Legislative reforms in Estonia in relation to the European Higher Education Area
Developments as of November 2002
In order to render the Estonian higher education system comparable to the systems of other countries in this region and open up better opportunities for higher education graduates to be competitive on the European labour market, Estonia is gradually implementing the reform plan “Higher Education Reform, 2001–2002” approved by the Government on June 12, 2001. In the framework of the reform, the objectives of the Bologna process are being followed. Legislative changes (amendments to the University Act and related legislation) for implementing the two-tier BA-MA system have been debated in the Parliament in the first half of 2002 and were adopted in June. Most of the universities transferred to the new degree structure as of the 2002/03 academic year.
In the second phase of the reform related law amendments attention is mostly focused on quality and appriation of previous learning and work experiences. Discussions in the Parliament strated in September 2002 and expectations are that amendements will be approved before the next parliamentary election next March.
The following changes are part of the Estonian higher education sector:
Study periods will be standardised
According to the changes adopted in the University Act Bachelor studies may last, depending on specialty, 3-4 years (180-240 ECTS) and Master’s studies, 1-2 years (60-120 ECTS). The total duration of Bachelor and Master’s studies will not exceed 5 years. The duration of Doctorate studies will be 3-4 years instead of the current 4 years. This will give the universities opportunity to set up shorter Doctorate curricula, which, in volume and content, will correspond to the general orientations in European universities. Exceptions to the two-tier structure will be made for certain specialties, which will not be divided into Bachelor and Master’s studies. Studies for the profession of medical doctor, veterinary surgeon, dentist, architect, civil engineer and class teacher will take place as a continuous cycle, at the end of which Master’s degree is granted. The nominal duration for medical doctor and veterinary surgeon studies is 6 years (360 ECTS), for the other listed specialties, 5 years (300 ECTS). The detailed basis for admission conditons to bachelor, master or doctorate programs are decided by the institution awarding the degree. The two-degree system coexists in parallel since 2002/03 academic year in order to allow students admitted previously to graduate on the terms they have started their studies.
Development of the Higher Professional Education
The basic feature of further development of applied higher education is more clear differentiation of applied higher education study, or non-university type, and academic or university type of study. The nominal duration of applied higher education study is 3-4 years (180-240 ECTS). In the framework of the higher education reform, requirements for professional higher education education will be unified. Reasons for this lie in the fact that universities and professional higher education institutions both admitted students to professionally-oriented diplom-study programs. At the same time since 1999 some postsecondary vocational schools started also to offer vocational higher education programs (kutsekõrgharidus). Differencies between diploma study and vocational higher education programmes were in requirements for teachers’ qualiffications and proportion of practice within a programme. However, differencies in the final qualifications did not approve to be sufficient and therefore decision of unification of requirements was made. The precondition for making this change was the introduction of amendments into the Applied Higher Education Institutions Act and related documents that came into force in June 2002.
So far Estonian higher professional institutions have not been entitled to offer master programs. Under the proposed amendments it is possible if certain requirements are met (in regard to staff, program areas, quality of the first stage program, cooperation with university). The final decision regarding opening of the programs will stay on the level of the Government.
Enhancing the quality of learning
Estonia continues to run an accreditation system that has been in existence since 1997 and is based on self-evaluation and foreign peer review. Accreditation of the programme is granted for a period of 7 years. Usually, study programs of a similar nature from different universities are accredited at the same time. Bachelor, master’s and doctoral programmes are accredited as different entities. Accreditation criteria for academic and professional higher education take into account their specialities but in general they evaluate the same broad categories – content of the programme, quality of the teaching, management practices, the state of the study facilities, quality assurance practices.
Three accredition categories have been used: accredited, conditionally accredited and not accredited. Conditionally accredited indicates that an institution or study programme under review has major shortcomings which need to be eliminated or addressed. So far in this case accreditation has been in force for two years from the date of the decision. Over the years it has been proved that two years is not enough to overcome the problems and under the amendments the proposition is made to extend it to three years. In addition, there are several changes proposed to assure the clear division of tasks and responsibilities between the Ministry of Education and the Higher Education Quality Assessment Council.
Under the reform plan major changes are proposed in regards to criterias for an institution to qualify for university status. These include requirements to run PhD programs, research, and development of infrastructure enabling to offer programs of high level of academic quality.
Increasing the mobility of Estonian students
Within the framework of the Erasmus programme, 279 Estonian students and 77 teachers were given grants to experience a period of study or teaching in other European country in the academic year 2001/2002. In order to guarantee the continuous growth and interest the Ministry of Education has increased the funding level for covering subsistance costs using national resources. Responding to needs to prepare next generation of university teachers Ministry of Education pays high attention to the support of PhD students in the priority areas, mostly in technical programs.
Better comparability of degrees and qualifications
The amended University Act provides the basis for the application of an English-language annex to the diploma – the Diploma Supplement, which includes a description of the Estonian education system and the qualifications granted. The document will contribute to the free movement of persons on the European labour market and within the higher education area. The amendment will be applied to the students who graduate after spring 2003. At the moment each university uses its own format for the Dipploma Supplement that follows the best practices. From the start of the academic year 2004/05 unified form will be applied.