Teacher’s books on health and safety
The Ministry of the Interior undertakes to ensure that children and young people see their role in creating a safe state. The Rescue Board, the Transport Administration, the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, the Institute for Health Development, the Police and Border Guard Board and the Emergency Response Centre support teachers in their work. We offer teachers textbooks on the theme of Health and Safety for each subject area across the national curriculum and which unifies all safety topics. They have been prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science and ordered from the University of Tartu.
The tasks and references prepared by experts help teachers in effectively shaping our understanding of safe behaviour and practising it. The teacher’s book provides background information and learning tasks to influence student behaviour so that it does not endanger or damage themselves or others. Subject and classroom teachers can address selected topics from healthy nutrition to making emergency calls in the case of an accident as part of their lessons.
This is an activity under the Internal Security Development Plan 2015─2020, which supports updating the implementation of the national study programme topic ‘Health and Safety’.
The teacher’s books for the national study programme ‘Health and Safety’ are available electronically in the eSchool bag.
Sports-based programme SPIN
The Good Deed Foundation started work in autumn 2013 in partnership with and under the leadership of the Ministry of the Interior to bring a community-based preventive programme used in the United Kingdom to Estonia. As a result of more than a year’s work, young people aged 10 to 18 years in the North-Tallinn and Lasnamägi Districts can take part in sports activities via the SPIN programme.
SPIN is a sports-based programme for young people, which creates additional opportunities for youngsters to spend free time, take part in sports activities and acquire skills necessary for life. The aim of the SPIN programme is to contribute to creating safer, stronger and more cohesive communities by offering young people opportunities to meaningfully use their time and fully unlock their inner development potential. As the main tool for achieving its objectives, SPIN uses football as a field of sports that surpasses social and cultural barriers and is the most popular in Estonia.
The SPIN programme was carried out until 2020 with support from the European Social Fund’s 2014–2020 resources (approximately 1.3 million euros in total), with which the programme reached 1,000 young people.
Behaviour skills game or the VEPA game
With support from the Ministry of the Interior and under the leadership of the Institute for Health Development, the behaviour skills game ‘Veel paremaks’ (‘Even Better’) or the VEPA game is being implemented.
The aim of the game is to create a positive atmosphere focused on learning in the classroom and to recognise the positive behaviour of students. It promotes social behaviour and reduces disorderly behaviour in the classroom.
The methodology of the game is simple: good behaviour is explained to children and they are recognised for displaying it. Teams are formed in which disorderly and orderly children have to cooperate in order to achieve results. The game is conducted among primary school children in order to even out their level of school-readiness, help students to adapt to school and teach them to comply with rules.
The VEPA game is used in countries such as the United Kingdom, Holland, Belgium, the United States, Canada and Brazil.
Long-term studies have shown that using a behaviour skills game improves study performance and reduces the school dropout rate, criminal behaviour, mental health problems, drug abuse and other kinds of risk behaviour. In Estonia, VEPA has been introduced in 160 schools and 11,200 students have taken part.
A two-year study was conducted in Estonian schools in 2016–2018 in order to assess the impact of the VEPA methodology. The study was conducted with a random sample and a control group. The study was carried out by the Institute for Health Development and included 42 Estonian schools and 708 first-grade students (about half of which were intervention classes and half control classes).
Data on the children’s behaviour and mental health was gathered at three times – before intervention at the beginning of the school year, at the end of the first and the end of the second school year. Data was gathered from teachers, parents and children.
The study showed that on the basis of the questionnaires completed by teachers with regard to every student, difficulties related to children’s behaviour and attention and concentration decreased by the end of the first school year in classes that used the VEPA methodology. The positive effect increased even more by the end of the second school year. There was also a visible trend showing a decrease in the children’s emotional difficulties (such as worry or fear) and an improvement in their interactions with their peers. The VEPA methodology was the most helpful for students who had more difficulties with mental health at the beginning of the first grade.
The VEPA game was conducted until 2021 with support from the resources of the European Social Fund for 2014–2020. Nearly 1 million euros was used as part of risk behaviour prevention, high-risk family support and safe living environment development measures.
You can find more information about the VEPA game on the VEPA homepage at www.vepa.ee
Violence prevention programme ‘Expect Respect’ for young people
With support from the Ministry of the Interior and under the leadership of the Estonian Sexual Health Association, a new violence prevention programme aimed at young people was tested in 2015 and 2016. The goal of the programme was to reduce violence in close relationships.
Studies show that many young people encounter various types of violence. At the same time, they are not told enough about such problems, and gender stereotypes and distorted attitudes towards close relationships are common.
In many countries, young people are offered programmes that have been proven effective in preventing domestic violence. From the viewpoint of prevention, young people are the best target group, as guiding them by way of increasing their awareness and improving their skills is efficient at the life stage where they start forming partner and family relationships. For the new generation to be more violence-free, we need systematic preventive activities that are integrated into the school system for both boys and girls.
In 2015, the science-based prevention programme ‘Expect Respect Teen Abuse Toolkit’, aimed at young people aged 13 to 18 years, was tested. The programme increases their awareness of various attitudes and beliefs with regard to men and women. It teaches young people to resolve conflicts, notice violence, and seek help. The programme includes Estonian and Russian instruction and training materials which teachers can use in the classroom. Teachers are also offered training and guidance and the programme results are assessed.
As the programme showed good results in Estonia, prevention programme training courses have been and will continue to be conducted under the leadership of the Estonian Sexual Health Association and with the support of the Ministry of the Interior, the Police and Border Guard Board and the Ministry of Education and Research.
Development of safe planning methods
The aim of the project was to develop safe planning methods and improve the skills of specialists in the field.
The project produced guidelines for safe planning that contain recommendations for new developments as well as for making existing houses and regions safer. The guidelines are intended for police officers and other agencies with the aim of helping them in shaping a safer living environment.
Estonia has also developed a safe building concept, which among other things describes the procedure for designing and issuing safe building labels, and provides instructions for applicants.
The project lasted from December 2013 until 30 November 2015 and involved partners from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland. The project was led by the Police and Border Guard Board and also involved the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, NGO Estonian Neighbourhood Watch, the Association of Estonian Cities and Rural Municipalities and the Harju County Government.
Project ‘Development of existing urban design, planning and crime prevention methods and introduction of new ones to improve living environment safety’ (HOME/2012/ISEC/AG/4000004321) was co-financed from the European Union Crime Prevention Network programme.
The STEP programme
The STEP programme is implemented with support from the Ministry of the Interior and under the leadership of the Unique School Development Centre. The STEP programme involves young people aged 15 to 26 years who are at risk of marginalisation due to their unlawful activities and who wish to commence work or studies but are unable to do so on their own.
The programme is aimed at offering all young people an opportunity to find employment and contribute to society, even those who have previously committed a legal offence.
STEP brings together young people and responsible employers, education establishments, representatives of public authorities and third sector organisations. The programme offers a platform where an integral solution suitable for every party is developed to help young people find an appropriate place of work or study and move on with their life in a law-abiding manner.
The STEP programme has been created on the basis of the example of the ‘High Five’ programme successfully implemented in the Kingdom of Denmark and adapted to conditions in Estonia. The STEP programme, aimed at the inclusion of young people in the labour market, is financed from resources from the European Social Fund for 2014–2020.
You can find more information about the STEP programme on its homepage at https://step.ee/.
Last updated: 29.03.2023
