Education inequality gap widening between generations in Estonia

Inequality among different generations' skill sets is growing faster in Estonia than in other OECD countries, a new study shows. Experts say this raises the risk of marginalization and disillusionment among lower-skilled adults, and ultimately leads to political polarization.
The results are shown in the latest Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) test, which assesses adults' skill sets. It looks at how 16-65 year olds understand written texts, how effectively they can apply mathematical knowledge to everyday tasks, and how well they handle problem-solving.
The first wave of the PIAAC survey was conducted in three separate rounds between 2011 and 2018, covering 39 countries, including Estonia. The second wave took place from 2022 to 2023 and the first data sets were published in December 2024.
While the latest round showed Estonia ranked sixth on the Survey of Adult Skills out of 31 counties, it also revealed some concerning trends.
"In both literacy and numeracy, the gap between the highest- and lowest performing adults widened between 2011-12 and 2022-23 /.../ the gap in literacy proficiency between 25-34 year-olds and 55-65 year-olds increased more than in any other country between the first and the second cycle of the survey," the report says.
"Eleven years ago, we were an exceptionally equal society. /.../ We had very few top performers and very few laggards. In that sense, we came from a very equal society. Over these 11 years, inequality has grown the most in Estonia compared to all other countries," said Aune Valk, head of the first round of PIAAC in Estonia and University of Tartu's vice rector for academic affairs.
The results show inequality has deepened in terms of education, language, and especially age.
On one hand, young people's results have significantly improved — ranking third after Japan and Finland. But on the other hand, the skills of people over 55 have deteriorated over the past decade.
This large generational gap contributes to social exclusion.
"But what is saddening and truly frightening to me is that all kinds of social indicators — self-assessment of health, trust in the government, participation in volunteer work, civic engagement — are very low among people with lower skills compared to other countries," Valk explained.
She said this suggests that in Estonia, the risk of marginalization and disillusionment among people with lower skills is higher than in many other countries.
Triin Lauri, associate professor of public policy and education researcher at Tallinn University, stressed that any stratification based on education and skills is problematic.
"Education does not serve only the labor market — meaning, it is not just about differences in employment. It often also translates into differences in attitudes, which in turn can lead to a growing segment of society where people do not understand each other, attend different concerts, and read different books. This can ultimately lead to political polarization," she explained.
While Estonia's education system has traditionally been based on a unified school model, educational inequality has now reached even the basic school level.
Lauri said the increasing stratification of basic education is concerning, as it carries through into all subsequent stages of life.
The OECD says the study is useful because it allows countries "to track the skill levels of its adult population, pinpoint barriers to skill development and use, and craft effective policies to address these challenges."
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Editor: Merili Nael, Helen Wright
Source: Aktuaalne kaamera