President Lennart Meri has given his consent to act as a patron of the competition of history research papers of schoolchildren. The competition takes place for the first time in this academic year, and the theme is ''Estonian Home and Family on the XX Century''. The aim of the competition is to enhance the understanding and interpretation of national values in the light of the continuity of generations, deepening of the pupils' interest in history, broadening of their worldview and developing their ability of independent work.

It is possible to enlist to the competition up to December 22, 1999, the competition papers must be ready for April 30, 1999, and the best participants will be rewarded in June 2000. The detailed instructions for the competition will be published in ''Õpetajate Leht'' (Teachers' Paper). The competition has two age groups – secondary school and elementary school.

The pupils' research papers competitions for the prize of the President were started in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1973, and the idea comes from the Körber foundation in Hamburg. In the present time, similar competitions are taking place in many European countries, in Estonia the initiator has been the Estonian History Teachers' Society.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, November 6, 1999

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