On Thursday, Tallinn city council approved the city s budget strategy for the period 2021-2024 with a budget of €861.5 million for 2021. The city council of Tartu also approved their budget for 2021 - €215 million.
The chairman of the council, Tiit Terik, said that the aim of the budget was to make sure that all residents of the city cope well regardless of their age and all services are ensured. As one such measure, the support for the elderly, meaning the pension supplement paid by the city, will rise from the current €100 to €125 from next year. The main source of income for the city is the personal income tax, which has declined a bit, however. To alleviate the impact of the crisis, reserves accumulated earlier will be tapped into, whereas borrowings will be used partially to finance investments, Terik said.
Universities hope to be able to stop distancing learning next semester but are also prepared to carry on if the epidemiological situation with coronavirus has not improved.
Berta Leesment, study director in the Office of Academic Affairs at TalTech, told ERR all class have moved to distance learning until the new year, the only exceptions are students who cannot undertake practical tests or training online. If the government s decision in this form remains valid after the end of the year, then examinations and assessments are allowed on the university premises, but web-based examination assessments are preferred, she explained.
Leesment said the university would prefer to go back to teaching in the classroom but the coronavirus must be taken into consideration.