Adult Education Act
Passed 18.02.2015
RT I, 23.03.2015, 5
Entry into force 01.07.2015
Amended by the following legal instruments (show)
| Passed | Published | Entry into force |
|---|---|---|
| 02.06.2015 | RT I, 10.06.2015, 9 | 01.07.2015 |
| 20.02.2019 | RT I, 19.03.2019, 12 | 01.09.2019 |
| 15.01.2025 | RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 | 01.04.2025 |
Chapter 1 General Provisions
§ 1. Scope of regulation of Act
This Act provides the requirements for continuing education institutions for the provision of continuing education, including micro-credential studies, the learner’s right to study leave, the bases for financing continuing education and state and administrative supervision.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 11. Scope of application of Act
(1) This Act shall be applied to such legal persons in private law, legal persons in public law, state and local authorities and sole proprietors providing continuing education, who pursuant to the law have the obligation to apply for an activity licence for the provision of continuing education or who have submitted a notice of economic activities for the provision of continuing education (hereinafter continuing education institution) in the Estonian Education Information System (hereinafter the Education Information System).
(2) The General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act shall be applied to the commencement, performance and termination of economic activities of legal persons in private law and sole proprietors regulated in this Act, taking account of the specifications provided for in this Act. The provisions of the General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act and this Act concerning the submission of a notice of economic activities, the provision of continuing education and disclosure of information, notification of change in data and renouncement of economic activities shall be applied to continuing education institutions managed by legal persons in public law or state and local authorities insofar as resulting otherwise from the specific character thereof.
(3) The provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act apply to administrative proceedings prescribed in this Act, taking account of the specifications provided for in this Act.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 12. Formal and non-formal education, continuing education and micro-credentials
(1) For the purposes of this Act, adult education is divided into formal education and non-formal education.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, formal education means purposeful studies conducted on the basis of a curriculum in general education, vocational and higher education institutions, which organisation is governed by the Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act, Vocational Educational Institutions Act, Higher Education Act and Private Schools Act.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, non-formal education means purposeful voluntary studies conducted for certain interest groups in different environments.
(4) Continuing education means part of purposeful and organised non-formal education conducted on the basis of a curriculum based on learning outcomes with the aim of achieving the learning outcomes. This Act is applied to continuing education in non-formal education, including the micro-credential studies.
(5) Micro-credential means the set of acquired, certified and recognised knowledge and skills in continuing education that corresponds to the needs of the labour market or the society. Institutions of professional higher education and universities (hereinafter institutions of higher education) may name micro-credential a micro-degree if the subjects of the level of higher education make at least one-half of the volume of micro-degree curriculum.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 2. Adult Education Council
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(1) The Adult Education Council shall be formed and the rules of procedure thereof shall be approved with a directive of the minister in charge of the policy sector for the purpose of forming and applying the adult education policy.
(2) The Adult Education Council is an advisory body comprised of the representatives of the relevant ministries, continuing education institutions, formal education institutions, representative organisations of employers and employees and other persons and authorities engaged in the area of adult education.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
Chapter 2 Requirements for Continuing Education Institutions
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 3. Submission of notice of economic activities
(1) In order to operate as a continuing education institution, the continuing education provider shall submit a notice of economic activities if pursuant to the law they are not required to apply for an activity licence for the provision of continuing education.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(2) In addition to the provisions of the General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act, the notice of economic activities for the provision of continuing education shall include the list of continuing education curricula groups (hereinafter continuing education curriculum group) established under subsection 1 of § 9 of this Act, in which continuing education is provided.
§ 4. Name of continuing education institution
(1) A continuing education institution who only provides continuing education may not in any manner refer to the possibility of providing formal education in the name of the continuing education institution.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(2) Only a continuing education institution which has a permanent place of business and which provides continuing education on a continuous basis in at least three continuing education curricula groups may use the word „rahvaülikool” [folk university] in its name.
§ 5. Continuing education institution’s website and other publicly accessible digital environments
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A continuing education institution shall disclose the information required in subsection 2 of § 8 of this Act on the continuing education institution’s website or in another publicly accessible digital environment.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 6. Specifications for suspension, prohibition and renouncement of provision of continuing education by continuing education institution
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(1) In case of material violation of the requirements for economic activities established for a continuing education institution, the Ministry of Education and Research may, with an administrative act, suspend or prohibit the provision of continuing education as a continuing education institution. If the Ministry of Education and Research issues an administrative act for the suspension or prohibition of provision of continuing education or issues a precept which upon failure to comply with may result in the issue of an administrative act for the suspension or prohibition of provision of continuing education, the Ministry of Education and Research shall publish the decision and justifications of the administrative act in the part for which there is public interest pursuant to the procedure provided for in § 31 of the Administrative Procedure Act and on its website.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(2) The provisions of § 34 of the General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act shall be applied to the renouncement of provision of continuing education. A continuing education institution who has failed to comply with the data submission obligation provided for in subsection 5 of § 8 of this Act within six months after the expiry of the term for compliance with the obligation shall also be deemed to have fully renounced the provision of continuing education.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
Chapter 3 Provision of Continuing Education and Disclosure of Information
Subchapter 1 Requirements for Provision of Continuing Education and Disclosure of Information
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§ 7. Organisation of studies in continuing education and bases for ensuring quality of activities of continuing education institutions
(1) The continuing education institution shall establish the bases for the organisation of studies in continuing education and the bases for quality assurance of the activities of the continuing education institution.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(2) The bases for the organisation of studies in continuing education shall provide for the requirements for the admission of learners to and the exclusion from studies and the conditions of payment and reimbursement of tuition for continuing education and other important conditions for the organisation of studies.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(3) The bases for quality assurance of the activities of a continuing education institution shall at least provide for the conditions of quality assurance of the continuing education curricula, their development, educators associated with continuing education and study environment and the procedure for collection of and accounting for feedback on the continuing education.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 8. Disclosure of information relating to continuing education institution
(1) The continuing education institution shall disclose, through the Education Information System, the curricula groups in which continuing education is provided, the contact information and website address or publicly accessible digital environment address of the institution.
(2) The continuing education institution shall disclose in Estonian on its website or publicly accessible digital environment the bases for the organisation of studies in continuing education, the continuing education curricula, the names of adult educators associated with continuing education together with the description of the qualification, learning or work experience proving their competence, the bases for quality assurance of the activity of continuing education institution and the information concerning the activity licence issued for the provision of continuing education with the authorisation obligation. The information must be up to date, easy to find and unambiguous.
(3) The continuing education institution is not required to disclose the curricula of commissioned education and the information on educators associated therewith. Commissioned education means the continuing education based on the wishes and needs of the party who orders and provided on the conditions and pursuant to the procedure agreed on with the party who orders.
(4) The performance indicators provided under subsection 32 of § 366 of the Republic of Estonia Education Act shall be made accessible through the Education Information System by the continuing education institution by 31 March each year for the previous calendar year.
(5) The continuing education institution shall ensure that the correctness of performance indicators specified in subsection 4 of this section can be substantiated with documents. The continuing education institution shall preserve the documents on which the performance indicators are based for three years after the end of the calendar year in which the document was created.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 9. Continuing education standard and continuing education curriculum
(1) The minister in charge of the policy sector shall establish, by a regulation, the continuing education standard in which the requirements for the continuing education curricula, for the documents certifying the passing of and participation in continuing education and the list of continuing education curricula groups shall be provided for.
(2) Continuing education shall be provided according to the curriculum which is based on the learning outcomes and which has been approved by the continuing education institution, and the bases for the organisation of studies. Learning outcomes are skills and knowledge acquired as the result of learning and the achievement of which can be certified and assessed.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(3) The volume of continuing education curricula is determined in academic hours. One academic hour corresponds to 45 minutes. The volume of micro-credential studies is determined in credits. One credit corresponds to 26 hours of learner’s work in the acquisition of knowledge and skills.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 10. Study environment
The study environment is a physical or digital environment that supports the learning and development of learners. The study environment of a continuing education institution must be sufficient for the continuing education and achievement of learning outcomes of a curriculum.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 11. Adult educator
(1) For the purposes of this Act, an adult educator means a specialist who supports the learning and personal development of adults in a purposefully created learning situation. Adult educators must hold the professional competencies in the educated area and the competencies of an adult educator. The presence of competencies of an adult educator is assessed by a continuing education institution.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(2) For the provision of continuing education, the continuing education institution shall ensure the number of educators with the qualification, learning or work experience described in the curriculum which is necessary for achievement of the learning objectives and learning outcomes.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(3) In addition to the provisions of subsection 1 of this section, the training provider of adult educator training must have a Master’s degree in education or a qualification corresponding thereto or the profession of an adult educator, level 7 at least.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 12. Notification of important conditions of continuing education
(1) In addition to the provisions of subsection 2 of § 31 of the General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act, the continuing education institution shall notify the participants in continuing education and the entities funding the continuing education course at least of the following information and documents:
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
1) the continuing education curriculum;
2) the name of the adult educator providing the continuing education and the information on his or her qualification;
3) the time of the continuing education;
4) the place and address of provision of the continuing education;
5) the size of tuition and other expenses accompanying the studies, including the expenses on study aids;
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6) the procedure and term for payment of tuition;
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7) the bases of and procedure for reimbursement of tuition.
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8) [Repealed - RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(2) [Repealed - RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
Subchapter 2 Requirements for Conduct of Micro-credential Studies
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 121. Requirements for micro-credential studies
(1) The volume of micro-credential studies is 5 to 30 credits.
(2) The continuing education institution issues a micro-credential certificate to the person having completed micro-credential studies on the conditions and pursuant to the procedure provided for in the standard established under subsection 1 of § 9 of this Act.
(3) Micro-credentials can be collected and combined to certify the acquisition of qualification in formal education or receipt of a professional certificate.
(4) Institutions of higher education and vocational educational institutions may account for prior studies and work experience upon the issue of micro-credentials according to the Higher Education Act and Vocational Educational Institutions Act.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 122. Right to conduct micro-credential studies
Micro-credential studies may be conducted by:
1) an institution of higher education and vocational educational institution in the curriculum group in which the institution has been granted the right to conduct studies (hereinafter the right to conduct studies);
2) an institution of higher education and vocational educational institution, on the basis of an activity licence, in the curriculum group in which they do not have the right to conduct studies;
3) another continuing education institution on the basis of an activity licence.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 123. Submission of micro-credential studies curriculum
(1) A continuing education institution specified in clause 1 of § 122 of this Act conducts micro-credential studies on the basis of the micro-credential studies curriculum entered in the Education Information System. The curriculum is submitted pursuant to the procedure prescribed in the statutes of the Education Information System. Before submission of the curriculum, the continuing education institution specified in clause 1 of § 122 pays the state fee with the rate provided for in the State Fees Act.
(2) The continuing education institution specified in clause 1 of § 122 of this Act shall submit to the Education Information System a curriculum that:
1) is classified under the curriculum group in which they have been granted the right to conduct studies;
2) complies with the requirements specified in clauses 2–8 of § 126 of this Act.
(3) The continuing education institution ensures that the curriculum entered in the Education Information System is up to date.
(4) The conditions specified in § 127 of this Act are applied to the changes in curriculum.
(5) The curriculum is deleted from the Education Information System if the right to conduct studies of an institution of higher education or vocational educational institution in the relevant curriculum group has been revoked.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 124. Activity licence
(1) An activity licence grants the continuing education institution specified in clauses 2 and 3 of § 122 of this Act the right to conduct micro-credential studies on the basis of the curriculum specified on the activity licence.
(2) The activity licence is valid for five years.
(3) An application for an activity licence is adjudicated on the basis of this Act and the General Part of Economic Activities Code Act.
(4) The provisions governing the application for, adjudication and revocation of an activity licence, notification of change of data and renouncement of economic activities specified in this Act and in the General Part of Economic Activities Code Act are also applied to the person and institution who is not an undertaking for the purposes of subsection 1 of § 5 of the General Part of the Economic Activities Code Act insofar as resulting otherwise from the specific character thereof.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 125. Applying for activity licence
(1) The application for an activity licence shall be adjudicated by the Ministry of Education and Research.
(2) The continuing education institution specified in clauses 2 and 3 of § 122 of this Act submits an application for an activity licence to the Ministry of Education and Research through the Education Information System.
(3) State fee is paid for review of the application with the rate specified in the State Fees Act.
(4) In addition to the provisions of the General Part of Economic Activities Code Act the following documents are submitted in the application for an activity licence:
1) curriculum of micro-credential studies on the basis of which an activity licence for instruction is applied for;
2) positive decision concerning the quality assurance of a curriculum group;
3) applicant’s confirmation that the curriculum corresponds to the scientific world approach;
4) if the conduct of studies must comply with international standards or agreements, the applicant’s confirmation that the planned studies follow those standards or agreements.
(5) The Ministry of Education and Research reviews the application for an activity licence within two months after the submission of data and documents specified in subsection 4 of this section.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 126. Subject of review of activity licence
The activity licence is issued if the applicant complies with the following conditions:
1) their curriculum of micro-credential studies is classified under the curriculum group which has received a positive decision on quality assurance specified in clause 1 of subsection 3 of § 1210 of this Act;
2) their curriculum complies with the requirements set out in this Act and in the standard established under subsection 1 of § 9 of this Act;
3) the volume of their curriculum complies with the volume of micro-credential studies established in subsection 1 of § 121 of this Act;
4) their curriculum has been classified under a curriculum group on the basis of ISCED (International Standard Classification of Education) taking account of the content of curriculum;
5) their curriculum provides a reference to a relevant professional standard or part thereof if the curriculum has been prepared on the basis of a professional standard;
6) they hold a continuing education activity licence if the curriculum is opened in an area of activity that requires an activity licence on the basis of another act;
7) the studies conducted on the basis of their curriculum comply with international standards or agreements if requirements for the curriculum and studies have been set out in the international standards or agreements;
8) their curriculum is based on scientific world approach.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 127. Changes in curriculum and activity licence
(1) A continuing education institution may make changes in the curriculum during the validity of activity licence. The continuing education institution submits the changes in curriculum through the Education Information System pursuant to the procedure provided in the statutes of the Education Information System.
(2) In case of changes in the learning outcomes or volume of study of the curriculum, a new activity licence must be applied for.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 128. Revocation of activity licence
(1) In addition to the bases for revocation of an activity licence provided for in the General Part of Economic Activities Code Act, the Ministry of Education and Research shall revoke an activity licence if:
1) the positive decision on quality assurance of a curriculum group becomes invalid or is revoked;
2) in the course of state or administrative supervision it appears that the activity of the continuing education institution is in conflict with this Act or other legislation;
3) the activity licence specified in clause 6 of § 126 of this Act has been revoked;
4) the volume of curriculum does not comply with the volume of micro-credential studies established in subsection 1 of § 121 of this Act;
5) the curriculum and the studies conducted on the basis thereof do not comply with international standards or agreements if requirements for the curriculum and studies have been set out in the international standards or agreements;
6) the continuing education institution submits an application for revocation of the activity licence.
(2) In addition to the bases for revocation of an activity licence provided for in the General Part of Economic Activities Code Act, the Ministry of Education and Research may revoke an activity licence if the continuing education institution fails to comply with the requirements arising from clauses 4, 5 and 8 of § 126 of this Act.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 129. Quality assurance of curriculum group of continuing education institution
(1) The quality assurance of a curriculum group of a continuing education institution entered in the Education Information System shall be performed in the event specified in clauses 2 and 3 of § 122 of this Act at the request of a continuing education institution.
(2) The continuing education institution shall submit the application for quality assurance of a curriculum group through the Education Information System and, before the submission of application, pay state fee provided for in the State Fees Act for quality assurance of a curriculum group.
(3) The quality assurance of a curriculum group means the evaluation of curricula of continuing education institution and the teaching and curriculum development activities organised on the basis thereof. The quality assurance of a curriculum group is composed of self-analysis of the continuing education institution and evaluation by independent and competent experts.
(4) A positive assessment is given upon the quality assurance of a curriculum group if the continuing education institution has proven compliance with the following requirements:
1) the resources for the conduct of studies in the curriculum group are sufficient;
2) the adult educators comply with the requirements established in this Act and on the basis thereof;
3) the curricula of micro-credential studies comply with the standard established under subsection 1 of § 9 of this Act;
4) the curricula and studies comply with the requirements established in this Act and on the basis thereof;
5) support and feedback are given to the learner’s studies.
(5) The conditions and procedure for quality assurance of a curriculum group and the list of curriculum groups in which quality assurance is conducted shall be established by a regulation of the minister in charge of the policy sector.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 1210. Organisation of quality assurance of curriculum group of continuing education institution
(1) The quality assurance of a curriculum group shall be organised by an agency authorised by the minister in charge of the policy sector (hereinafter quality assurance agency). The quality assurance agency shall form an evaluation committee of continuing education, approve the rules of procedure of the committee and the procedure for resolving challenges filed against the decisions of the committee.
(2) The evaluation committee of continuing education shall establish the evaluation instructions and methods for compliance with the requirements specified in subsection 4 of § 129 of this Act and established under subsection 5 of § 129 of this Act and adopt the decisions on quality assurance of a curriculum group.
(3) The evaluation committee of continuing education evaluates the quality of studies conducted in a curriculum group of a continuing education institution as follows:
1) if the studies conducted in the curriculum group fully comply with the requirements established in this Act and on the basis thereof, the evaluation committee makes a positive decision for five years;
2) if the studies conducted in the curriculum group comply with the requirements established in this Act and on the basis thereof in part or do not comply with the requirements, the evaluation committee makes a negative decision.
(4) The decisions of the evaluation committee concerning the curricula groups of continuing education institution having passed the quality assurance are published in the Education Information System.
(5) The evaluation committee may declare the positive decision of quality assurance of curriculum group as invalid if at least one of the following circumstances becomes apparent:
1) in the course of state or administrative supervision it appears that the activity of the continuing education institution is in conflict with this Act or any other legislation;
2) the continuing education institution has failed to comply with the precept of an administrative body exercising state or administrative supervision by the term or pursuant to the procedure set out in the precept;
3) the continuing education institution has submitted false information in the quality assurance of a curriculum group, which has influenced the decision;
4) the continuing education institution does not comply with the requirements specified in subsections 4 and 5 of § 129 of this Act and in subsection 2 of this section;
5) the continuing education institution has submitted a notice of renouncement of economic activities.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
Chapter 4 Learner’s Right to Study Leave
§ 13. Application for and remuneration of study leave
(1) In order to participate in formal education or continuing education provided by a continuing education institution, study leave shall be granted to employees and officials (hereinafter together the employee) on the basis of an application thereof and a notice from the education institution for up to thirty calendar days in a year. In case of a training based on the interests of an employer, the provisions of clause 5 of subsection 2 of § 28 of the Employment Contracts Act or § 31 of the Civil Service Act shall be applied. Study leave shall also be granted for participating in formal education or continuing education of an equal foreign educational institution.
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(2) A note on staying on academic leave shall be made in the notice from an educational institution. An employer shall have the right to refuse to grant study leave for the passing or completion of the curriculum in which the studies have stopped due to academic leave.
(3) During the study leave granted for participation in formal education and continuing education with the purpose of professional development, an employee shall be paid the average study leave pay based on a calendar day for twenty calendar days pursuant to the procedure provided for in subsection 8 of § 29 of the Employment Contracts Act.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(4) For the completion of formal education, additional study leave of fifteen calendar days shall be granted for which the employee shall be paid study leave pay calculated on the basis of the minimum wage established under subsection 5 of § 29 of the Employment Contracts Act. Upon calculation of the study leave pay, the number of study leave days shall be multiplied by one month’s average study leave pay rate per calendar day calculated on the basis of the minimum wage. In order to establish the month’s average study leave pay rate per calendar day, the minimum wage shall be divided by the number of calendar days in a year and divided by twelve. An employer may refuse to grant study leave for the completion of formal education if they have already granted a leave to the same employee for the completion of the same curriculum.
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(5) In the application for study leave, an employee shall determine whether they wish to be granted a study leave for participation in studies or for the completion of formal education.
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(6) An employee shall notify the employer of the use of study leave not indicated in the holiday schedule at least fourteen calendar days in advance in a format which can be reproduced in writing.
(7) In addition to the specifications of subsection 1 of this section, a study leave for the completion of formal education shall be granted to participants in the external study of institutions of higher education on the conditions provided for in subsection 4 of this section and pursuant to the procedure provided for in this section.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 14. Refusal to grant study leave and interruption thereof
(1) An employer has the right to refuse to grant study leave if the study leave day or consecutive study leave days only coincide with the employee’s days off.
(2) An employer has the right to interrupt or postpone a study leave on the conditions provided for in subsection 5 of § 69 of the Employment Contracts Act. If the study leave was interrupted or postponed, the employee shall have the right to use the unused part of the study leave for participation in formal education or continuing education at a time suitable for them, taking account of the restrictions established in this chapter.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
Chapter 5 Organisation of Financing of Continuing Education
§ 15. Financing of continuing education
(1) The costs of continuing education shall be covered by the person or authority interested therein.
(2) Continuing education complying with the requirements established in this Act and on the basis thereof and which is provided by a continuing education institution is allowed to be financed or reimbursed from the state and local authority budget funds or foreign support.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(3) The condition established in subsection 2 of this section shall not be applied if the continuing education is provided by the employees of one person or authority to the employees of the same person or authority or if the training is provided by the employee of a state or local government authority to the employee of another state or local government authority or if the provision of training is part of the employment or service duties of the employee of a state or local government authority.
(4) As a justified exception, the condition established in subsection 2 of this section may not be applied if the needed continuing education is not organised by any continuing education institution or if the education is commissioned from a provider of continuing education practising outside Estonia, who is not a continuing education institution for the purposes of this Act. In the event specified in this subsection, the requirements for the quality of continuing education shall be established by the party who orders the continuing education.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 16. State-commissioned continuing education
(1) A ministry may submit a request for the provision of state-commissioned continuing education (hereinafter state-commissioned continuing education) to a continuing education institution or an association thereof. The formation of state-commissioned continuing education shall be based on the strategic development plans of the state and development plans for different areas, studies and forecasts of the need for labour and other information relating to the training needs.
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(2) State-commissioned continuing education means the number of student places in continuing education financed from the state budget.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(3) [Repealed - RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(4) The procedure for the formation and submission of a state-commissioned continuing education request and the procedure for calculation of the cost of a student place in continuing education and the cost of an academic hour or credit shall be established by a regulation of the minister in charge of the policy sector.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(5) [Repealed - RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(6) Studying in a student place formed on the basis of state-commissioned continuing education is free of charge for a learner unless the extent of cost-sharing has been established for learners upon the submission of the state-commissioned continuing education request.
Chapter 6 State and Administrative Supervision
§ 17. State and administrative supervision over continuing education providers
(1) The Ministry of Education and Research shall exercise state or administrative supervision over the continuing education institutions and the compliance of their activities with the requirements established in this Act and on the basis thereof.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(11) The Ministry of Education and Research may involve experts in the exercise of state or administrative supervision.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(12) Upon the exercise of state or administrative supervision over micro-credential studies and the provider thereof the Ministry of Education and Research may involve an agency organising assessment who identifies compliance with the requirements specified in subsection 4 of § 129 and established under subsection 4 of § 129 and subsection 2 of § 1210 of this Act with a preliminary administrative act.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(2) The Ministry of Education and Research shall exercise state or administrative supervision over a person or authority who is not a continuing education institution and who provides continuing education if a serious or significant threat originates from the continuing education provided thereby and other law enforcement or economic administrative agencies are not competent to control the threat.
§ 18. Special state supervision measures
For the exercise of state supervision provided for in this Act, the agency exercising state supervision may apply the special state supervision measures provided for in §§ 30 and 50 of the Law Enforcement Act on the basis of and pursuant to the procedure provided for in the Law Enforcement Act.
§ 19. Limit of non-compliance levy
Upon failure to comply with a precept, the upper limit of non-compliance levy applied pursuant to the procedure provided for in the Substitutional Performance and Non-Compliance Levies Act is 640 euros.
Chapter 7 Implementing Provisions
§ 20. Transitional provisions
(1) The education licences or activity licences issued for the provision of professional education and training or informal education pursuant to the Private Schools Act before the entry into force of this Act shall be valid until 30 June 2016. The managers of adult training institutions operating on the basis of the aforementioned education licence or activity licence have been equalised with the managers of continuing education institutions for the purposes of this Act until the expiry of the term of validity of the licences.
(2) State and local government authorities and legal persons in public law having operated as adult training institutions before the entry into force of this Act have been equalised with the managers of continuing education institutions for the purposes of this Act until 30 June 2016.
(3) The managers of continuing education institutions shall establish the bases for ensuring the quality of the activities of a continuing education institution specified in subsection 1 of § 7 of this Act no later than by 1 July 2016.
(4) A continuing education institution shall bring their data in the Education Information System, on their website and in another publicly accessible digital environment into compliance with the provisions of subsection 1 of § 11 of this Act by 31 December 2025.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(5) Continuing education may be provided since 1 January 2026 by an adult educator who complies with the requirements provided for in the second sentence of subsection 1 of § 11 of this Act.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(6) Training for adult educators may be conducted since 1 January 2026 by a training provider who complies with the requirements provided for in subsection 3 of § 11 of this Act.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
(7) A continuing education institution may conduct micro-credential studies since 1 September 2025 if the micro-credential studies comply with the requirements provided for in this Act.
[RT I, 30.01.2025, 1 - entry into force 01.04.2025]
§ 21. – § 43. [Omitted from this text.]
§ 431. Repeal of Adult Education Act
The Adult Education Act (RT I 1993, 74, 1054) shall be repealed.
[RT I, 10.06.2015, 9 - entry into force 01.07.2015]
§ 44. – § 48. [Omitted from this text.]
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