Together with the minister, representing Estonia in Singapore were the chairman of the association of higher education institutions, Universitas, Ants Koel, the chairman of the Education Workers Union, Reemo Voltri, and a member of the Tartu County Representatives Assembly of School Leaders, Mari Roostik. The Estonian delegation summarized the summit with three agreements concerning the signing of an education agreement, the implementation of an artificial intelligence action plan, and the reduction of dropout rates from the education system through raising the school attendance age and designing more diverse learning paths.
After the summit, the minister stated that changing expectations for school education and teaching are under scrutiny in all leading education nations. "We are on the brink of an educational revolution that has remained unchanged for 200 years because otherwise, we cannot support children and young people in the future world," said Kallas.
According to the minister, teachers will gradually become mentors of knowledge. "This change in mindset must find its way into every policy and every classroom. Students must feel the excitement of discovery of the 21st century alongside teachers who are dedicated to shaping future skills, inspiring creativity, and intellectual curiosity. And for this, we must support teachers - improving their working conditions, career prospects, and salaries, and supporting their professional development," said Kallas. The minister added that adaptation to an increasingly technologically advanced world is central to the changes and called on all countries at the summit to accelerate meaningful implementation of artificial intelligence by developing education-supportive policies.
During the visit, the minister held bilateral meetings with Singapore's Minister of Education, Chan Chun Sing, US Deputy Secretary of Education, Cindy Marten, Canada's Minister of Education for Nova Scotia, Becky Druhan, Ireland's Minister of State, Thomas Byrne, and the Undersecretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Education, Dr. Katarzyna Lubnauer. In addition, the minister met with OECD Deputy Secretary-General Yoshiki Takeuchi and the Director for Education and Skills, Andreas Schleicher, who praised Estonia's impressive achievements in the field of education.
As part of the summit program, the minister visited Singaporean general schools and noted that there is much to learn from their high-quality and systematic education system.
The last day of the visit was dedicated to creating opportunities for education and research cooperation with Singapore and presenting the success story of Estonian education. The minister visited higher education and research institutions such as the Singapore Education Institute, the University of Social Sciences, and the AI Research Center. In addition, the minister gave a public lecture at the Singapore Institute of Technology on the strengths of the Estonian education system, met with the school leaders' association, and chaired a roundtable discussion with local experts and opinion leaders on supporting the mental health of young people. During the visit, Minister Kallas's interview appeared in Singapore's largest daily newspaper, "The Straits Times," and she also gave interviews to other local publications.
Photos from the visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBn9Rx
