Why Estonia has Europe’s best education
If it were not for making you so sad and/or angry, it would be almost comical that the way for a government to try to solve a problem is to just quote numbers and try to do better. It never occurs to any MPs or government ministers, that to solve something bad, you simply look to whichever country is getting things right, and do what they do? It’s a no-brainer.
Estonia has Europe’s best education system by far. So let’s look at what they do that England doesn’t. And by implementing a few changes, we could rank up there with the best education system too.
Estonia has a much lower population (less than 2 million people). But it has around 12 students per teacher (that’s half the average state school number in the UK). With many of the teachers being over 50, so perhaps dispensing a bit of life wisdom too!
In primary schools, the number is even lower, with around 11 students per class. Obviously it’s not possible to wave a magic wand to get down to that number. But by employing more teaching assistants, it would help to reduce the problems found in large schools.
One small school in England says that one advantage of small class numbers is that ‘bullying doesn’t even have a chance to get started’. If you were bullied at school (or likely knew someone who was), it’s a given that it was in a large classroom. A class of 10 or so pupils with a teacher supervising means it just won’t happen.
Read more on how to prevent bullying in schools (and offices).
Peer pressure and commercialism is also less likely. In a small classroom, you won’t have 29 children all wearing the same designer sneakers, and the child with parents on a low income being the ‘odd one out’.
This may not seem ‘educational’, but a child who feels ‘not in with the crowd’ is more likely to suffer educationally too, as he or she will be more stressed and isolated.
Outdoor forest education
Ironically (considering it’s one of the most forested and ‘outdoor’ countries’ in Europe where children often spend most time in nature), it also has one of the best broadband systems. It’s easy to take exams online for a student who lives somewhere rural, there is no issue.
Children age 3 to 7 attend pre-school, but they focus on social skills and holistic development, rather than times tables or making things with playdough. Think of things like forest schools and outdoor learning.
Free hot nutritious meals for everyone
All Estonian children receive healthy free hot school lunches for all incomes, to avoid stigma for children on low incomes.
Better nutrition means better learning. They don’t need ‘free breakfast clubs’ in Estonia, because all the children will get good snacks, meals and drinks when they turn up to school.
No educational snobbery
When they get older, children are not put into ‘higher and lower bands’. They get to choose whether to go down the academic route, or choose a vocational job. So if someone believes being a builder, plumber or gardener is preferable to studying history, it’s taken as just as important (which it is!) And given the same importance and funding by government.
Most first-time degree students also enjoy free tuition. So when they qualify, they don’t have to pay back the government. They can use their salary to buy a property and raise a family.
Plant-based catering
Humane Education teaching
Institute for Humane Education is a worldwide organisation, that runs courses to teach educators on how to teach children how to be compassionate to the world -to other humans, other creatures and to the planet. Founded by teacher Zoe Weil, although most courses are in North America, the site has many online courses that teachers and other educators can take like:
- Environmental Ethics
- Animal Protection
- Human Rights
- Art and Artists for Social Change
- Writing for Social Change
- Racial Justice
Others take these courses for different reasons. For instance, one woman who runs a large animal rescue non-profit in the USA, took a course so she can better educate givers, and increase donations.
Others who work with troubled youth take the course (say for people having issues with the law, or those suffering after-affects of abuse).
Graduates also take these courses, as part of their curriculum for doing a particular thesis.
And of course the courses would be good for councillors and politicians (who businesses) who wanted better to understand and communicate their good ethics to voters or customers.
The Graduate Program includes an introductory program along with three major themes:
- Environmental Ethics: This covers climate change, endangered species, pollution, habitat destruction and environmental racism.
- Animal Protection: This covers animal agriculture, vivisection, hunting/trapping, companion animals and animals used in entertainment.
- Human Rights: This covers modern slavery, child labour, human trafficking, racism, gender inequity, poverty, power and privilege.
There are also optional courses:
- Culture and Change: This covers consumerism, media, economics and politics.
- Creative Activism: This covers literature and art to advocate for human right, animal protection and environmental stewardship.
- Just Good Food: This covers contemporary food systems and individual food choices related to human, animal, environmental and social justice issues. Alongside issues of hunger, poverty, animal protection, climate change, health care, sustainability and corporate interests.
Global Certificate of Humane Education (UK)
Back in the UK, the Global Certificate of Humane Education includes teachings on conservation and animal welfare, non-violent communication and conflict resolution and trauma-informed care. The course (offered by London School of International Business) takes 2 months, and costs around £90.
It covers:
- Animal welfare
- Conflict resolution
- Emotional intelligence
- Humane education
- Non-violent communication
- Trauma-informed care and support
Dissection Alternatives
Although dissection is no longer much carried out in UK schools, it still happens at some a-level biology classes, universities and medical/vet schools. Whereas modern theory is that it’s not just unkind, but can bring diseases from zoonotic species, plus modern methods are better.
For instance, digital frog is not just kinder and more accurate, but it’s also cheaper as it can be used again and again, unlike a real frog.
Animal Welfare Institute has more information on the alternatives available, to stop the use of frogs, rats, cats, foetal pigs, fish and invertebrates being used in experiments. Which often are preserved in formaldehyde, a chemical linked to cancer.
In the USA, frogs have been taken from natural wetland habitats, and some cats are believed to be from residential communities or shelters, sold to biological companies.
Non-animal alternatives include digital apps that reproduce 3D models of breathing frogs (which have hearts simile to ours), where students and ‘peel back layers’ to view various systems of the body, using a finger or Apple pencil.
