Day 1

Today, 26th of September 2022, the Erasmus mobility for STEMCat in Estonia 2022 has officially started. The participants of this mobility would like to thank both the organisation of this event as well as the institutions involved for making it happen.

Haridus-ja Noorteamet (Harno) / Education and Youth Board

We have started the day visiting Haridus-ja Noorteamet (Harno), the Education and Youth Board, accompanied by Helna Karu (Ministry of Education, Estonia), who gave a speech on the Estonian Education System overview. The characteristics of curricula in both formal and non-formal education in Estonia were, among the wide range of topics discussed, the ones that stood up. This was followed by a videoconference with Hanna Toom (Ministry of Education, Estonia) the teaching of the mathematics and science within the Estonian curriculum. The speech was also followed by two representatives of the Catalan Department of education in Barcelona. Two of the most rellevant topics were, on the one hand, the role of the Estonian municipalities in the management of the educational centres and, on the other hand, the background of the Estonian students. As for the latter, it was surprising to know the high drop-out rate in rural areas of the country. Finally, we discussed the particular case of the Estonian vocational education, whos popularity is probably due to its promotion by the State.

Artium Science Shool

The second visit of the day took place in Viimsi, a wealthy town located a few kilometers north of Tallin, where we visited toe Artium Science School. At Artium, students of different ages spend hours learning arts, music, fashion design and, as incredibly as it might seem, science. Mrs Kadri Saluri, as the Artium Science School Director, informed us about the wide range of courses availabe. She held a masterful speech on how non-formal education contributes into general education throughout cooperation with local schools. She also explained how a creative and hands-on approach to science has made this discipline become popular among youngsters. Subsequently, Mrs Marju Aolaid, Deputy Head of Municipality in the field of education, led us through the magnificent building and answered our questions concerning the cooperation between local community, general education and non-formal education.