03 - Estonia - Specific legislative framework
The general legal principles of higher education are determined in the
Universities Act and in the Institutions of Professional Higher
Education Act. The Vocational Educational Institutions Act, the Private
Schools Act and the Adult Education Act are also applied.
The
Education Act of the Republic of Estonia determines higher education as
formal education and determines the types of higher education
institutions (institutions of professional higher education,
universities and both as in-service training centres). The above
mentioned act also establishes the conditions and procedures for study
loans.
The Universities Act determines the procedures for the
establishment, merger, division and termination of the activities of
universities, the bases for the activities, the limits of autonomy, the
principles of management, organisation of studies, the legal status of
assets of universities; the principles of financing, the basic rights
and obligations of teaching staff and students, and state supervision
over the activities of universities. The law also defines the main
concepts related to higher education.
The Standard of Higher
Education enacted by a regulation of the Government of the Republic
establishes the general requirements for higher education in Estonia.
The Standard of Higher Education also regulates the issuing of
education licenses and the accrediting of the curricula of higher
education institutions. The Standard of Higher Education applies to all
levels of higher education, regardless of the legal status of the
institution. In case of teacher training, the provisions of the
Standard of Higher Education are applied, taking account of the
specifications prescribed in the Framework Requirements for Teachers’
Training. In addition, "Framework Requirements for Medical Training,
Veterinary Training, Pharmacist Training, Dentistry Training, Study in
Obstetrics, Nursing Training, Architectural Studies and Civil
Engineering Studies" have been established as a regulation of the
Government of the Republic. The regulation specifies the requirements
to both curricula and teaching staff and also the competences to be
acquired by completion of a corresponding curriculum.
The list
of the names of academic degrees awarded by educational institutions
offering higher education level studies, their English equivalents and
abbreviations are established by a regulation of the Government of the
Republic "List of Names of Academic Degrees Awarded by Educational
Institutions".
The correspondence of qualifications issued in
Estonia at different periods is established with the regulation of the
Government of the Republic "Correspondence of Qualifications of the
Republic of Estonia and Qualifications of the former Soviet Union
before 20 August 1991".
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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