Approximately four out of ten grade school graduates in Estonia pursue higher education within five years
In a comprehensive study conducted by Statistics Estonia, the progression of approximately 12,250 young people who graduated from basic school in the 2019/2020 academic year was traced through the education system over one, three, and five years.
The study revealed that about three-quarters (71 percent) of the graduates continued their studies in an upper secondary school, while a quarter (25 percent) went to a vocational secondary school. Among these young people, 96 percent immediately went on to acquire upper secondary education, with 82 percent obtaining an upper secondary diploma within five years.
Interestingly, there was a noticeable gender difference in the educational paths taken. Eighty-two percent of girls went on to an upper secondary school, compared to 61 percent of boys. Thirty-five percent of boys continued in vocational secondary school, contrasted with 15 percent of girls.
Among Estonian native speakers, 84 percent had an upper secondary diploma, while the figure was 78 percent for Russian native speakers. A gender difference was also apparent: 86 percent of women had an upper secondary diploma compared to 79 percent of men.
As for those who studied abroad, 3 percent were found to be doing so five years after completing basic school. On the other hand, 31 percent of graduates were already part of the labor force by the fifth year, with 24 percent working only and 8 percent registered as unemployed.
The transition to Estonian-language education is underway, which could gradually reduce the impact of language-related factors on educational pathways. As a result, in the 2024/2025 academic year, 40 percent of those who graduated from basic school in 2020 continued their studies in Estonian higher education institutions.
However, significant differences were observed in the labor market participation of Estonian- and Russian-speaking youth. Within five years, 29 percent of Russian-speaking youth were working but not studying, compared to 22 percent of Estonian-speaking youth. Additionally, 11 percent of Russian-speaking youth were registered as unemployed, compared to 6 percent of Estonian-speaking youth.
Significant changes have been planned and implemented to raise the level of vocational secondary education and to offer a competitive alternative to general secondary education. If the same analysis is repeated in ten years, the patterns of progression to higher education may be much more diverse, and more similar between Estonian- and Russian-speaking youth.
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