Political Framework

Estonia is an independent and sovereign democratic republic wherein the supreme power of state is vested in the people. The activities of the Parliament, the President of the Republic, the Government of the Republic, and the courts are organised on the principle of separation and balance of powers. The official language of Estonia is Estonian.

Throughout their history, the people of Estonia have always valued learning and good education. Despite the uniformity of education systems during the Soviet period, the Estonian education system, as well as the other Baltic States, was able to preserve certain differences compared to the rest of the Union. For example much attention was paid to the preservation to the Estonian language and culture within the in the confines of a totalitarian state. The understanding is, that in this tiny country, which has limited natural resources, one of the main drivers of the development of society is through good education.

Since 1992, Estonia has made constant progress in the gradual establishment and improvement of the education system through the legislative powers of an independent state. The legal framework was built up concurrently with changes to the content of the curriculum, the structure of educational institutions and the organisation of education. The developments of the first decade following the restoration of independence have received considerable support through international cooperation: Estonia has joined the Bologna and Sorbonne conventions establishing a European Higher Education Area, joined the Lisbon Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education in the European Region and adopted the Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act, which ensure equal participation opportunities for studies and employment in Europe.

As of the end of the 90`s, the Estonian education system is characterised by the efforts of various education authorities and experts to improve curricula, make management of educational institutions more professional and effective and use means allocated for the education system more efficiently.

The current priorities in the development of the education system are related to ensuring the quality and availability of education at all levels. Introduction to the principles of lifelong learning among all people of Estonia is now seen as increasingly important in order to develop self-respect, citizen awareness and competitiveness on the global labour market.

So today, the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia is working continuously to shape the conditions for an education system that is ready for the demands of a modern, knowledge based society. Such a system provides a high quality education, is transparent and open for innovation, works on social inclusion and creates incentives for lifelong learning in order to support the development of all citizens and of the Estonian nation, especially within a unified Europe.