Mailis Reps
Encyclopedia
Mailis Reps is an Estonian politician and a former Estonian Minister of Education and Research
. She is a member of the Estonian Centre Party
.
, Estonia
. From 1993 to 1998 she studied law at the Academy Nord in Tallinn. She holds currently two Master degrees: the first in law from the Central European University
and the second in public relations from Maastricht University. Since 2001 she is studying international and European law at doctorate level in Uppsala University
.
From 2000 to 2001 Mailis Rand worked in the European Commission
Directorate-General
of Personnel and Administration. Since year 2000 she is also a lecturer of international public law in the Academy Nord and in the Higher Law School of Riga.
On 28 January 2002 Mailis Rand became the Estonian Minister of Education in the government of Siim Kallas
. She was often criticised for her youth and inexperience. Although she was unable to solve several crucial problems of Estonian education, she fought for more funding to education and was elected Friend of Education by Estonian Education Forum in October 2002. Mailis Rand renamed the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Education and Research (in effect since 1 January 2003) to reflect the central role of this government institution in administration of higher education and research activities.
She was also the Minister to merge two leading academic libraries of Estonia - Estonian Academic Library and Tallinn Pedagogical University Library. The merger was signed on 8 April 2003, 2 days before the resignation of the government.
Mailis Rand became then member of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu
). She was also elected to the Board of the Estonian Centre Party and appointed the Party's Secretary on Foreign Relations. She was one of the persons involved in preparing the controversial contract of co-operation between the Estonian Centre Party and Russian 'party of the power' United Russia
in December 2004.
After marrying a Latvian lawyer Agris Repšs she started to use simplified version of her husband's surname (Reps). They have a son Richard, born in 2004. Their second child, daughter Elizabeth, was born in March 2006.
After the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Juhan Parts
she was appointed again Minister of Education and Research on 13 April 2005. Main activities of her second term have been preparation of the new general curriculum, approval of the new vocational education agenda, improving and expanding learning in Estonian in the schools of Russian-speaking minority, provision of free lunches to pupils and approval of the new vocational standard for teachers.
Mailis Reps was heavily criticised after her official visit to the Mari-El Republic, a federal subject of Russia in August 2005. While several European (including Estonian) politicians have drawn attention to the discrimination of Mari people in this republic and issued statements on the topic, Mailis Reps spoke very positively about the current state of native inhabitants, their culture and education in her interview to Russian television. She later claimed that her statements were taken out of context by Russian TV and that her poor knowledge of Russian contributed to misunderstanding what she had actually meant.
Since 2005 she is also a Vice-Chairperson of the Estonian Centre Party.
Estonian Minister of Education and Research
The Minister of Education and Research is the senior minister at the Ministry of Education and Research in the Estonian Government...
. She is a member of the Estonian Centre Party
Estonian Centre Party
The Estonian Centre Party is a centrist, social liberal party in Estonia. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members....
.
Biography
Reps was born in in TallinnTallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. From 1993 to 1998 she studied law at the Academy Nord in Tallinn. She holds currently two Master degrees: the first in law from the Central European University
Central European University
For other uses, see European University Central European University is a graduate-level, English-language university offering degrees in the social sciences, humanities, law, public policy, business management, environmental science, and mathematics...
and the second in public relations from Maastricht University. Since 2001 she is studying international and European law at doctorate level in Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
.
From 2000 to 2001 Mailis Rand worked in the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
Directorate-General
Directorate-General
A Directorate-General is a branch of an administration dedicated to a specific field of expertise.* The European Commission: Commission Directorates-General are each headed by a European Commissioner;* The European Patent Office: EPO Directorates-General;...
of Personnel and Administration. Since year 2000 she is also a lecturer of international public law in the Academy Nord and in the Higher Law School of Riga.
On 28 January 2002 Mailis Rand became the Estonian Minister of Education in the government of Siim Kallas
Siim Kallas
Siim Kallas is an Estonian politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Transport. He is also one of five vice-presidents of the 27-member Barroso Commission...
. She was often criticised for her youth and inexperience. Although she was unable to solve several crucial problems of Estonian education, she fought for more funding to education and was elected Friend of Education by Estonian Education Forum in October 2002. Mailis Rand renamed the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Education and Research (in effect since 1 January 2003) to reflect the central role of this government institution in administration of higher education and research activities.
She was also the Minister to merge two leading academic libraries of Estonia - Estonian Academic Library and Tallinn Pedagogical University Library. The merger was signed on 8 April 2003, 2 days before the resignation of the government.
Mailis Rand became then member of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. All important state-related questions pass through the Riigikogu...
). She was also elected to the Board of the Estonian Centre Party and appointed the Party's Secretary on Foreign Relations. She was one of the persons involved in preparing the controversial contract of co-operation between the Estonian Centre Party and Russian 'party of the power' United Russia
United Russia
United Russia is a centrist political party in Russia and the largest party in the country, currently holding 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma. The party was founded in December 2001, through a merger of the Unity and Fatherland-All Russia parties...
in December 2004.
After marrying a Latvian lawyer Agris Repšs she started to use simplified version of her husband's surname (Reps). They have a son Richard, born in 2004. Their second child, daughter Elizabeth, was born in March 2006.
After the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Juhan Parts
Juhan Parts
Juhan Parts is an Estonian politician who was Prime Minister of Estonia from 2003 to 2005. He was chairman of the Res Publica Party for a time. Since 5 April 2007 he is the Minister of Economy and Communication in Andrus Ansip's second government...
she was appointed again Minister of Education and Research on 13 April 2005. Main activities of her second term have been preparation of the new general curriculum, approval of the new vocational education agenda, improving and expanding learning in Estonian in the schools of Russian-speaking minority, provision of free lunches to pupils and approval of the new vocational standard for teachers.
Mailis Reps was heavily criticised after her official visit to the Mari-El Republic, a federal subject of Russia in August 2005. While several European (including Estonian) politicians have drawn attention to the discrimination of Mari people in this republic and issued statements on the topic, Mailis Reps spoke very positively about the current state of native inhabitants, their culture and education in her interview to Russian television. She later claimed that her statements were taken out of context by Russian TV and that her poor knowledge of Russian contributed to misunderstanding what she had actually meant.
Since 2005 she is also a Vice-Chairperson of the Estonian Centre Party.
Political career
- 2002-2003 Estonian Minister of Education
- 2003-2005 Member of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu)
- 2003-2005 Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Estonian Centre Party
- 2003- Member of the Board of the Estonian Centre Party
- 2005-2007 Estonian Minister of Education and Research
- 2005- Vice-Chairperson of the Estonian Centre Party
- 2007- Member of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu)