���سԹ�

“The fact that ISTP is taking place in Estonia this year is a great recognition of our education system. The summit gives us an exceptional opportunity to introduce Estonia’s education and innovation, our schools and culture, to decision-makers from 20 countries. Estonia’s story to the world is our education and digital story – it is unique and worth sharing,” said Kristina Kallas, Minister of Education and Research.

As part of the summit programme, Tallinn University will host an international delegation on 9 March. The group includes 17 education experts from Austria, Singapore, Lithuania and Ukraine, among them Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi and OECD observer Chi Sum Tse.

During the visit, delegates will learn about the activities of Tallinn University and the University of Tartu in preparing teachers and education leaders.

“The role and autonomy of teachers and school leaders are central to ensuring the quality of the education system,” said Tiia Õun, Director of the School of Educational Sciences at Tallinn University. “We will also present the latest results of our research in teacher education, educational leadership and educational technology.”

has been held annually since 2011 and is widely regarded as one of the most influential global gatherings in education policy. Invitations are extended to OECD countries whose PISA results rank among the world’s highest performers. The theme of this year’s summit is “Shifting Gears: Teachers and Students in the Learning Environments of the Future.”

According to Minister Kallas, the summit will provide an opportunity to discuss key priorities with international colleagues, including how to integrate artificial intelligence into education, how to strengthen and value teacher autonomy, and how to build future-ready education systems globally. Estonia’s national AI leap initiative will also be presented as an example.

Key topics of the summit:

• The role of teachers, their professional development and career models in a changing education landscape
• Professional autonomy of educators and school leaders
• Responsible use of artificial intelligence and technology in education

In addition to the discussions, guests will visit Estonian educational institutions over three days and attend the EdTech Estonia exhibition at Kultuurikatel. The summit will open with a ceremonial session and conclude with a final discussion and dinner.

A detailed programme is available at istp2026.ee/programme-overview/.

Organisers
ISTP 2026 is organised by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research in cooperation with the OECD, the global federation of education unions Education International, and the Estonian Education Personnel Union.

Representing the organising partners at the summit will be Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills and founder of the PISA assessments, and David Edwards, Secretary General of Education International.

The Estonian delegation includes Kristina Kallas, Minister of Education and Research; Reemo Voltri, Chair of the Estonian Education Personnel Union; Gina Metssalu, Principal of Läänemaa Ühisgümnaasium; Ants Koel, Chair of UNIVERSITAS, the association of trade unions of Estonian universities and research institutions.

Heads of delegations

Australia: Ben Carroll, Minister for Education of the State of Victoria
Spain: Santiago Antonio Roura Gómez, Deputy Secretary for Education
Iceland: Inga Sæland, Minister of Education and Children
Canada: Sonia LeBel, Minister of Education of Québec
Lithuania: Jonas Petkevičius, Vice-Minister of Education, Science and Sport
Latvia: Dace Melbārde, Minister of Education and Science
Norway: Kari Nessa-Nordtun, Minister of Education
Poland: Katarzyna Lubnauer, State Secretary for General Education
Portugal: Alexandre Homem Cristo, Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Innovation
Sweden: Oscar Wåglund Söderström, State Secretary
Singapore: Desmond Lee, Minister for Education
Slovenia: Vinko Logaj, Minister of Education
Finland: Anders Adlercreutz, Minister of Education
Switzerland: Armin Hartmann, Minister of Education
Ukraine: Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science
United Kingdom: Georgia Gould, Minister for School Standards; Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary in the Welsh Government; Paul Jonathan Givan, Minister of Education of Northern Ireland; Jenny Gilruth, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills

Observers:
Alexander Huber (Austria), Secretary General of the Federal Ministry of Education
Martin Wunsch (Germany), Chancellor of the Bavarian State Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs