Estonia’s Minister of Education and Research, Dr Kristina Kallas, sat down with Teacher Magazine during her recent visit to Melbourne for a conversation on early childhood education, equity and Estonia’s bold leap into AI-enabled learning.
During her week in Australia, Kristina Kallas met with local educators, delivered a public lecture and visited the Estonian community at Estonian House in Brunswick. This new podcast offers a candid, interesting look at the ideas shaping Estonia’s education reforms.
A full transcript and audio are available for those wishing to hear the discussion in full here.
Why Estonia starts early?
One key theme in the conversation was the decisive role of early childhood education. Children in Estonia begin academic schooling later than in Australia — at age seven — yet consistently perform among the world’s best in international assessments.
Kristina Kallas reminded listeners that this success is built long before the first day of school: “It’s not about the school only, it’s so much what you do with them before they actually come to compulsory schooling.”
She explained that Estonian children typically attend full-day early childhood programs from 18 months onward, taught by qualified educators and supported by curriculum specialists. Social–emotional development, self-regulation and the ability to manage daily routines independently are prioritised. By the time children reach Year 1, the academic gap between different socioeconomic and linguistic backgrounds is significantly reduced.
Equity, inclusion and the “proud to be average” mindset
A second major focus was Estonia’s philosophy of equity: students learn together in the same classrooms without segregating them based on ability. The aim is to “level up” all learners while supporting those who need additional help.
Dr Kallas noted: “From the age of 7 to 16 they all study together, no matter how smart… Because we believe that … if you teach them together there is a mutual learning that is happening in the classroom. So, our teachers are encouraged to not differentiate…”
This approach, she says, is a cornerstone of Estonia’s excellent academic outcomes. Rather than producing unusually large numbers of top scorers, Estonia minimises the number of students falling behind. Deeper support in early childhood education and learning specialists in every kindergarten form a key part of this structure.
Preparing students for an AI-shaped world
The second half of the podcast turned to Estonia’s AI Leap program — an innovative national initiative that launched this year.
Unlike education systems focused on restricting or avoiding AI, Estonia is taking a proactive stance. The Minister explained that the country’s biggest concern is not AI itself, but inaction: “We are afraid that by doing nothing, our kids will … replace their own learning with AI learning…”
Estonia’s approach emphasises deep thinking, problem-solving and higher-order reasoning. Students will work with a “Socratic” version of ChatGPT designed to ask questions rather than provide ready answers. Teachers and school leaders across the country have already undergone extensive training, with neuroscientists, developmental psychologists and technologists embedded in the process.
Underlying it all is trust in teachers: “It’s not that we trust AI — we trust our teachers.”
A message to educators
As 2026 approaches, Kristina Kallas encouraged teachers and school leaders worldwide: invest in skills, prioritise human relationships, and ensure that technology strengthens — rather than replaces — thinking.
She also extended an invitation for continued global collaboration, noting that Estonia does not claim to have all the answers, but is eager to share its journey.
Listen to the full conversation
You can listen to the podcast and read the full transcript here: https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/teacher-exclusive-podcast-special-with-estonian-education-minister-dr-kristina-kallas
