Estonian vocational schools get half the per-student funding of academic schools
Vocational schools in Estonia receive roughly half as much funding per student as general secondary schools. School heads warn that without more investment they cannot update equipment or sustain teaching quality.
Vocational schools in Estonia (kutsekool), which take students after basic school, receive about half as much money per student as general upper secondary schools (gümnaasium). According to the public broadcaster ERR, the gap is preventing them from replacing ageing equipment with modern robots, drones and simulators needed to prepare students for work.
Aulika Riisenberg, an adviser at the Ministry of Education and Research's department of secondary and vocational education, said the sector accounts for about 5.5 percent of total education spending in Estonia, a share that has fallen over time.
School heads: situation nearing a critical point
Raini Jõks, director of Tartu Rakenduslik Kolledž (VOCO), said the college has cut classroom hours and increased independent study to stay within its teacher salary budget. He said quality remains good but is approaching a point where it is no longer sustainable. Jõks stressed that reforms should not be shelved because of funding shortages, and that political decisions and money are needed.
Student numbers at the college are at a ten-year high this year, but some students are dissatisfied about having to cover part of the cost of clothing or learning materials.
Ott Pärna, head of Tallinna Tehnoloogiakolledž (Techno TLN), said artificial intelligence is affecting various occupations, so teaching facilities must be developed and more teachers hired, particularly in math, science and technology. He said about 70 percent of basic school graduates in Estonia go on to general upper secondary schools, while too few choose practically oriented vocational education. The number entering vocational education rose somewhat this year.
Riisenberg added that the labour market is changing, so even traditional trades such as sewing, construction and car repair increasingly require digital skills. When demand for an occupation declines, she said, it must be considered whether to continue, update or merge the training programme with another.
