Coronavirus pandemic: As schools shut down, Estonia offers international digital education for free

In the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak, Estonia, the leading education nation in Europe, has decided to make its digital education tools available for free and internationally accessible.

The initiative is supported by Startup Estonia and co-organized with the Ministry of Education and Research, Estonian Union of Educational Technologists, Good Deed Education Fund, Innove, HITSA, and Education Nation.

For the uninitiated, Estonia is Europe’s education powerhouse and outperforms the major European economies, including the UK, in influential global education tests. Back in 2018, Estonia ranked No.1 in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

As of today, all school buildings in Estonia are closed. Teaching and learning have been moved entirely online. Right now, companies like 99math.com, Lingvist.com, Clanbeat.com, Speakly.me, ALPA Kids, and DreamApply.com have joined the initiative to offer their solutions for free.

Mart Laidmets, the Secretary-General of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research:

Who isn’t afraid of digital education? Learning and teaching digitally are challenging, even under normal circumstances. However, during the COVID-19 outbreak, digital schooling is the only option. In Estonia, we make ICT work for education; we have a number of solutions that fully support distance learning. We are ready to share Estonia’s best practices and solutions with the countries in need. After all, providing education is essential for a sustainable society.

Märt Aro, Co-Founder of the European EdTech Alliance, said:

Several tools are prepared for international usage, and the companies developing those tools have also kindly agreed to support other countries in need. This initiative aims to support distance learning and work in the education sector during this time of crisis. These solutions aim to increase the social aspect of distance learning and do their best to motivate learners.

Co-founder of the Good Deed Education Fund and ride-hailing company Bolt Martin Villig:

Estonia is globally known for its digital government services, and, thanks to the solutions, Estonia is somewhat better prepared for this crisis. I am humbled to see companies coming to support schools and universities this quickly and also organizing free webinars to support educators in achieving the best possible results.

Main image credits: MikeDotta/Shutterstock

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