Tom Mueller: Three cheers for Estonia's education model

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Before achieving independence from the Soviet Union, the Baltic country Estonia languished under a communist education system. Redundant layers of centralized bureaucracy enforced stultifying uniformity in the classroom.

Bitten once, twice wise: Later, Estonia jettisoned central planning and the serfdom of conformity. In its place, the country embraced a holistic or humanist approach to education, via smaller schools overseen by local governance.

Its approach seems to be paying off, as PISA scores continue to rise, even after COVID-19. Perhaps we should start paying attention.

Estonian education lays its foundation in kindergartens. Emphasizing play and relaxation, many children master reading and writing before primary school. Such early development is pivotal to Estonia’s educational success.

Estonian schools mirror Alberta’s focus on autonomy and site-based management, but differ when imposing accountability. Basic Schools (Grades 1-9) offer a broader compulsory curriculum including language and literature, foreign languages, mathematics, natural science, social studies, art and music, technology and phys ed. It also includes four elective subjects: religious studies, informatics, career education and entrepreneurship.

Incidentally, by the end of Grade 9, Estonian students have generally achieved better proficiency in English and an additional second foreign language than New Brunswick immersion students manage to achieve in French.

Estonian schools emphasize holistic, humanistic education, reminiscent of John Dewey’s philosophies, with a reduced focus on traditional formal or standardized evaluations, but an increased emphasis on individual creativity.

After Basic School, students choose between general secondary education or vocational training, a nod to European education models. Even though teachers enjoy remarkable autonomy for curriculum delivery and evaluation, national exams at Grade 9 maintain standards. Students not passing can still progress with a teacher’s recommendation or a school-based exam.

Only a quarter of students pursue general upper secondary education, the path to university. A quarter of these eventually drop out and enter a vocational program. This selective progression mirrors successful European models, valuing diverse educational pathways, especially options for vocational education and apprenticeship programs.

Furthermore, the conclusion of general secondary education (gymnasium) in Estonia is marked by comprehensive exit exams. These serve as a critical gateway to university education. This practice underscores a commitment to maintaining high standards of quality control and accountability in Estonian schools, conspicuously absent here.

Emulating Estonia’s success would require New Brunswick to jettison its middle school model and reverse its current practice of merging smaller neighborhood schools. Estonia’s success also suggests that our off-the-rack high school graduation diploma requires revisiting. New Brunswick might consider a more personalized or skill-based approach to graduation requirements, including the option of exiting school before Grade 12.

Tom Mueller is a former biomedical researcher, retired teacher and columnist for Brunswick News.