The article describes a shift in Estonia\u2019s justice system from punishing young people in difficulty to understanding, supporting and guiding them. Young people often face difficulties because of complex life circumstances that begin before they enter school. Prevention must therefore start where a child\u2019s development begins \u2013 at home and in early childhood education. Prevention is always less costly than dealing with consequences. How can we prevent even the first offence from occurring?<\/p>\n\n
Prevention begins in early childhood education, not in school.<\/strong> Although the article focuses on school, it is clear that a child\u2019s developmental and social attitudes take shape much earlier. Early childhood education is not merely childcare but the first developmental environment outside the home. It is often there that the first signs of difficulties at home \u2013 neglect, violence or lack of security \u2013 become visible. Early childhood teachers must be able to recognise these signs. This requires smaller groups and more time for individual interaction with each child. Today\u2019s kindergarten groups of more than 20 children make such individual attention difficult.<\/p>\n\n Shortage of specialists \u2013 the system recognises children\u2019s need for support but cannot always provide it.<\/strong> Teachers are often the first to notice a child\u2019s need for support but may lack the skills or backing to respond effectively. There are not enough support specialists \u2013 psychologists, social pedagogues and counsellors. The issue is not only numbers but also working conditions and remuneration, which do not retain specialists in the system. Without adequate support, teachers may become exhausted and a child in need may go unnoticed until problems eventually manifest as offending.<\/p>\n\n Teacher workload and responsibility.<\/strong> Teacher shortages increase the workload of those who remain, reducing their capacity to notice or intervene. Responsibilities continue to expand \u2013 teaching, monitoring behaviour, documenting learning and providing emotional support. The result is burnout and a desire to leave the profession, which further exacerbates shortages. For teachers to notice and support pupils effectively, their role must be valued not only rhetorically but also in terms of pay and public recognition. A teacher is not a low-skilled service worker but a highly qualified professional.<\/p>\n\n The curriculum \u2013 fewer facts, more general competences.<\/strong> School cannot be limited to the transmission of knowledge. Young people need the skills to make informed choices, understand risks, think critically and communicate effectively. The current curriculum does not sufficiently enable teachers to focus on transversal competences, build trusting relationships and provide values education. Reducing the emphasis on factual content and creating more space for discussion would help develop the skills that support young people in avoiding conflict with the law.<\/p>\n\n While the article reflects a more understanding and prevention-oriented direction in the justice system, reform will not succeed unless the education and social welfare systems are also supportive. Prevention begins before problems become visible \u2013 often already in early childhood education. This requires specialists, teachers and an appropriate curriculum. We need more people who notice, know how to respond and are able to help.<\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":1709,"menu_order":0,"template":"","chapter":[29],"class_list":["post-1690","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","chapter-education-as-the-foundation-of-a-safe-society"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/2026.inimareng.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/2026.inimareng.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/2026.inimareng.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2026.inimareng.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/1709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/2026.inimareng.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2026.inimareng.ee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter?post=1690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}