Education and Science, Estonia, EU – Baltic States

Development of the study of natural sciences, exact sciences and engineering have also borne fruit as there has been an increase in interest towards those fields as well as an increase in the number of graduates, the Ministry of Education and Research told BNS. There has also been an increase in the doctoral graduates, but Estonia still has yet to reach the goal of 300 graduates per year.

Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps said that the high level of Estonian basic schools stands out the most internationally. "We will not tire of repeating that our youth are clearly at the top in the world. Similarly, the information processing skills of our graduates of general secondary education and higher education are also very strong. On the other hand it is clear that we must cut back on the amount of youth with a low level of education and critically assess what kind of choices are made by students after basic school," Reps said.

The fast increase in the wages of Estonian teachers is also noteworthy against the background of other countries. From 2012 to 2016 the average wage of general education schools increased nearly 50%. "Kindergarten teachers are doing as important work, which is why we must decrease the pay gap in preschool education as soon as possible as well as increase the average income. In order to do this we will support municipalities in the next few years with more than 60 million euros," the minister said.

The annual analysis highlights that the participation of youth in non-formal education, recreational activities and other youth work is increasing. Only 10% of youth do not participate in anything. "Recreational activities must be diverse and accessible in every corner of Estonia as in addition to education, children and youth regardless of their place of residence must be able to participate in activities they enjoy - be it being a member of a choir, attending a robotics class or a sports school," Reps said.

Along with the annual analysis, the ministry also published a more in-depth overview of the success of graduate on the labor market. The overview shows that studying pays off - acquiring a degree in higher education is directly linked with a higher income. Each subsequent level of education increases average income and the same happens with each year spend on the labor market. Graduation is also more beneficial than interrupting studies, as graduates compared to those who interrupted their studies earn, depending on the level of education, up to 50% higher income on all levels.