Tallinn, Spain's Ministry of Education sign memorandum on educational cooperation

TALLINN - The City of Tallinn and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training of Spain signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday to promote cooperation in the field of education.

The signing ceremony took place at Tallinn Mustamäe Upper Secondary School, with Deputy Mayor Aleksei Jašin representing the City of Tallinn and José Aurelio Llaneza Villanueva representing the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training of Spain.

The memorandum outlines a comprehensive framework for cooperation in education. With support of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, the teaching of the Spanish language in Tallinn schools will be expanded through professional training for teachers, methodological support, and access to modern learning materials. The cooperation also envisions greater integration of Spanish language and culture in the school environment, including exchanges of teachers and educational staff, as well as annual conversation programs featuring native Spanish-speaking experts.

The city, for its part, will contribute to the development of language learning programs, support the professional growth of teachers, and, where possible, launch new academic tracks focused on Spanish language and culture. There are also plans to establish a network of bilingual programs in Tallinn educational institutions, providing language immersion opportunities from preschool through upper secondary school.

Aleksei Jašin, Tallinn's deputy mayor responsible for education, emphasized the importance of the partnership and its potential impact on the city’s educational landscape.

"This memorandum marks the beginning of a meaningful new chapter in educational cooperation between the City of Tallinn and the Kingdom of Spain. Our shared goal is to strengthen intercultural dialogue and broaden international opportunities for students and educators, with a focus on language learning, academic exchange, and professional development. It represents a significant step forward in the internationalization of education in Tallinn, offering young people a broader worldview and fostering multicultural awareness from an early age," said Jašin.

Kristina Kallas, Estonia's minister of education and research, said the agreement will help diversify young people's opportunities for language and cultural studies. Schools are required to offer at least two B-level foreign languages, and it is encouraging to see that, in addition to the more commonly offered German, schools are increasingly able to provide other language options, the minister said.

The Spanish ambassador, Guillermo Corral Van Damme, who attended the ceremony, said he was very grateful to the City of Tallinn and the school for making this cooperation possible.

"Spanish is one of the world's largest and most studied languages, offering students valuable skills and opening up new opportunities. We hope that this project will further strengthen cooperation between Estonia and Spain. More and more Estonians are spending time in Spain not only for holidays but also for study and work. We believe that in-depth learning of Spanish language and culture will play a key role in further strengthening relations between our countries," the ambassador said.

A concrete example of this cooperation is the initiative planned for the 2025/2026 academic year at Tallinn Mustamäe Upper Secondary School, where Spanish will be introduced as an advanced-level foreign language, complemented by elective courses in Spanish cultural studies.

Spanish already has a strong presence in Tallinn's schools, with 1,081 students learning the language in municipal schools this academic year.

The memorandum does not create legal or financial obligations, and all planned activities will depend on the budgetary capacities of the parties.