Study visit to Estonia

HAKA will welcome education policy-makers and experts from across Europe to Estonia for a three-day LeadEx study visit, taking place in Tallinn from 9 to 11 March 2026.

The visit brings together 8 partner regions to explore topics like how Estonia approaches educational quality assurance, teacher professional development, and digital innovation. The programme combines policy discussions, peer-learning activities, and on-site visits to schools and national education institutions.

Programme Highlights

The study visit will open with an introductory session on the development of the Estonian education system led by HAKA. Participants will then engage in a panel-style discussion on their expectations and questions about Estonian education.

Furthermore, a presentation on the Regional Education Diagnosis Report will focus on shared challenges and opportunities for policy improvement across partner regions. The afternoon will conclude with a Steering Committee meeting chaired by the Region of Murcia.

The second day will centre on cooperation between schools, universities and ministries in supporting teachers’ professional development.

After the opening remarks, participants will hear:

• an overview of Estonia’s teacher professional development priorities from the Ministry of Education and Research;
• a presentation from Tallinn University on collaboration with schools;
• a series of country presentations from partner regions, including Denmark, Spain, Slovenia, Poland and Croatia.

Later on, parallel workshops hosted by Montenegro and Croatia will allow deeper discussion on specific themes, followed by round-table reflections on lessons learned and transferable practices.

On the final day, participants will split into two groups for visits to key Estonian education organisations.

One group will tour Saku Gymnasium, followed by sessions at HAKA and the Estonian Education and Youth Board (HARNO) focusing on digital education initiatives.

The second group will visit the Ministry of Education and Research and Tallinn School of Service (TEKO), before also travelling to HAKA for discussions on digital innovation.

These visits will provide first-hand insight into how education policy, quality evaluation, and school-level development work together in Estonia.

The study visit offers a valuable opportunity for HAKA and its European partners to exchange experience, test ideas in practice, and strengthen cooperation around improving education systems across regions.