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PISA test results are mostly positive for Estonia. Nevertheless, the smooth coating hides a few problems, which give reason to enhance our educational policies in the near future, argues Professor Mati Heidmets, head of the TU Centre of Excellence in Educational Innovation.

The PISA test and other international education comparisons show that Estonian teachers, and especially those in Russian-language schools, are followers of the knowledge transfer tradition. Modern constructivist teaching practices are seldom applied, and the focus is not on shaping the learning skills and strategies of pupils.

Instead of sense-making, reflection and critical views, learning by heart dominates. The Estonian school does not offer individualised learning models nor take into consideration the pupils’ differences in capabilities and learning styles.

This sets us at an average position with not many peaks – we have adequate knowledge, but no skills or courage to use them creatively and intelligently.

Efforts should be made to apply a new constructivist and collaborative approach to teaching in Estonian schools. Below is a list of actions that would help the cause:

• Supporting the multiplicity of study forms – research, creative and ludic studies, project studies, adventure, group and outdoor studies, reverse classrooms. Thematic study sessions instead of 45-minute lessons, including monitoring and collecting theme-related world experience and spreading best practices from Estonia. The aim is to develop the social skills and personal traits of the pupils along with specific skills; make them deliberate, decide and be responsible for their studies. These skills are especially important for young boys.
• Developing a system of continued study for teachers and schoolmasters to rely the practical skills focusing on the changing approach to teaching and learning. The recent reforms in teacher education has not been effective, schools should be returned the tools for continued study and focus them on changing the approach to teaching and learning.
• Creating, testing and applying novel assessment tools to match the new approach to teaching and learning. The tools should be created with the principle that success can be measured in various ways. The aim is to make every pupil feel valued and for every Estonian school to become a distinct (elite) school. Pupils must have more right to speak. Taking pupils’ and students’ opinion into consideration should be a key factor in assessing the work of the teacher/lecturer.
• For faster advancers – simple and trustworthy tools for the teacher to assess the development potential and differences between students, didactic tools for teaching groups with varied development potential.
• So-called greenhouses to fully develop the top students, in collaboration with universities.
• Comparative approach to various school models from around the world, analysing the Estonian school culture next to them; assessing how the current school models supports belonging, teamwork capabilities, and the ‘us’ feeling between teachers and students.

Some additional concerns:

• E-Tiger: Our view of us as a tech society is no longer adequate, we are losing ground to other countries. Despite our youth using computers daily and having done the PISA test online, the problem solving skills of our fresh graduates are in the bottom half of all countries that participated. This refers to the possibility that our educational system does not emphasise creativity and using mixed skills in novel situation. A digital revolution adhering to the challenges of the 21^st century would help Estonia return to the top of the e-world.
• Comparing to other OECD countries, Estonia stands out with a particularly weak position of teachers in the society. The cleavage between teachers and the graduates in other fields is one of the largest. Estonia and Russia have the worst salaries for teachers in comparison to the average in the country. This brings along many problems – the salary is not tempting, there is no competition for the study programmes of teacher education, the teachers as a group fall behind others in education, which leads to their own insecurity and discontent.
• Even though Estonians possess world class knowledge, we lose out on initiative, creativity and innovativeness. The problem of Estonia is not in knowledge, but skills, and the readiness and motivation to use them. Our educational system produces knowledge, but hardly any personal qualities. We have many smart geeks, but the labour market of the 21^st century expects expert thinking and complicated communication, not routine cognitive or manual labour. It expects leadership and creativity, initiative and teamwork, the courage to take risks and be inventive. The effort should go both ways. First – we should introduce more contemporary practical skills to the teaching process and second – more social and personal skills. The latter seem to be the weak spot of Estonia.

The Estonian school does not need a revolution – it needs a peaceful and steady renewal, which could be characterised by a mote flexible and collaborative learning process, a more distinguished position of the teacher, an all-encompassing digital revolution and a better friendship between the school and real life.