All children must go to school for at least 9 years to gain Estonia's mandatory basic education. Children start school at the age of 6 or 7 in the 1st grade ,and finish with the 9th grade at the age of 15. At the end of 9th grade, students must pass school graduation exams. After that, students then have a right to move on to either secondary education school, or go to vocational education school.
All children are granted free access to a public school near their home. If you wish to enroll your child in a private "elite" school, then additional tests are required, and children are chosen according to the results.
In Estonia, there are two public schools that offer basic education programs in English: the Tallinn English College, and the Miina Härma Gymnasium, which are both high-level elite schools. There are also three private schools: International School of Estonia, International School
of Tallinn, and Tallinn European School. These all offer options to study in English.