Just 6 percent of all vocational school graduates in Estonia today continue on to university. The Ministry of Education, however, wants to bump that number to one third – and to facilitate this, Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas (Eesti 200) wants to increase the length of vocational education programs from the current three years to four.

"Curricula have to be changed," Jõks pointed out. "The most important thing is that we'd have people to teach. It is my understanding that this reform will have to come largely at the expense of adult learners, but the first step is to look over our own teachers and see if they have the capacity to teach more."

At the same time, he was unable to say whether this would affect the number of people who go on to enter higher education.

"Even now there aren't any major obstacles; if you want to succeed in vocational education, you can also succeed in university," the college director continued. "I can't predict today how much this would affect an increase in the number of [people] to go on to university. But it does provide them with a better opportunity."

The University of Tartu (TÜ) likewise doesn't see the number of enrolling vocational school graduates increasing anytime soon. Tuuli Kaldma, director of Student Admissions at TÜ, said that because vocational school graduates have the opportunity to go straight into employment, that is what the majority of them do.

"A significant increase in the number of young people with vocational education entering university would also require that more young people choose vocational education or applied vocational training, as has been said," Kaldma explained, adding that only then could this increase possibly reach universities as a next wave.

"So we don't explicitly see us increasing the number of study spots accordingly, at least not right now," she added.

Mait Palts, director general of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EKTK), believes that four-year studies won't serve either to increase the attractiveness of vocational education or gear it toward graduates continuing on to university.

"I don't think forcing everyone to complete a four-year curriculum in order to achieve this goal is realistic," Palts said. "Indeed, for many, even three years is admittedly a very significant effort to complete. But I would certainly support it if that fourth year was optional and more flexible."

He added that this kind of education reform still doesn't resolve the issue, however, that many students don't go on to acquire either vocational or higher education following high school.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!