Estonians’ belief: Education is the gateway to enhanced living

Could the outstanding results in Estonia’s general education be translated into adult education? In her column, Maie Kitsing explores the four pillars of the country’s education system. Kitsing serves as Advisor at the General Education Department at the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research.

The reasons behind the success of Estonian education are often sought solely within the system itself. However, society is a whole, and the education sector depends on various policies such as social, economic, cultural and regional policies.

Estonia’s education sector indicators are encouraging: they include high number of people who have completed the highest education level, active participation in cultural life and a large number of women with higher education degrees. Despite this, we know that society is changing rapidly, and lifelong learning is the new reality.

The society is changing rapidly, and lifelong learning is the new reality.

According to the latest data, the participation rate in lifelong learning for adults in formal and non-formal education is 20%, and we have set a goal to increase it to 25% by 2035. Adult participation in lifelong learning sets an example for the youth, demonstrating the value of education and establishing the mindset that learning without effort does not lead to success.

I BELIEVE THAT for the education system to function effectively, it must be based on four main pillars. First, we need a framework curriculum that considers the needs of society and the individual and is created collaboratively with stakeholders. Second, we need professional and autonomous teachers who can support learners in acquiring knowledge and skills. Third, we must have needs-based funding for educational institutions and students, and fourth, purposeful strategic planning and management.

Estonian schools follow a national framework curriculum, which is regularly updated to reflect societal needs and developments in pedagogy and other sciences. We emphasise the importance of an outcome-based national curriculum that gives teachers a clear understanding of what each student needs to be able to do and to know, how to teach, and to what extent to teach. Consensus-built national framework requirements would certainly also support the quality of adult education.

Consensus-built national framework requirements would certainly also support the quality of adult education.

In Estonia, a standard for adult education has been developed analogously to general education, which sets out learning outcomes, conditions for starting studies, the total amount of studies including the proportion of classroom, practical and independent work, and the contents of the studies.

The latest update to the national curriculum of general education was adopted in 2023, adding a greater emphasis on integrating general and subject competencies into teaching as well as media and data literacy. The requirements for adult education content are also changing over time, and learning should be in line with changes in societal life and the labour market.

However, several key competencies remain continuously important in both general education and adult learning, such as acquiring learning skills, communication skills and digital competences. In modern society, data literacy is necessary for both adults and students.

TEACHING AT A HIGH educational standard requires qualified teachers. In Estonia, a master’s degree is required to be a general education schoolteacher. Conducting adult education also requires trainers to have appropriate qualifications, and adult learners need assurance that their trainers are experts in the field and have the necessary qualifications.

The adult education curricula must also include information about the trainer’s qualifications. While the learner’s responsibility is greater in adult learning compared to a general education school, certain frameworks would ensure higher quality education for those who have less awareness and poorer skills in making choices in the field of continuing education.

Teaching at a high educational standard requires qualified teachers.

According to PISA 2022, Estonian teachers were the most autonomous among the participating countries. I personally believe that the autonomy of highly professional teachers allows for the greatest consideration of learner needs, whether dealing with a child student or an adult. However, it must be emphasised that enabling autonomy requires that the trainer/teacher has the necessary qualifications.

OUR SCHOOL’S FUNDING system is needs-based, with specifically supported students receiving additional funding. A similar approach would also support the effectiveness of adult learning, which must consider people’s different needs and possibilities. To avoid social isolation and social tensions, it would be wise to separately support the education of more vulnerable individuals. The difference in opportunities between urban and rural residents cannot be overlooked.

In the field of general education, Estonian rural schools stand out positively according to PISA – when distributing educational resources, rural schools are even in a more favourable position.

AS A FOURTH PILLAR, I mentioned strategic planning and management. Ensuring the effectiveness of the education system, including non-formal adult education, requires realistic but ambitious goals and consistent monitoring of goal achievement, which in turn requires the collection of necessary data.

In Estonia, following the comprehensive Education Strategy 2021–2035, we have highlighted the existing strengths and bottlenecks as well as future goals of each sector. For example, plans have been made to improve conditions and opportunities for adults’ continuous self-development, including developing and implementing a combined funding model involving different stakeholders’ responsibilities. Just as in general education, we are supporting adult educators’ ability to consciously develop learners’ general and social competencies within specialised education.

Enhancing the quality of general and adult education is under consideration as well. For example, to raise and standardise the quality of adult education, plans have been made to create an environment for trainers’ assessment and feedback to direct trainers to take more responsibility for the quality of education.

SCHOOL AUTONOMY, detailed requirements and the absence of inspectorates do not mean chaos in teaching or in the education system. We have created the Estonian Education Information System and a public portal that consolidates visual education statistics data called EducationEye, which makes the provision of formal and non-formal education transparent at all levels of education.

School autonomy does not mean chaos in the education system.

The widespread availability of the internet and digital skills allows adult learners to receive relevant information. This database is public and helps make evidence-based decisions at the state, local government, school and individual level.

The Estonian Government’s long-term investment in the development of the digital sector, including in remote areas, has had a positive result:  young people and adults of various ages have digital competencies that make education more accessible and allow them to compete better in the labour market.

In conclusion, the four pillars apply in both general education as well as in and adult education – an academically demanding curriculum that considers the holistic development of the learner, a professional teacher who is given the freedom to make appropriate decisions in their work, funding that considers the needs of the learner, and thoughtful strategic planning and management supported by data.

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This article is part of the theme 'Policy and Practice 2024'.

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