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Kristina Kallas started her presentation with discussing the increasing role of AI in education, noting that AI is paradigmatically changing the way people learn. “Developing in a race against the artificial mind, in school a person needs to acquire not only knowledge and the skill to apply it, but also the ability to analyse, the ability to assess situations and facts, and the ability to be creative,” Kallas said.
The Minister also addressed the transition to Estonian-language education, underlining that language-based segregation of children has long been a cause of divisions and inequalities in society. Kallas acknowledged the progress made in the City of Narva in the transition to Estonian-language education. “For example, in comparison to 2023, the number of teachers who meet the required level of proficiency in the official language has increased by 20% in Narva. In 2023, just over half of the teachers in Narva, or 58.5%, met the Estonian language proficiency level requirements, while in 2024 the figure in Narva was 81.3%.”
In her presentation, the Minister also gave an overview of the reform of vocational education, which aims to make vocational education a competitive option for basic school graduates. “Unlike in other European countries, in Estonia only 25% of basic school graduates continue their studies at vocational schools. Today, 74.1% of adults have specialised and vocational education, and we have set a target of reaching 80% by 2035 in both the strategy “Estonia 2035” and the Education Sector Development Plan,” Kallas said.
The reform of vocational education focuses on modernising the curricula to make them more responsive to labour market needs and compatible with modern technologies and work processes. The reform will also focus on increasing the share of practical learning so that students gain more real-life experience and skills that are valued on the labour market. “We have also started with reshaping the vocational education network. In autumn 2026, two vocational colleges established on the basis of current state vocational educational institutions will start operating in Tallinn – Tallinn Vocational College of IT, Energy, Technology and Construction, and Tallinn Vocational College of Service and Business. In Rapla County, Rapla County Vocational College will start its activities with campuses in Kehtna and Vana-Vigala,” Kallas said.
The Minister highlighted the importance of adult learning, saying that the higher the level of education was, the better the skills and the economic well-being of people would be. Kallas pointed out that the participation rate of adults in lifelong learning has been growing strongly year by year.
According to the Minister, the strategic goal of the state is to increase the number of people with higher education. “To move towards this goal, we must retain the opportunity to study in Estonian without tuition fees at every level of higher education. Access to higher education will also be supported by the initiated amendments to the Higher Education Act and the Study Allowances and Study Loans Act, which will double the amount of study loan, extend the repayment period, lower the interest rate and remove the obligation to have sureties. We are committed to increasing the share of applied higher education in in the first level, increasing part-time master’s study opportunities and increasing the number of junior researcher places from today’s 300 to 500 by 2035.”
The Minister pointed out that both public and private sector investment in research and development had increased. “In the European Innovation Scoreboard, our goal was to grow into a strong innovator level economy, which we have now achieved. Estonia’s strengths are trademark applications, public-private co-publications and the share of population involved in lifelong learning. The percentage of foreign doctorate students, employment in innovative enterprises and international scientific co-publications have strongly increased,” Kallas said. The Minister also stressed that the Government and the Riigikogu had the task to adopt a new Organisation of Research and Development and Innovation Act, which would for the first time establish a single set of rules for research and development and innovation.
At the end of her presentation, the Minister thanked all the people active in education sector, pointing out that Estonia had a very good education system, teachers with world-class skills, and children with the most creative minds in the world.
Liina Kersna from the Reform Party Parliamentary Group, Anti Poolamets from the Estonian Conservative People’s Party Group, Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Centre Party Group, Anti Allas from the Social Democratic Party Group, Peeter Tali from Estonia 200 Parliamentary Group and Tõnis Lukas from Isamaa Parliamentary Group took the floor during the debate
A meeting to form the Healthy and Local School Meal Support Group on the initiative of Reili Rand will be held after the sitting.
Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)
Video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
Riigikogu Press Service
Maiki Vaikla
+372 631 6456, +372 5666 9508
maiki.vaikla@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: The Riigikogu heard the report on the developments in the education sector
Source: Parliament of Estonia