OECD on Estonian education: level high, system alist

Photo: linkedin.com

In Estonia two years ago, an OECD work group now reports that Estonian education system though okay is plagued by unsolved problems like ineffective schools network and state financing of private schools. 

The report based on meetings with almost two hundred people in various roles in Estonian educational system provides proposals for better use of educational resources. Estonian participation in the compiling of the report was voluntary.

-Learn from Belgium

The authors suggest that Estonia right its educational system by ceasing to provide state financing to private schools – like Slovakia is also presently doing. Rather, both might follow the example of Belgium.

Senior OECD analyst Paulo Santiago claims their conclusions have nothing to do with Estonian education ministry just having reached the same conclusion regarding private schools.

The analyst proceeded to bring Chile as a stark warning on inequality resulting from state financing for private schools while the latter were allowed to collect fees, earn a profit and select students. He said Chile is currently tweaking the system so as to not allow fees not select students.

Mr Santiago said learn from Belgium: «There, also, money moves along with the students but 60–70 percent of schools are private. The thing is, they are not allowed to ask for study fee nor select students. They must follow the exact same rules as ordinary schools,» said Mr Santiago, adding the parents are very happy and don’t often even make the difference whether a school is private or public.

-The two inequalities

The report says Estonia has two inequality problems: private schools can get more resources per pupil, and the schools mostly feature kids from favoured families.

While the state is trying to cut the schools network, at the other end it is allowing private schools with smaller classes to enter the system.

«We propose a stricter licensing system for the establishment of schools, to find out if a school is actually needed in an area. And if it is, the school will only get public money if the class size is at a certain level,» said the report.

Education minister Jürgen Ligi (Reform) said Estonia would surely not be following all of the advice as part of the proposals might be unconstitutional. As pointed out by chancellor of justice Ülle Madise, the ministry cannot limit creation of private schools.  

Also, Mr Ligi is unwilling to set a minimum for pupils in a class as this would infringe on local government judgement.

He promised, though, to motor ahead with cutting private schools financing citing issues of beneficence and hoping some at Riigikogu will «be ashamed» to contradict him.