No. 21

Download

Share

Print

Ideologies and Education Policy

16 June 2010

Studies

RiTo No. 21, 2010

What the education system of a state is like and how it is managed, depends on the ideology adopted in the society and the ability to make professional decisions.

This has faced our state with the inevitability to define ideology more precisely and implementation of the new working group for drawing up the education strategy of Estonia is a token of that. The authors make four proposals which in their opinion will have to be taken into account in drawing up long-term education policy and the strategy document ensuring stable development. First, education policy needs to be defined by a cross-party agreement on the level of professional and informed decisions. Second, it is necessary to follow the principle that the responsibility for the functioning and development of the education system lies with the state and responsibility can be taken at lower levels only if the resources necessary therefor have been allocated to them or if they already have the resources necessary therefor. Third, the Estonian state needs systematic education studies and a relevant institution for servicing at least the general and vocational education. Fourth, in order to protect the Estonian language, the content of the Estonian education and organisation of study, an education ecology should be engaged in which would preserve the fundamental values of the rational Estonian school culture and preclude accidental reforms that are unnecessary, although declared to be innovative for school.

Full article in Estonian

Feedback