School Guide

Why Estonian Education is The Best in Europe?

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Apr 14, 2020

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a test held by OECD in middle- and higher-income countries worldwide. It assesses the scholastic expertise of 15-year olds in Maths, Science and reading. In the latest PISA held in around 80 countries, Estonian education turned out to be the best in Europe. It outperformed all major European nations including the UK and that too by spending 30% lesser on education than the OECD average. The rank of Estonia is 5^th and the average score received by the students are 525.3 against the UK, which ranked 12^th and received an average score of 503.7.

So, what makes the Estonian education system stand out? Here is a list of things that are done differently by the country and that is all that makes the difference in the lives of its students.

Be school ready with kindergarten

Almost all Estonian children attend kindergarten because parents believe that this will make them school ready. They start attending pre-school from as young as 3 years of age and by the time they start their formal education at 7 years, they are already prepared.

Teachers are allowed autonomy

The teachers can choose their own way of teaching a class as long as they stick to the curriculum. It has been seen that when the teachers are left to their own devices, they not only perform better but there is a better connection with students.

The students have a growth mindset

Most Estonian students display a growth mindset i.e. they want to improve on their capabilities for a better future. They are not scared of failure and wish to attain higher education. They are willing to put in the effort required to create a successful future for themselves.

Proper resource distribution for student development

The country expects every student to perform and provides all the necessary resources for that. Lunch, transport and books are free for all students, the schools are well equipped, and the teachers are paid well to attract good candidates. Another thing to note is that Estonia only hires teachers with a master’s degree.

Digitalised schools for all

Being one of the first countries to introduce ICT in their curriculum, it is no wonder that one of the most popular professions among students is ICT professional. The country aims to provide completely digitised teaching in all schools by the year 2020.

These here are things that every country can learn and incorporate into their own education systems. The strategy is not spending a lot on education but to spend on the right things, such as teachers and building infrastructure.