Zuzana Vízková
Estonia • Viimsii • Viimsi Gümnaasium
16 March - 19 March
Motivated by Estonia's outstanding reputation in education and the many historical parallels between Estonia and the Czech Republic, I took the opportunity to visit one of the country's upper secondary schools.
Viimsi Gümnaasium is one of the Estonian state gymnasia established directly under the Ministry of Education and Research. Founded in 2018 as an experimental school, it offers a three-year study programme to graduates of Year 9 — the standard duration of upper secondary education in Estonia. Admission is selective, based on a national entrance test in Estonian, mathematics, and English. The school currently enrols around 560 students, predominantly from the surrounding area and the nearby capital Tallinn. According to the student guides who accompanied me, demand for places is roughly four times the number available.
The school's profile is captured in its motto: VALIKUTEGA LOOME MAAILMA — "With our choices, we shape the world." Each student must complete 96 courses throughout their studies, a large proportion of which are elective in the final year. The academic year is divided into trimesters, each ending with an exam week. Students register for individual courses at the start of each trimester according to set criteria; some courses can even be taken at partner organisations outside the school. The curriculum is structured much like a university programme and places considerable responsibility on students to make their own academic choices.
The daily timetable consists of five 70-minute lessons, every day except Thursday, when afternoon classes are replaced by staff meetings or other professional gatherings. During longer breaks — for a snack or lunch — students can use any part of the building, which was designed with the school's educational philosophy in mind. The facilities include a library with a study area, an auditorium, board game corners, and a canteen where meals are provided free of charge, all within generously proportioned spaces. I was struck by how calm the building was even during breaks, given how many people were inside. When I asked whether this was typical, Estonian teacher Kirsi Rannaste replied simply: "Students know you can't live in noise."
School climate and relationships
My very first impression of the school matched how it presents itself: personal responsibility, independence, focus, and critical thinking. I did not sense pressure to perform, but rather the teachers' ability to motivate students towards broader self-development. Teachers are addressed by their first names and serve as guides on the path to successfully mastering each subject. Classes have 34 students, but are divided into two groups, each with a dedicated mentor from among the teaching staff — similar to a homeroom teacher — with whom students spend one form period per week. These sessions are flexible and relatively open-ended; the goal, simply put, is to be together. Compulsory subjects, however, are taught with the full group of 34 — including art. It is also worth highlighting that an excellent command of English is standard at this school, not only for students but for all teachers as well.
Differences and similarities in teaching
The Estonian education system is built on principles similar to the Czech one — the division between gymnasia and vocational schools, entrance exams, school-leaving examinations, and a comparable understanding of "general education." Viimsi Gümnaasium is, however, a new and experimental school, and this is reflected in its teaching staff, who have chosen to work here precisely because they share its vision and philosophy. The school's aim is for graduates to be ready for university study not only in terms of knowledge, but above all in terms of how they work and think. Most courses conclude with a portfolio presentation, a seminar paper, or a research project.
In addition to art — which closely resembles what we do in Czech schools — I observed lessons in Estonian language and literature and in Academic Writing, where the differences were more pronounced. Students do not use notebooks and do not take handwritten notes; all lesson content is available on shared drives. In class, students routinely use their own mobile phones, laptops, and tablets; the school also has several sets of tablets available on loan, accessible simply by scanning a student ID card. The overall level of digital equipment in classrooms is very high. Although I noticed mobile phone storage pockets in some classrooms, I did not observe any misuse — students simply had no time for it. In the lessons I visited, there was no frontal teaching; students were engaged in research tasks, working with sources, discussion, academic writing, presenting their work, and reflection. Classroom activity is consistently directed towards the final assessed piece of work for each course.
Given the need to complete courses within the relatively short timeframe of a single trimester, student absence is very low — missed lessons could easily prove decisive for results. Extracurricular activities are therefore limited and closely tied to specific courses.
Inspiration
The greatest inspiration — and challenge — I am bringing back from this Estonian school is the level of foreign language proficiency. The school aims for graduates to reach C1 in English, and at least B1 in their second foreign language (most commonly German, Finnish, or Russian). Every teacher I had the opportunity to speak with was also an excellent English speaker.
The approach to staff meetings was another interesting model. Thursday afternoons are reserved for this purpose, with no afternoon lessons scheduled, and meetings may not exceed 75 minutes. A whole-staff meeting takes place once a month; in other weeks, various working groups meet separately. The agenda is set in advance so that everyone can come prepared.
The most significant inspiration for me personally was the subject of Academic Writing — a newly introduced course taught in the 3rd and 4th semesters, compulsory for all students, designed to prepare them properly for writing papers and research projects. The course was introduced to bring together areas that are partly but insufficiently covered by Estonian language, IT, and social studies. It focuses on working with reliable sources, research methods, critical evaluation of information, media literacy, digital competencies, and resistance to disinformation. Teachers have access to an extensive manual and teaching materials provided directly by the Ministry, reflecting how seriously Estonia takes these issues as a society — one that is acutely aware of the dangers of information warfare.
An inspiration that could easily be applied in our own context is the emphasis on independent student work during lessons. Frontal teaching was kept to a minimum in every class I visited; study materials and sources are shared on the school's drive, where part of the lesson also takes place — for example, students writing texts on a given topic, with the teacher able to observe the writing process directly. This naturally led to a discussion of the hot topic of generative AI, which teachers here do not ignore, but view as a tool that ultimately does more harm than good: it suppresses creativity, prevents students from using language as an instrument of thought, and introduces a great deal of noise into critical engagement with sources.
Shadowing tips & tricks
Estonia is definitely a worthwhile destination for anyone interested in job shadowing. The education system is structurally similar to the Czech one, making it easy to translate many ideas into our own context. The two countries also share a great deal of history — the legacy of German cultural and commercial influence, the experience of being trapped in the Eastern Bloc, and a long-standing desire for independence as small European nations with few natural resources but strong intellectual traditions. A shared emphasis on education, technology, and innovation is what unites us.
There is no need to worry about language barriers. Estonians do not expect foreigners to know their language, so English or German will get you everywhere; in some circles, Russian is also spoken (the Russian-speaking minority accounts for over 20% of the population).
Finally, a word on Estonia's exceptional museums and galleries — content-rich, educational, and appealing to visitors of any age.
