Estonia Extends Compulsory Education
Text Susanna Poikela Photo Andrei Chertkov
In December 2024, the Estonian Parliament approved a significant education reform that extends compulsory education to the age of 18, and revamps vocational education. The reform will be implemented in stages, starting with students who begin the 9th grade in the fall of 2025.
The goal of the reform is to ensure that all young people continue their studies after basic school, reduce dropout rates, and lay a foundation for further education and integration into working life. By 2035, the aim is for 90% of 20–24-year-olds to have at least an upper secondary education. Currently, the figure stands at 83%, and about 800 students leave basic school each year without continuing to further studies.
Every Basic School Graduate Is Guaranteed a Place in Further Education
After basic school, students will have five alternative educational paths: additional studies, general upper secondary school—gümnaasium, vocational upper secondary education, vocational education, and preparatory education, starting in autumn 2026, replacing career choice education. Students who do not meet the minimum assessment threshold for learning outcomes in basic education will receive additional support in acquiring skills and knowledge through preparatory education and/or the next level of education.
Vocational Upper Secondary Education to Become Equal to General Upper Secondary Education
The vocational education reform will make vocational upper secondary education an equal alternative to general upper secondary education. By 2035, at least 40% of basic school graduates are expected to continue in vocational upper secondary studies. The new four-year programmes will focus particularly on technology and the IT sector, better aligning with labour market needs. The first new curricula will be introduced in the 2025/26 academic year, and starting from 2026/27, all teaching will follow them.
The structure of the education network emphasises regionalisation: the goal is for children to attend grades 1–6 at their local school, grades 7–9 at a regional school, and for all four regions of Estonia to offer sufficient places both in general upper secondary and vocational education.
To learn more about this and similar topicscompulsory education Education education policy Estonian schools general secondary school upper secondary education
