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President of the Republic presented the award for Estonia’s most beautiful school

10.01.2007

Today in East-Virumaa, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves presented the Lohusuu Basic School with the award for “Estonia’s Beautiful School 2006”. Forty-eight pupils attend the Lohusuu Basic School, which celebrated its 310th anniversary this year, and where teaching takes place in both Estonian and Russian.

“This project is one way to get Estonia tidy. You are setting an example for the rest of Estonia, of how it is possible to achieve something when pupils and parents get together and decide-let’s do it ourselves,” said the Head of State.

As a gift, President Ilves presented the Lohusuu School with a tapestry by artist Anu Raud entitled Intermission, and planted a Serbian fir in the schoolyard. The pupils spoke to him on the topic, “Green Schoolyard-A Good Idea and Worthy Deed in a School with a Green Mindset”.

“Estonia’s Beautiful School” has been chosen since 1997, within the framework of a student project originated at the initiative of President Lennart Meri. This year, the award was presented for the eighth time, and is accompanied by a 50,000-kroon prize.

The main objective of the student project is to bring up worthy citizens, and great importance is placed on civic studies, the preservation of nature, patriotic education, and respect for the flag. Attention is paid to the maintenance of the school’s environs and to studying outdoors, and especially to teamwork. The project get its start from the students’ interesting ideas for improvements that could be made in their school and schoolyard and from the collective implementation of the ideas, and it teaches planning, management, and financing skills, as well as improves communications and respect for one another.

Public Relations Department of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, 10 January 2007