The Estonian education system Estonian students’ achievement in PISA

Overview of the Estonian experienceMeeting – Tartu, Estonia

6th November 2017

Imbi Henno, PhD

Chief expert of General Education Department of MoER, PISA 2006 National Coordinator

Estonia

Estonia, a small Eastern European country of 45 000 square km with a population of 1.3 million.

In 2014, its per capita GDP was around USD 28 140 compared to the OECD average of USD 39 333.

The rate of educational attainment at the secondary level is among the highest in the EU and OECD areas.

Estonia has one of the strongest education systems among all OECD countries, with above-average results in PISA and almost universal access to pre-primary education.

Institutions and numbers of students (2016/2017)

Level of education Age Number of institutions

Number of children / students

Preschool education 0 - 6 635 67,575General education 519 149,161- Basic education 7 - 16 351 122,939- Upper secondaryeducation (+adult ed gymn)

16 - 19 168+16 26,222

Vocational education 38 25,071Higher education 21 47,794

General education is divided to pre-school,

basic and

upper-secondary education.

Children who turn 7 years of age by 1 October of the current year are obliged to attend school.

Total number of students -149 161 in schoolyear2016/2017

Estonian formal education system

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Disadvantaged schools Advantaged schools

Number of years in pre-primary education among students attending socio-economically …

Source: OECD PISA database, A. Schleicher

Attendance at pre-primary educationby schools’ socio-economic profile

Table II.6.51

OECD average

Estonian education system is based on the comprehensive school principle and equity Basic school (grades 1-9) is a comprehensive school

Schools’ curricula are based on the national curriculum The first streaming takes place after grade 9 at the age of 16 (end

of the basic school) All students have equal access to education

Free textbooks Free or very low cost hot meal Hobby education (especially sports and creative activities) Free transport between home and a school Preventive work with children and youth at risk Free support services: speech therapy, social pedagogues,

psychological counselling and opportunity to get additional instruction

Needs-based financing of schools

Estonian initiatives and changes to improve the quality of the education

Estonia has launched significant initiatives to improve the quality of the education system. These include: the establishment of the Estonian Lifelong Learning

Strategy 2020; • The goal is reduce the proportion of early school leavers to 9%, 2015 actual – 11,2 %

Dropout rate in 2016- in primary and secondary level - 0,2%- in upper-secondary level - 1%- in vocational schools - 25%

adjustments to the mechanisms of school financing;the curricular reform in general education etc.

The Estonian Lifelong Learning Strategy 2020 (adopted 2014) sees learning as a lifestyle

Five strategic goals have been established:

A change in the approach to learning

Competent and motivated teachers and school leadership

The concordance of lifelong learning opportunities with the needs of the labour market

A digital focus in lifelong learning

Equal opportunities and increased participation in lifelong learning

For the implementation of these goals, the MoER hasdeveloped 9 programmes.

Activities and budget base on the programmes

The programmes of the Estonian Lifelong Learning Strategy 2020

The Programme of theGeneral Education

The Programme of the Vocational

Education

The Programme of theHigh Education

The Programme of the Adult Education

Teachers and School Leadership Programme

Study and CareerCouncelling Programme

School Network Programme

Labour Market and Education Cooperation

Programme

The Programme forDigital Focus

The programme of the entreprenerial and entrepreneurship education for general, vocational and

higher education institutions

The implementation of NationalCurriculum

The implementation of National Curriculum consists of two interconnected area.

These are:

the content and organization of science teaching and learning, as it is specified in Natiomnal Curriculum;

extracurricular activities, at schools and outside theschools such as field studies, science competitions, conferences, programs and projects, science clubs,hobby centres, etc.

Su

Estonian NationalCurricula

(NC)The first NC

was adopted

in 1996.

Subject fields (learning areas) and the syllabuses of the compulsory subjects in basic schoolsLanguage (Estonian or Russian) and literature

Foreign languages

Mathematics: mathematics

Natural science: science, biology, geography, physics, chemistry

Social subjects: personal, social and healtheducation, history, civics and citizenship education

Art subjects: music, art

Technology: employment studies, handicraft and home economics, technology studies

Physical education: physical education

Estonia in PISA (Program for International Student Assessment)

PISA survey- Estonian learners have a good level

Estonian results in 2015Science Reading Math

1 556 Singapur 535 Singapur 564 Singapur

2 538 Japan 527 Hongkong

(China)

548 Hongkong

(China)

3 534 Estonia 527 Canada 544 Macao (China)

4 532 Chinese Taipei 526 Finland 542 Chinese Taipei

5 531 Finland 521 Irland 532 Japan

6 529 Macao (China) 519 Estonia 531 B-S-J-G (China)

7 528 Canada 517 Korea 524 Korea

8 525 Viet Nam 516 Japan 521 Switzerland

9 523 Hongkong

(China)

513 Norway 520 Estonia

10 518 B-S-J-G (China) 509 New Zealand 516 Canada

SingaporeJapan

EstoniaChinese Tapei Finland Macao (China)

CanadaViet NamHong Kong (China)B-S-J-G (China) KoreaNew ZealandSlovenia

AustraliaUnited KingdomGermanyNetherlands

SwitzerlandIrelandBelgium DenmarkPolandPortugal NorwayUnited StatesAustriaFrance

SwedenCzech Rep.

Spain Latvia RussiaLuxembourg ItalyHungary LithuaniaCroatia IcelandIsraelMalta

Slovak Rep.

GreeceChile

Bulgaria

United Arab EmiratesUruguay

RomaniaMoldova Turkey

Trinidad and Tobago ThailandCosta Rica QatarColombia MexicoMontenegroJordan

Indonesia BrazilPeru

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Science performance and equity in PISA (2015)

Some countries

combine excellence

with equityHigh performance

High equity

Low performance

Low equityLow performance

High equity

High performance

Low equity

More equity

Source: OECD PISA database, A. Schleicher

Learning time and science performanceFigure II.6.23

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Hours Intended learning time at school (hours) Study time after school (hours) Score points in science per hour of total learning time

Source: OECD PISA database, A. Schleicher

Despite the relatively short academic year the use of teaching/learning time in Estonian school is effective

Estonian educational system is based on equality and the comprehensive school principle.

Students are not selected based on academic capabilities or results.

Schools must provide the best learning environment for everyone regardless of their family's home environment or income.

Significant amount of attention is paid on students with special educational needs.

Supporting of all children

The support systems for children with learning difficulties, social problems and for children/students with special educational needs (inc.gifted students, talented athletes)

Social support (free textbooks and lunches, etc.)

Free supplementary pedagogical guidance outside the classroom (special teachers, social pedagogues, psychologists, etc.)

Flexible learning possibilities

Supporting of all children

Guidance and counselling centres

2 types of centres in 2008-2013

pedagogical-psychological counselling centres

career guidance centres

Pathfinder Centres 2014 - 2016 Provide integrated services: career

information, career counselling, psychological, socio-pedagogical, special education counselling and speech therapy.

Source: OECD PISA database, A. Schleicher

Source: OECD PISA database, A. Schleicher

Are Estonian students happy?

Source: OECD PISA database, A. Schleicher

On average across OECD countries, advantaged schools offer science clubs and competitions more often than

disadvantaged schools do

These differences were not observed in Estonia. The low-performing students in Estonia have same opportunities to acquire scientific competencies, such as by participating in science-related extracurricular activities, than top-performing students.

There was not differences of science-specific resources between socio-economically disadvantaged and advantaged, urban and rural, publicand private schools in Estonia.

Differences in educational resourcesbetween advantaged and disadvantaged schools

Figure I.6.14

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Index of shortage of educational material Index of shortage of educational staff

Disadvantaged schools have more

resources than advantaged schools

Disadvantaged schools have fewer

resources than advantaged schools

Source: OECD PISA database, A. Schleicher

The low-performing students in Estonia have same opportunities to acquire

scientific competencies, such as by participating in science-related

extracurricular activities, than top-performing students.

There was not differences of science-specific resources between socio-

economically disadvantaged and advantaged, urban and rural, public and

private schools in Estonia.

The state and local governments provide support to schools and teachers in organizing extracurricular activities.

The financing of the extracurricular activities, such as field studies, science competitions, conferences, programs and projects, hobby centres, are covered by state budget etc.

The most of the Hobby Schools (HS) are in the jurisdiction of Ministry of Culture. HS activities attach children to their own everyday life, and their interests and motivation in study increase in general.

The state provides support to hobbyeducation

Investments in nature and environmentaleducation centres

Total number of students in Estonia – 149 000 in schoolyear2016/2017. We have 130 nature or EE centres in Estonia.

Last EU Structural Funds period were invested in infrastructure 22,3 million and in nature education 3,2 million EUR.

http://www.keskkonnaharidus.ee/en/

Some examples

Environmental Education Centre of Pärnu Countyhttps://www.visitestonia.com/en/pernova-education-centre

Tartu Environmental Education Centrehttp://www.tartuloodusmaja.ee/EN/

Estonian Museum of Natural History http://www.loodusmuuseum.ee/en

The Environmental Education Centre of Tallinn Zoo http://tallinnzoo.ee/en/education/

AHHAA Science Centre

Source: http://www.teleskoop.ee/wp-

content/uploads/2015/04/IMG_5963-539x359.jpg

Source: http://tallinnzoo.ee/wp-

content/uploads/2014/09/DJI02616-loodusoppekeskus-1.jpg

Estonia is one of the most advanced e-societies in the world. WiFi covers all country.

Estonia has become became E-stonia with the help of a government-backed technology investment body (called the Tiger Leap Programme). All Estonian schools were online by the late 1990s.

A digital focus in lifelong learning and school’s digitalinfrastructure is shaped in the collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.

Digital focusin lifelong learning

The reasons for the Estonian success

Education is valued in Estonia

Equal opportunities

Comprehensive school system - the compulsory education is free of charge

Only one National Core curriculum for all

At basic school level (grades 1-9) no differentation

Decentralized school system. Schools and teachers have a wide autonomy

The professional teacher.Academically qualified teachers at all levels of education.

Across OECD countries.Have a great autonomy. Since the school system is effective, there is no need for

private teachers /induvidual teaching after schoolday

Estonian teachers

Topics where we have not achieved the goals and do not have the hope of achieving by 2020

The share of early leavers from education and training is 2% higher than we expected – 11%.

The attractiveness of the teaching profession have not improved.

The distribution of basic school graduates between vocational and general education has shown little change in the past 10 years.

Differences in proficiency among students of the Estonian and Russian medium school.

Conclusions

Education is a priority both for the state and local level.

The common goals and a good collaboration betweendifferent ministries.

The schools have greater autonomy over what is taughtand how students are assessed.

Thank for attention