The Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, in an official response to a written inquiry from Riigikogu member Aleksandr Šaplõgin, confirmed that current legislation does not prohibit the use of the Russian language in kindergartens, including adaptation/transition groups, if it is necessary for the child's development and well-being and is pedagogically justified.

Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas, in a letter to Riigikogu member Aleksandr Šaplõgin (Center Party), clarified the ministry's position on language practices in preschool education. The document notes that:

Current legislation does not contain a direct ban on the use of the Russian language in Estonian kindergartens;

"...in a situation where a child does not yet have sufficient command of the Estonian language, it is permissible and pedagogically justified to apply a bilingual approach or use the child's native language as needed," the response text states.

This wording includes practices of using Russian as an auxiliary tool if it is pedagogically justified and serves the child's well-being.

According to the current provisions of the Estonian Preschool Education Act (which came into force earlier, involving kindergartens in the state language), preschool teaching practices are oriented toward an Estonian-speaking environment. However, there are no direct bans in the legislation on the temporary use of a native language during a child's adaptation.

With the adoption of the new law on preschool education in December 2024, "leveling groups" (tasandusrühmad) were abolished, and their existence is no longer provided for in the current legal framework.

The Ministry also indicated that the requirements for teaching in Estonian do not mean a total ban on the use of other languages if they help the child better understand what is happening and adapt to the learning environment.

The current legislation establishes the requirement that educators must have a higher pedagogical education, appropriate professional qualifications, and the necessary level of Estonian language proficiency. To work with children with special educational needs, additional competencies in special pedagogy are required, the assessment of which is carried out by the employer.

The Ministry does not plan to revise these requirements in connection with the response to the inquiry.
Since 2024, Estonia has been implementing a transition of preschool and school education to Estonian-language instruction. Preschool education is oriented toward an Estonian-speaking environment, and the transition to Estonian-language instruction continues until 2030.

Specific initiatives to tighten requirements for the use of the state language in the educational environment are reflected, for example, in plans to increase fines for non-compliance with language requirements up to €1,280 for individuals and up to €9,600 for legal entities.