different citizenship and cultural background.

• To introduce a culturally diverse Estonia to Estonians and to introduce the Estonian culture to ethnic minorities living in Estonia.

V2. Social and economic integration area

To promote competitiveness based on Estonian language skills among Estonian residents whose mother tongue is other than Estonian.

• To continue with successful Estonian language study formats ;

• To support and provide information about different language study formats and possibilities. To ensure the efficiency and quality of the Estonian language studies of adults;

• To support the integration of new immigrants and returnees.

Area A: Integration Strategy management area• To interlink the measures and activities of the Implementation

Plan;

• To increase cooperation with local governments and stakeholders in planning and implementing activities;

• To focus on systematic activities in Ida-Virumaa.

• To formulate the indicators characterising the integration process, which would be comparable to those used in EU Member States.

Activities Year 2012

• Results of Integration monitoring 2011

• Integration Strategy for 2014 – 2020

• International Conference in September 2012

Thank you for your attention!

Anne-Ly Reimaa Ministry of CultureSuur-Karja 2315076 Tallinn

Phone:+372 628 23 17E-mail: annely.reimaa@kul.ee www.kul.ee