This note provides an overview of Estonia’s digital education ecosystem, including the digital tools for system and institutional management and digital resources for teaching and learning that are publicly provided to schools and educational stakeholders. The note outlines how public responsibilities for the governance of digital education are divided and examines how Estonia supports the equitable and effective access to and use of digital technology and data in education. This includes through practices and policies on procurement, interoperability, data privacy and regulation, and digital competencies. Finally, the note discusses how Estonia engages in any initiatives, including with the EdTech sector, to drive innovation and research and development towards an effective digital ecosystem.
Country Digital Education Ecosystems and Governance
8. Estonia
Abstract
Key features
Education governance in Estonia involves shared responsibilities between the central Ministry of Education and Research and municipal governments. The national curriculum and teacher standards are set by the central government, while municipalities play a key role in implementing these at the local level. The translation of national guidelines into local practices is a municipal responsibility.
Estonia's approach to providing digital education infrastructure involves a clear division between system and school management tools. System management tools, including the national education database (EHIS), are centrally managed, while learning management systems at the school level are developed by private companies and procured publicly by municipalities. The procurement entity depends on whether a school is state-run or municipally operated. Additionally, the ministry provides various digital tools for administrative purposes, including career guidance platforms, online examination systems, and student admission systems. Adding to this comprehensive digital ecosystem, the government encourages open competition for educational resources while publicly providing its own, notably though a comprehensive online learning portal.
Estonia's Education Strategy 2021−2035 aligns with a broader, cross-sector national development plan, Estonia 2035. Prioritising digital inclusion and literacy, the strategy emphasises the integration of digital skills across all education levels.
Beyond the EU GDPR, a set of rules govern the use of digital tools within schools, safeguarding the data of education stakeholders, and enhancing interoperability across the digital education landscape. In addition, the central government takes steps to inform and engage students and parents, involving them in consultations regarding the implementation of digital technologies in educational settings.
General policy context
In Estonia, the public governance of the education system is a shared responsibility between the central and municipal governments. The Ministry of Education and Research (Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium) develops and sets the national curriculum, defines teacher professional standards, and supervises schools' adherence to the curriculum and standards. Municipalities take on the task of translating national guidelines into local educational practices, as well as ensuring the effective delivery of education.
Division of responsibility
Public responsibilities for offering schools with access to components of the digital education infrastructure follow this context. System-level tools, such as the national education database, are managed centrally. Conversely, school-level tools, like learning management systems, are developed by private companies and procured publicly, with either the ministry or municipalities serving as the procurement entity, depending on whether a school is state-run or municipally operated. Concerning digital teaching and learning resources, their procurement practices is mainly done by the schools’ governing body (central government or municipalities). However, schools retain autonomy in selecting inexpensive digital tools and resources that best suit their needs.
The central government plays a pivotal role in facilitating and regulating the utilisation of digital education infrastructure. The government establishes regulations governing the access to and the use of data and digital technologies within education. In addition, the Ministry of Education and Research extends comprehensive guidelines to aid schools in making informed decisions regarding their digital infrastructure procurement.
Digital education strategy
In 2021, the Estonian government unveiled the Education Strategy 2021−2035, aligning its overarching objectives with Estonia 2035, the nation’s 15-year development plan.1 This education strategy places a significant emphasis on several key aspects, notably digital inclusion, the cultivation of digital literacy and skills among all education stakeholders, and the augmentation of education’s accessibility, diversity, and efficiency through digital tools. It also prioritises the enhancement of teaching methods, particularly emphasising the adoption of digital pedagogy, and promotes innovation driven by digital technologies in education. Concurrently, during the same year, the government adopted the Digital Agenda 2030, outlining the country’s vision and action plans for harnessing digital technologies to drive future development.2 In education, this agenda underscores the integration of digital skills as a natural component of curriculum across all educational levels.
Estonia embarked on its journey of digitalisation with the launch of the Tiger Leap (Tiigrihüpe) programme in 1996, with the primary aim of establishing a modern IT infrastructure nationwide.3 Since 2015, an EU-funded modernisation initiative has further advanced the infrastructure of schools, providing essential hardware such as fibre-optic networks, routers, and Wi-Fi access points.4 At present, all Estonian schools benefit from high-speed Internet connectivity, with approximately 75% connected via fibre-optic networks. Connection speeds for individual schools are determined locally, yet all fibre-optic connections guarantee a minimum speed of 1 Gbit/s.
In the forthcoming years, the Ministry of Education and Research is committed to sustaining investments in hardware infrastructure. This includes the efforts to enhance Internet speed and access across educational institutions at all levels. In addition, upper secondary and vocational education and training (VET) institutions may receive additional digital teaching tools to further bolster the adoption of digital education methods. They need to apply for the tools, and demonstrate that those tools align with the objectives set out in the national curriculum and help foster students’ digital skill development. Yet, rather than prescribing changes in digital education policy and expenditure, the government will continuously monitor data flows and Internet traffic dynamics to assess the adequacy of existing investments and predict future infrastructure needs.
The public digital education infrastructure
This section reviews two aspects of the public digital infrastructure in Estonia: digital tools for system and school management, and digital resources for teaching and learning.
Digital ecosystem for system and school management
Central education database and learning management systems
Based on the Estonian Education Information System Act and its accompanying statutes (Eesti Hariduse Infosüsteemi asutamine ning põhimäärus), the Ministry of Education and Research owns and operates EHIS (Eesti Hariduse Infosüsteem), a central web-based educational database.5 This database serves various purposes, including the calculation of national education statistics, informing decisions related to school financing, guiding educational policymaking.6
For those purposes, EHIS houses a diverse array of data, encompassing student grades and performance metrics, standardised test results (for secondary and VET levels), teacher-given grades (for secondary level), and indicators of special educational needs and disabilities, among other points. Within EHIS, each student (and teacher) is tagged with a unique and longitudinal identifier, and their data can be processed using EHIS’s non-AI algorithms, which assist in determining eligibility for certain student benefits. The collected data is aggregated and presented through a public dashboard called HaridusSilm, which offers insights into the government’s educational strategy goals, but also tracks progress towards achieving those objectives.7 In addition, a dashboard for HaridusSilm is currently under development, set to integrate data from various databases, enabling data-driven self-analysis for school management and administration.
To facilitate the collection and transfer of data to EHIS, all educational institutions (both public and private), from primary and secondary schools to VET institutions, universities and adult learning centres, are mandated to input and regularly update information about students, teachers and school-related details. School principals are required to appoint at least two employees responsible for overseeing EHIS data entry, a role often assumed by the school secretary (OECD, 2020).
The bulk of the data within EHIS is sourced directly from educational institutions, while certain data, such as students’ place of residence or certificates, is obtained through data exchanges with external databases like the Population Register (Rahvastikuregister) and the occupational qualification register (Kutseregister). These exchanges are facilitated through X-tee, a centrally managed data exchange layer that bridges disparate information systems and provide interoperability across all government systems (for more details, see the section Governance of data and digital technologies in education).8 As of 2023, schools can choose to transfer data to EHIS automatically via a learning management system (such as eKool), manually through the EHIS user interface, or by generating Excel sheets containing school data and uploading XML files to EHIS. However, in the forthcoming version of EHIS, which will include student information system functionalities, all data exchange will be mandated to occur automatically through learning management systems.
At the institutional level, two learning management systems, namely Stuudium (meaning Studio) and eKool (meaning e-School), are the most used across the country. Approximately 95% of schools in Estonia use one of these two systems, available on an opt-in basis.9 While privately developed, they are procured publicly either by the ministry or municipalities, depending on the school administering entity. Private schools also employ one of these systems, but they procure independently.
Although each system may offer unique features, both Stuudium and eKool are designed to assist schools and teachers in classroom management. They provide analytical dashboards, enable teachers to assign homework and monitor student academic progress, offer learning materials and exercises, and facilitate communication between teachers, students, and parents. Crucially, these systems are interoperable with EHIS, ensuring that data stored within them is transmitted to EHIS, typically on a daily basis. However, while eKool supports automatic data transmission, Stuudium is not yet integrated with X-tee. This necessitates manual data entry, namely, generating Excel sheets for upload to EHIS.
Administrative management and other support systems
The central government offers a range of additional applications that schools can choose to use for various administrative purposes. One such application is Tahvel, a career and study guidance platform designed for students at VET institutions and universities of applied sciences.10 In addition, the government provides an online examination system and a central student admission system. The online examination system, known as EIS (Eksamite Infosüsteem), allows students in grades four (10‑11 years old) and seven (14‑15 years old) to take national-level assessments online, and encompasses features such as an e-assessment database, digital exam certificates, and the provision of statistics on national exam results.11 The student admission system, known as SAIS (SisseAstumise InfoSüsteem), facilitates student applications to certain gymnasiums (upper secondary schools), VET schools, and universities.12 It can also retrieve applicant data from other databases and registers, including EHIS, EIS, and the Population Register (with the applicant’s consent). This eliminates the need for students to provide physical certificates and documents. Historically, EIS and SAIS were managed by two non-profit organisations, although since 2020 they are consolidated and managed within the ministry.
Some municipalities also maintain their own educational service management systems tailored for regional students. For instance, in Tartu, the Arno system offers information about schools and kindergartens, including curriculum details. Arno is used by Tartu municipality’s departments of education, culture, and finance, as well as by recreational schools, school caterers, and public transport in Tartu. It is also interoperable with EHIS.
Digital ecosystem for teaching and learning
The Ministry of Education and Research offers a range of digital resources tailored for teaching and learning, allowing schools and teachers the flexibility to choose the resources that align with their needs. Many of these resources are openly accessible to the education community. For instance, the ministry provides HTM Moodle, a localised version of Moodle, to schools and universities across Estonia at no cost.13 This platform serves as a valuable tool for many schools for managing learning content and facilitating information exchange. The ministry also runs E-Schoolbag (E-koolikott), an online portal designed for finding, creating, and sharing digital learning resources, such as static and interactive resources (e.g. texts, games, and assessments) suitable for students at all educational levels.14 While some resources within E-Schoolbag are collaboratively developed and shared by teachers, others are procured from a variety of sources, including publishers and universities.
Furthermore, the ministry’s agency, Harno, manages two public YouTube channels, featuring webinars and lessons pertaining to teaching methods and the pedagogical use of various digital tools.15 These channels serve as resources for teachers seeking professional development opportunities. Additionally, some municipalities operate their own social media channels dedicated to education-related matters. For instance, in Tartu, a Facebook page managed by the school leaders’ association is regularly updated with information about educational events from the municipality’s education department.
Certain digital teaching and learning resources are accessible exclusively to those who are enrolled in formal education. Examples include the aforementioned EIS that houses an e-assessment database, and Juhan, an online platform geared towards teacher development. Juhan enables teachers to search for courses of interest, which are offered by various organisations, including Harno, colleges, and universities.16 In addition, while (digital) textbooks and associated exercise sets are developed by private vendors, they must undergo evaluation by teachers, lecturers, or other experts, and adhere to criteria outlined in the pertinent regulation.17 Many of these resources are available on Opiq, a cloud-based learning environment that provides digital textbooks and relevant assessment tools, as well as TaskuTark, an e-learning platform offering courses and online assessments across various curriculum subjects.18
In general, the Estonian government champions open competition for educational resources, anticipating that it will produce diverse, high-quality materials that cater to teachers’ (and students’) needs. However, due to the niche market for students on a simplified curriculum, such as those with special educational needs and disabilities, the government takes the lead in developing materials in that case: most resources for these students are government-developed.19
Enabling the use of digital tools and resources
While providing a public digital education infrastructure or funding for the utilisation of digital resources is essential, it does not guarantee their adoption by schools and teachers. Therefore, to ensure effective use of these tools and resources, various rules and guidelines are established to facilitate access to, and promote the use of, digital technologies in education.
Ensuring access and supporting use
Equity of access
In Estonia, comprehensive system-level policies are in place to promote digital equity in education. The public provisioning and procurement of various digital tools for system and school management aim to ensure that students, teachers, and educational institutions have sustained and equitable access to the digital education ecosystem across all levels of education. Some of these tools, such as EHIS, are mandated for use, incentivising every school to possess a foundational digital system for student management and data reporting to the government. In addition, both central and municipal governments bear the responsibility that the schools they oversee have the requisite resources and opportunities to meet the demands of the national curriculum.
Further, specific rules and guidelines exist to ensure equitable access to and use of digital technologies in education. Schools are obligated to offer an appropriate digital environment for the digital assessments conducted in different grades (e.g. general competence test, baseline test, or diagnostic test), and ensure that students possess the necessary competence to participate in these assessments. Schools retain autonomy in how they implement these requirements, though.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, a concerted effort was made to enhance teachers' proficiency in using digital learning resources and platforms through additional in-service training. Schools and local municipalities also supplied students with digital devices when necessary. In cases where schools could not meet the demand, the ministry, in collaboration with the Estonian Union for Child Welfare, acquired over 1 200 computers, distributing them to 244 schools nationwide.20
Apart from these initiatives, the Estonian government’s education strategies do not target a particular group, and the Ministry of Education and Research does not proactively inspect or oversee how schools internally manage and allocate their operating budgets for digital infrastructure. Therefore, uneven access to digital learning platforms and resources within schools may persist. However, given that a significant proportion of digital tools and resources are openly available (or publicly procured when privately developed materials are insufficient), the disparities in access and resources across schools likely remain minimal.
Supporting the use of digital tools
The Ministry of Education and Research actively promotes the adoption of publicly provided open educational resources digital tools through several strategic avenues. Apart from allocating an operating budget that schools can use for the acquisition of digital tools, the ministry extends support by offering guidance on system-level tools, such as EHIS. In cases where additional clarification is needed, the ministry also conducts outreach to schools, providing in-depth explanations and addressing any queries. It also coordinates professional development opportunities for teachers, including training on the effective use of learning management systems. These training sessions are typically organised in collaboration with teaching centres operated by universities and other educational organisations. Additionally, at the regional level, some municipalities occasionally allocate funding earmarked specifically for teaching and learning tools, encompassing both digital and non-digital materials. For instance, the municipality of Tartu procures a variety of digital devices, like computers, laptops, tablets, and interactive whiteboards, in large quantities, and then rent them out to schools. However, the ownership of these devices remains with the leasing company.
Regarding digital teaching and learning resources, schools and teachers in Estonia exercise a high degree of autonomy in selecting, using, and procuring these resources. Upholding the autonomy of schools, the ministry does not mandate the use of any digital resources, and its role primarily revolves around offering guidance and facilitating professional development opportunities to assist schools in navigating this process. Yet, a post-pandemic study by the ministry indicates that students and teachers still grapple with limited digital learning resources, skills, and equipment availability. As a result, the ministry believes that schools need further encouragement to embrace digital tools, with a view to strengthening evidence-based teaching and learning.
Cultivating the digital competence of education stakeholders
Digital competence is one of the eight key competences emphasised in Estonian schools. Cultivating students’ digital competence thus stands as a core objective within the national curriculum. To facilitate this, the ministry’s agency, Harno, has developed a comprehensive digital competence framework tailored to Estonian students. This framework is adapted from the European Commission’s DigComp 2.1, and encompasses a wide spectrum of digital skills and proficiencies, spanning from information and data literacy to digital content creation and problem-solving abilities. Integrated into the national curriculum, this framework is further complemented by various supporting tools, such as a publicly accessible set of student assessment criteria for each key educational stage, and a low-stakes digital competence test conducted on a sample of students via EIS, the online examination system.21 There exists also a digital glossary which is designed to standardise the language used by teachers and students when discussing digital competences.22
In parallel, fostering the digital competences of teachers is another pivotal component of the Estonian education landscape.23 Harno has therefore crafted dedicated digital competence frameworks for Estonian teachers as well, drawing on the European Commission’s Digital Competence Framework for Educators (DigCompEdu, 2019).24 As with students, this teacher-oriented framework is accompanied by tools intended to facilitate its implementation, such as an online self-assessment questionnaire that teachers can use to assess their own digital competences and identify areas for further development. The aforesaid digital glossary is affiliated with both student and teacher frameworks, thereby fostering a common language for discussions around digital teaching and learning. Further, Harno extends a range of training opportunities to bolster teachers’ digital competences. These include the Digital Key programme that supports subject teachers in gaining a deeper understanding of how digital technologies can enhance teaching and student learning in their specific subjects. The Digital ABC initiative is another example, which offers peer teacher training, enabling participants to support each other’s professional growth.25
Public initiatives at the local government level may supplement these efforts. In the municipality of Tartu, for instance, professional learning communities on the effective use of digital systems, such as learning management systems, have been established.
Governance of data and digital technologies in education
Effective support for the integration of digital technologies in education, as well as the management of the resulting data, hinges on the recognition by stakeholders that such adoption is not detrimental to their interests. Consequently, there exists a set of rules governing their use within schools, safeguarding the data of education stakeholders, and enhancing interoperability across the digital education landscape. In addition, the central government takes steps to inform and engage students and parents, involving them in consultations regarding the implementation of digital technologies in educational settings. However, there are currently no specific policy initiatives in place to regulate the use of automated decision-making, AI-powered algorithms, or digital proctoring in education. As of 2023 their application remained limited.
Protecting data and privacy of education stakeholders
In education, as in other sectors in Estonia, data and privacy protection falls under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR), which has been incorporated into domestic law through the Personal Data Protection Act of 2018.26 There are no specific regulations addressing the protection of data and privacy for students, teachers, or school staff. However, data and privacy for teachers and staff may be further discussed and protected through agreements with their respective employers, meaning that additional data protection and privacy rules may be included in teacher’s employment contacts.
The Ministry of Education and Research also issues guidelines about data protection and privacy, including those related to data protection officers, data security, and the implementation of GDPR requirements.27 Further, municipalities have the discretion to introduce their own rules, provided these rules do not contradict those established at the central government and European Union levels. For example, the municipality of Tartu has instituted data protection statutes concerning Arno, the municipal educational service management system, emphasising that all data and privacy measures are grounded in the GDPR and the Personal Data Protection Act.28
Regarding access to education data (including information within EHIS, the national education database), the Personal Data Protection Act of 2018 governs equitable access and data use in Estonia. The act stipulates that, in accordance with the EU GDPR provisions, education and personal data may be shared without the consent of the data subjects. This sharing is permissible when requested by third parties conducting scientific and historical research, official educational statistics, or when the request serves the public interest.
To streamline data portability across systems while safeguarding the protection of data and the privacy of education stakeholders, Estonia widely employs X-tee.29 As stated above, this is a centrally managed data exchange layer, originally developed by the Information System Authority (Riigi Infosüsteemi Amet). X-tee facilitates secure and standardised data exchange among diverse IT systems, encompassing government databases and private sector systems. To enhance its adaptability and foster data and technology interoperability, the sources of X-tee have been made openly available, rendering it an open-source software solution.
Supporting innovation, research and development (R&D) in digital education
The Ministry of Education and Research has not publicly outlined specific research priorities within the field of digital education, nor has it established a dedicated research funding programme or public agency exclusively focused on digital education research.30 Nevertheless, it actively supports digital education innovation through various means.
One notable way of support is the availability of well-documented education data stored within EHIS, which can be accessed and used by the broader research community, as previously mentioned. In parallel, comprehensive information about researchers, ongoing projects, qualifications, and publications can be found on the Estonian Research Portal (Eesti Teadusinfosüsteem), a platform co-operated by the Ministry of Education and Research and the Estonian Research Council. Over the past five years, the ministry has commissioned academic research to investigate the impact of digital technologies on student learning outcomes. Examples of such research include projects about the use of digital technologies to enhance teaching, student engagement, and assessment, as well as strategies for supporting students with special educational needs.31 The University of Tartu, among other institutions, is a key partner working on research projects funded by the ministry.32 Tallinn University is also involved in EdTech research, and was focusing on a project related to introducing flexible learning pathways for students as of 2023.33
Further, utilising funds from the European Commission’s European Social Fund, from 2014 to 2023 the Ministry of Education and Research invited schools and companies to create digital educational materials, ensuring their accessibility to users. To this end, financial incentives were offered to organisations, individuals, and teachers to foster the creation of educational software and digital learning resources. This initiative concluded in 2023.
One of the driving forces behind digital innovation in Estonian education is the dynamic ecosystem of public-private partnerships that involve government entities, schools, and EdTech companies. While the Ministry of Education and Research does not directly invest in EdTech companies or offer tax incentives, it collaborates with organisations like EdTech Estonia to nurture the growth of the country’s EdTech business environment, and subsidises research and development efforts of EdTech companies.34 EdTech Estonia is a strategic partner to the ministry, and as such receives financial support. To foster the EdTech community, the ministry also provides resources encompassing monetary incentives, such as funding for EdTech hackathons, as well as non-monetary support, including mentoring programmes and opportunities for the companies to collaborate with schools and university researchers. Furthermore, some local governments have their own initiatives to support EdTech companies. For instance, the municipality of Tartu invested in M-klassijuhataja, a mobile app designed to facilitate communication between teachers, students, and parents via mobile devices.35
Notes
← 1. https://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/sites/default/files/ressources/estonia_education_strategy_2021-2023.pdf
https://www.hm.ee/sites/default/files/haridusvaldkonna_arengukava_2035_kinnittaud_vv_eng.pdf
https://valitsus.ee/en/estonia-2035-development-strategy/strategy/strategic-goals
← 3. The name of the programme is a reference to the economic boom of several Asian countries (e.g. Chinese Taipei, Korea, Singapore) in the late 20th century.
← 8. https://www.x-tee.ee/home. It was developed by Estonia’s Information System Authority. Until 2018, it was named X-Road in English. However, since 2018, X-Road is used to refer to the technology developed together by Estonia, Finland, and Iceland through MTÜ Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (https://x-road.global/). The Estonian X-tee is now called X-tee in English.
← 11. https://eis.ekk.edu.ee/eis/. From 2024, VET students will also be able to take assessments online via EIS. In addition, while students in grades four and seven can take the national-level assessments online, schools can also find diagnostic tests, evaluation of initial skills tests, etc. which are for open use. For instance, see: https://projektid.edu.ee/display/THO/Testid+ja+hindamine
← 12. https://www.sais.ee/. For the list of participating institutions, see: https://www.sais.ee/ContentPages
← 15. https://www.youtube.com/c/haridusjanoorteamet; https://www.youtube.com/c/HITSAvideokanal/. The latter channel was run by HITSA, and it is no longer updated following the incorporation of HITSA into Harno.
← 19. https://www.opiq.ee/Search/Kits?searchPhrase=&curriculumGroups=GeneralEducationSimplified&SelectedKitType=default&classcourse=&subject=&publishinghouse=&package=&language=&sortingorder=LanguageFirst
← 20. https://www.lastekaitseliit.ee/et/2021/03/lastekaitse-liit-korraldas-riigihanke-ning-ostis-haridus-ja-teadusministeeriumi-toetuse-eest-koolidele-1254-arvutit/
← 23. Occupational Qualification Standards for teachers: https://www.kutseregister.ee/ctrl/en/Standardid/vaata/10824210
← 24. For further details, see: https://www.educationestonia.org/innovation/digital-competence/; https://digipadevus.ee/.
The teachers’ digital competence framework has six dimensions: (a) professional development and engagement; (b) digital resources; (c) teaching and learning; (d) assessment; (e) empowering learners; (f) facilitating learners’ digital competence.
← 27. Guidelines on data protection officer: https://www.aki.ee/et/eraelu-kaitse/andmekaitsespetsialist;
Guidelines on data security: https://www.aki.ee/et/eraelu-kaitse/andmeturve
Implementation of the GDPR requirements: https://www.hm.ee/gdpri-rakendamisest-htmi-haldusalas
← 30. This includes Harno, which does also not independently conduct digital education research.
← 31. https://digiefekt.ut.ee/avaleht. An overview of all research projects carried out can be found at: https://www.hm.ee/et/tegevused/uuringud-ja-statistika-0
← 32. For instance, see the following links: https://www.etis.ee/Portal/Projects/Display/38d931dd-fb47-4929-8a33-bed792176521?lang=ENG#Publications; https://www.etis.ee/portal/publications/display/7d91e3cf-12e2-431b-9709-18ae4f26ec0c; https://www.etis.ee/portal/publications/display/0575c0a6-b2c8-4f89-ac4f-d1b540dae71c; https://www.etis.ee/portal/publications/display/20cfdae3-c77f-4d6f-9fd0-51a8c2c4bc96.