Policy Learning in the Transformation of the Vocational Education and Training System in Estonia
摘要
The chapter analyses how policy transfer and learning from other education systems and particularly from the European Union (EU) has affected reform policies and consequent institutional changes in vocational education (VET) in Estonia. During the last three decades, the Estonian VET system has transformed from a highly centralised and ideologically driven Soviet model into a standardised, school-based system that aligns with the EU’s goal of creating a common and transparent educational space in VET. Drawing on the concept of Europeanisation and the Open Method of Coordination as the main educational governance mechanism implemented by the EU, we examine policy transfer and learning throughout the VET reform process in Estonia. We identify three distinct periods and analyse them from the perspective of policy learning from the EU and its Member States. We conclude that policy learning in Estonian VET has evolved from an initial, rather uncritical policy transfer towards a more reflexive and democratic learning process, as reflected in the design of more holistic education policies while adopting EU goals in education. However, we also argue that certain elements of institutional continuity and path dependency from the Soviet period can still be observed in the Estonian VET system.