Power to the principals

It's been a day for school-related news. At the annual conference of the Association of Estonian School Principals, Minister for Education Tõnis Lukas has confirmed his intention to submit a proposal to local governments to provide principals with greater powers of reprimand.

“That way they could decide for themselves on the spot whether to issue the likes of a verbal warning or a fine to students or anyone else who happens to misbehave on school premises,” the minister said. “This will undoubtedly help to rein in students who act out, use foul language, deliberately provoke teachers and other students or smoke on school grounds.”

Why do I not share his conviction?

How to become homeless in 26 easy steps

Fare dodgers beware: a Tallinn resident known only as Nikolai has had his house confiscated and put up for sale by bailiffs for failing to pay any of the 26 fines issued to him between 2005 and 2007.

The inveterate 'rabbit', as fare evaders are affectionately known in Estonia, owed ticket inspectors the princely sum of 16,140 kroons (about $1700) when evicted from his home, having also failed to contribute to the coffers of a myriad other wrist-slapping agencies the length and breadth of the capital.

Nikolai's story is not unique. In August alone ticket inspectors issued 5020 fines on buses, trams and trolleys throughout the city, with the City Hall piggy bank benefitting to the tune of 2.1 million kroons. These figures do not necessarily bear any resemblance to the number of people actually caught dodging, however: the top ten recidivists in 2007 to date account for almost 200 of the fines that have been handed out. The likes of 21-year-old Arlis, who leads the way on 29, had better watch out: if Nikolai loses his house for 26, Arlis might wake up one morning without a roof over his head and wondering what happened to his left kidney.