Situation analysis
Estonia’s teaching workforce is ageing rapidly. According to the OSKA report, one in four teachers is over 60 years old, and data from the Ministry of Education and Research shows that every second teacher is over 50. According to Eurostat, the average age of teachers in Estonia is currently the highest in the world.
At the same time, teacher satisfaction is low. 60% of Estonian teachers have considered leaving the profession, and 92% have experienced burnout due to low pay and heavy workload. Only 26% feel that their work is valued in society, while in Finland this figure is nearly twice as high.
The issue is further exacerbated by high workloads and low salaries. Teachers work an average of 60 hours of overtime per month, and the workload of a new teacher can reach up to 70 hours per week. Within three years, one third of new teachers leave the profession. Salaries of Estonian teachers and academic staff rank second lowest in Europe, with Estonian teachers earning roughly half of what their Finnish counterparts make annually.
The pipeline of new teachers is also critical. Only 2% of current students are interested in becoming teachers in the future. According to the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, Estonia will face a shortage of around 5,000 qualified teachers in the coming years, while OSKA estimates that nearly 380 general education teachers need to be replaced annually between 2018 and 2025 due to retirement.
In response, in 2022 six forward looking Estonian companies ABB, Eesti Energia, Fermi Energia, LHV, Metrosert and Nordecon launched the education programme “Lae end” to support physics education, strengthen STEM teaching and contribute to the development of future skills in Estonia.
Goals of the "Lae end" Program
Specific objectives:
- Include 10 inspiring physics teachers from Estonian middle schools in the program.
- Attract at least 50 outstanding teachers to apply.
- In collaboration with physics teachers and an educational startup, bring innovative teaching tools to at least 100 Estonian schools.
- Recognize and highlight today's physics teachers in Estonian society.
- Increase young people's interest in science subjects and encourage them to pursue futures in science fields.
Target Groups of the "Lae end" Program
- Middle school physics teachers (including those without a formal education in physics)
- The school community - students, alumni, parents, school leaders
- Companies employing engineering-educated staff
- Partners and professional societies - Estonian Physics Society, Praktikal, Videoõps
- Media – newspapers, television, radio, online portals, journalists
- Opinion leaders and decision-makers – Members of Parliament, politicians, school leaders
Message and Communication Strategy
Communication strategy goals:
- Launch the program and bring the vision initiated by the companies to the public.
- Campaign for finding teachers and introducing them to the public.
- Encourage companies to join.
- Amplify the topic in the media (featuring physics teachers, companies, and scientists as spokespersons).
Program Results
- The "Lae end" program aimed to nominate 50 teachers but ended up nominating 132 from 110 different schools across all Estonian counties, which is nearly 30% of the approximately 400 physics teachers in Estonia.
- Students were the most active in nominations, accounting for 70% of all submissions.
- Teachers participated in three training sessions (in August, October, and December), where they were introduced to innovative methodologies and helped to compile their toolkit for conducting engaging lessons. Guest experts shared knowledge on how to be even more confident as a spokesperson.
- Teacher feedback on the training has been positive, with 79% confirming that the program has already helped them in their daily work. A physics teacher from Rakvere Real School thanked the initiators of the "Lae end" program on behalf of the teachers and stated that such "charging programs" are needed to bring out unique and inspiring stories of teachers and to motivate them.
Program Results
- In collaboration with teachers, education experts, and the Estonian Physical Society, 20 educational videos were produced, which are available to all physics enthusiasts and cover half of the middle school physics curriculum (optics and thermodynamics). These videos have been viewed over 10,000 times to date.
- The program partner, Praktikal, has reached more than 90 different schools, 100 teachers, and inspires over 6,000 students in the field of physics.
- "Lae End" won first place in the "Positive Change" category at the Marketers' Union effectiveness competition, TULImust.
- Many companies have supported the program with good words, including the Employers' Confederation, the University of Tartu, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
- Teachers participating in the program were recognized with a 13th-month salary.
Communication Results
- The program was featured in the media more than 120 times in 2022.
- Notable media coverage includes appearances on "Hommik Anuga," the Teacher of the Year Gala, "Õhtu!", "Terevisioon," TV3 Studio, and radio shows on Vikerraadio, Kuku, and R2, etc.
- Blog posts introducing teachers appeared in the education section of Postimees and on the Goodnews portal.
- Regional newspapers published stories about local teachers (Tartu Postimees, Virumaa Teataja, Saue Valdur, Keila leht, and Pealinna leht).
- The Parliament's popular science magazine, Riigikogu Toimetised, published an opinion piece by Hando Sutter, and the author introduced it along with Jaak Aaviksoo and Margit Sutrop in a panel discussion of the new issue, which was broadcast by ERR.
- As a result of the communication activities, a widespread resonance occurred in society. The coverage has sparked public discussions on raising teachers' salaries, popularizing engineering education, and making physics education in primary schools more exciting. This year's Republic Day speeches by President Alar Karis and the head of the AHHAA Science Center, Andres Juur, also highlighted the topic.