Estonia, having soared to the top of global education rankings, now sets its sights on cross-border collaborations in education policymaking and curriculum development. Eyeing Singapore as a partner due to their similar high-performance systems, Estonia's Ministry of Education, led by Minister Kristina Kallas, sees the need to adapt education to meet the challenges of the modern world.
Minister Kallas emphasizes the importance of integrating 21st-century skills alongside academic knowledge. These skills encompass critical thinking, ethical decision-making, communication, teamwork, diversity appreciation, and cross-cultural interaction. To achieve this, Estonia seeks to learn from Singapore's experience and jointly develop initiatives involving educators from both nations.
The collaboration aims to provide teachers and principals with firsthand experience in these skills, recognizing that effective teaching requires prior understanding and practice. Singapore's existing framework for 21st-century competencies serves as a model, emphasizing self-awareness, critical thinking, and responsible decision-making since 2010.
One key question raised by Minister Kallas is whether these skills can be effectively taught within existing school structures or if the learning process itself needs redesigning. Leveraging the strengths of both countries, Singapore's focus on STEM education complements Estonia's emphasis on digital literacy. Estonia's digital advancement is attributed not only to technology adoption in schools but also to the pervasive digital environment in society.
Children in Estonia grow up immersed in digital culture, engaging with technology from an early age through everyday social interactions. This environment fosters high levels of digital competency among students. Recognizing this, Minister Kallas stresses the importance of surrounding children with digital experiences to cultivate their proficiency.
In essence, Estonia aims to learn from Singapore's approach to 21st-century skills while leveraging its own digital expertise. The partnership seeks to enrich education by blending academic knowledge with essential competencies for success in the modern world, fostering collaboration and innovation across borders.
