The Estonian Ministry of Education and Research has sent its partners a document of legislative intent on amending the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act, including a plan to develop a certification system for assessing and providing feedback to school principals based on a competency model and making their employment contracts fixed-term.
Heidi Uustalu, head of the ministry’s educational leadership and teacher policy department, stated that the change is necessary to standardize the quality of leadership in Estonian schools.
“All students must have access to high-quality education that meets their abilities and needs. We must ensure a motivating environment for teachers to perform their best in teaching, thereby reducing teacher attrition,” she said.
Uustalu added that the quality of leadership directly influences the quality of education offered in schools, and the role of the school principal is of critical importance.
Upon implementation, the positions of school principals would be filled through public competitions to ensure that the most qualified leaders occupy these roles. The selection committee would include a representative from the Estonian Principals’ Association and it would follow the recruitment process of top executives in civil service. The employment contract with the winner would have a term of five years.
To consistently evaluate and support the development of school principals, a competency model developed in cooperation with the private sector will be used. According to this model, school principals will receive annual feedback through performance review and must undergo certification before the end of their contract term. After the first term, the school manager may renew the contract without a public competition. The implementation of this model will be led by the Principals’ Association.
The fixed-term employment relationship, combined with performance review and the certification system, will create a reserve of individuals with strong leadership skills in the education sector. The potential uncertainty associated with fixed-term contracts will be mitigated by the opportunity for principals to find roles as top specialists or leaders in other organizations. The fixed-term employment relationship also encourages mobility among school principals.
The first version of the bill is expected to be completed within this year, with the planned implementation set for 2026. The ministry is expecting feedback for the document of legislative intent by Aug. 31.
Source: BNS
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