On Monday 17 March, Valérie Glatigny, Minister of Education of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, travelled to Tallinn, Estonia, for a working visit focused on the good educational practices of a country that regularly ranks at the top of the international PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS rankings.
During this mission, the liberal minister met her Estonian counterpart, Kristina Kallas (Eesti 200, Estonian liberal reform party), as well as Henrik Salum, Director of Gustav Adolf Grammar School, an emblematic institution of the Estonian education system. She also held discussions with experts from the Department of Educational Sciences at the University of Tallinn, in the presence of Katrin Niglas, Vice-Rector of the university, and Sigrid Aruväli, Head of that department.
An innovative and high-performing education model
Estonia has built an innovative education system. It combines high pupil competencies with an equitable system, and stands out through:
- The acquisition of skills rather than knowledge, fostering pupil empowerment.
- Fewer lesson hours, but more personalised support.
- A school climate combining discipline and cooperation between teacher and pupil.
- The integration of digital tools from an early age.
- Thorough teacher training (at master's level) supplemented by internships, mentoring to support new teachers, and continuous professional development throughout their careers, ensuring quality teaching and support from the earliest career stages.
- School management based on data and precise indicators, to better identify institutions' strengths and areas for improvement.
- Greater autonomy granted to schools, allowing them to adapt their methods to achieve their educational goals.
These structural choices place pupils at the heart of learning while ensuring a demanding framework. Far from being fixed, this model relies on continuous adaptability (the reforms span some twenty years), where pedagogical innovation and results analysis allow schools to evolve according to pupils' needs and on-the-ground realities, particularly the needs of the labour market. It is this pragmatic and forward-looking approach that makes Estonia a benchmark for education in Europe and worldwide today.
A source of inspiration for the Wallonia-Brussels Federation
This mission allowed Valérie Glatigny to observe first-hand the success factors of the Estonian model and to enrich her thinking on the development of the education system in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. “Estonia has managed to build a high-performing education system by combining rigour, innovation and autonomy. These meetings and exchanges reinforce my belief that we must continue strengthening pupil empowerment, supporting our teachers' training, steering our system with clear indicators, and harnessing the pedagogical potential of digital tools. These elements will inform my thinking and actions to improve education in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation”, said the MR minister upon her return from Tallinn.
This visit reflects the Wallonia-Brussels Federation Government's commitment to exploring the best educational practices worldwide, in order to offer pupils increasingly effective teaching adapted to tomorrow's challenges.