Estonia - Country Background Information
- Describing the forms of education in the country
- Identifying an ‘inclusive setting’ in the country
- What an ‘official decision of SEN’ means in the country
- What ‘out-of-education’ means in the country
The EASIE data collection covers all recognised forms of education at ISCED levels 02, 1, 2 and 3.
This means any type of education organised by or approved by any recognised educational provider in the public or private sector: municipality, local or regional educational provider from the public or private sector, working with/for ministries responsible for education and areas such as health, social, welfare, labour, justice, etc.
A child who has reached the age of seven before 1 October in the current year is required to attend school. They must attend school until basic education or they turn 17 years old.
What are the typical age ranges for the ISCED levels?
| ISCED LEVEL 02 | ISCED LEVEL 1 | ISCED LEVEL 2 | ISCED LEVEL 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-6 | 7-12 | 13-15 | 16-18 |
A private school is an agency of a public limited company or private limited company entered in the commercial register, or of a foundation or non-profit association entered into the non-profit associations and foundations register (Private Schools Act § 2).
Study at home means study organised outside the school premises. Study at home applies where the learner’s health does not allow them to participate in the school’s daily schedule, or a parent wishes to personally organise their child’s basic education.
The conditions of and procedure for study at home and in hospital are established by a regulation of the minister responsible for the field. Study at home for health reasons is organised by the school at the request of a parent and upon recommendation of an external advisory team (Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act).
In the EASIE data collection, an inclusive setting is operationally defined as:
A recognised form of education where the child/learner follows education in mainstream classes alongside their peers for the largest part – 80% or more – of the school week.
The 80% time placement benchmark clearly indicates that a child/learner is educated in a mainstream class for the majority of their school week. At the same time, it acknowledges possibilities for small group or one-to-one withdrawal for limited periods of time (i.e. 20% or one day a week).
Very few participating countries can provide exact data on children/learners spending 80% of their time in a mainstream group/class. However, all countries can apply one of three agreed proxies that provide an approximation to this benchmark:
- Placement in a mainstream class implies over 80% or more
- Data is available on the number of hours of support allocated to a child/learner
- Placement in a mainstream class implies over 50% or more.
In the EASIE data collection, the agreed operational definition is:
An official decision leads to a child/learner being recognised as eligible for additional educational support to meet their learning needs.
Countries may have different types of official decision, but for all official decisions:
- There has been some form of educational assessment procedure involving different people. This procedure may involve the child/learner, parents, school-based team members, as well as professionals from multi-disciplinary teams from outside the child’s/learner’s (pre-)school.
- There is some form of legal document (plan/programme, etc.) that describes the support the child/learner is eligible to receive, which is used as the basis for decision-making.
- There is some form of regular review process of the child/learner’s needs, progress and support.
A learner with special educational needs receives enhanced support or special support on the recommendation of an external advisory team.
Where it becomes evident that a learner needs support, a parent is notified and the school arranges a pedagogical-psychological evaluation. Where necessary, co-operation with specialists from other fields is pursued and additional surveys are recommended.
Where the general support provided by the school does not produce the desired results for the learner’s development, enhanced support or special support may be applied upon recommendation of an external advisory team. Upon making the recommendation, the external advisory team must involve education, social and health specialists.
Before making a recommendation, the specialists of the advisory team comprehensively assess how the learner is coping and their need for support in the education system and growth environment. The advisory team shall co-operate with a specialist engaged in the organisation of the learner’s or family’s case at the level of an educational institution or local government. The advisory team bases its recommendation on the results of previous pedagogical-psychological assessments and specialist examinations of the learner, as well as other relevant information about the learner. If necessary, the specialists of the advisory team recommend additional research or evaluations.
At least three specialists of different specialties from the team (a special education teacher, a speech therapist, a psychologist and a social pedagogue) participate in the issuance of a recommendation.
The external advisory team makes recommendations for the purpose of organising teaching and education and for the implementation of the support services. The recommendation of the external advisory team is entered in the education information system after the parental consent for the implementation of the recommendation has been granted. The local government of the learner’s place of residence is obliged to organise studies in accordance with the recommendation of the external advisory team.
The results of the evaluation, the teachers’ observations, recommendations made by the support specialists and external advisory team, the applied services and support, and assessment of their effectiveness are entered in the map of observation of the learner’s individual development. The head of school appoints a person who is responsible for filling in the map at school. At least once a year and where the time limit of application of the support prescribed by the external advisory team has expired, the co-ordinator of the studies of the learner with special educational needs assesses, in co-operation with the teachers and the support specialists, the impact of application of the recommended support and makes proposals for further steps.
Within the EASIE data collection, specific questions examine children/learners who are out of education. This means children/learners who should, by law, be in some form of recognised education, but who are out of any form of recognised education. A recognised form of education is any type of education organised by or approved by any recognised educational provider in the public or private sector.
Compulsory school attendance means the duty to participate in the studies laid down in the daily schedule of a school or in an individual curriculum, to do study exercises and to acquire knowledge and skills according to one’s abilities. The duty to attend school is not deemed as fulfilled where a person subject to the duty to attend school has not been enrolled in any school or is absent from studies without a good reason.
Information about learners who have been absent from studies without a good reason for more than 20% of lessons during one academic quarter is registered in the education information system.