Adult Education and Lifelong Learning in Estonia

Estonian Government adopted on 3rd November 2005 Estonian Strategy of Lifelong Learning 2005-2008. Despite the name of the strategy it focuses mainly on developments in adult education. Lifelong Learning Strategy is the first strategic document fixing state`s goals in adult education after the re-establishment of independence in 1991.

In Estonia the concept of adult learner is in generally not related to the age of the learner. According to our legislation adult learner is a learner whose premier or main activity is other than studying, i.e. he/she is working or taking care of children and studying at the same time.

Since November 1993, adult education is governed by the Adult Education Act which provides for adults individual lifelong development i.e. states the obligations of the government and local authorities as well as employers in coordination and implementation of adult education alongside with the funding of adult education from the state budget.  

According to the Adult Education Act, adult education is one of the following:

• formal education at upper secondary schools, vocational education institutions or higher education institutions;
• professional education and training;
• non-formal education (popular adult education).

The main objective of the Estonian Lifelong Learning Strategy is to improve adults’ opportunities and motivation for participating in formal, non-formal and informal learning in order to improve their knowledge and skills according to their own needs, the needs of the society and labour market.

The nine main objectives of the strategy are:

1. Creating opportunities for lifelong learning for all adults according to their abilities and needs
2. Transparent funding of adult education and training
3. Sufficient fluency of non-Estonian population of Estonian language for social and professional self-realisation; possibility to learn their mother tongue and be engaged in national cultural activities
4. Quality system for adult education and training
5. Information system including education and training opportunities and career services for adult learners
6. Professional qualifications system for employees in order to ensure lifelong learning and free movement of labour force
7. Implementation of the system of admission of prior learning and work experience (VÕTA) in all fields and levels of learning
8. Involvement of public, private and non-governmental institutions in the development of adult education and training system and policy
9. Reliable statistical data concerning adult education and training; regular surveys enabling to prepare forecasts for the development of the field

Adult education is in Estonia in generally not financed through the state budget – to participate in courses participant or employer has to pay for it. The development of a new financing scheme in adult education has started. The goal is to find a scheme, which supports in-service training and retraining of adults and motivates entrepreneurs to train their employees. This scheme should include three stake-holders – learners, employers and state. 

Different surveys that have been carried out in Estonia indicate two main reasons, why adults are not participating in training: wrong attitudes – people consider themselves either too old for learning or find no use of learning and lack of financial resources – learning is considered to be too expensive.