Baltic State crackdowns on language use ramp up...would any international teacher agree to arrive in Tallinn having B1-level Estonian as part of their contract?

https://news.postimees.ee/8066018/gover ... hool-heads

'The requirement for the knowledge of the Estonian language at level B1 will be established for teachers of international schools, as is currently required of academic staff of higher education institutions who teach in a language other than Estonian. The B1 level language requirement will be valid from Sept. 1, 2026, meaning these employees have until then to bring their Estonian language skills to the required level.'

Any thoughts on the second and third order effects this might bring onto the international educational scene? Does anyone see policies like this gaining traction elsewhere? Thanks.

But why not just ask your school?

I'd prefer to keep all options open for now and it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. I'll most likely wait a bit and discreetly ask colleagues if they have any experience with how HR would handle the issue. Thanks for your reply!

Long time lurker, first time poster.

As the subject line indicates, I have a question about using one's allocated housing allowance to purchase property instead of simply using it to pay rent. In my contract there's no mention of any stipulations - it simply lists the allowance amount.

Has anyone heard of a fellow teacher using their housing allowance funds to pay a mortgage instead of paying rent?

In speaking to colleagues, the consensus seems to be that buying a place sounds like a great idea if I stay at my school long enough but could potentially trigger some negative consequences from the school, such as:

- loss of housing allowance because the school infers (but doesn't explicitly say in the contract) that it's only for rentals;
- loss of overseas hire status (though purchasing real estate doesn't qualify a person for permanent residence in my location);
- accusations of sneakiness or fraud for not mentioning that I was using the housing allowance for paying down a mortgage, not rent.

Perhaps I'm making things overly complicated but I'm hoping to tap into some additional insight and expertise to guide my housing search. Thanks!