Estonia will introduce a nationwide program called AI Leap next September, giving educators and students across the country free access to AI-powered tools like chatbots.
The program is an ambitious step towards integrating modern technology inside schools to enhance teaching and learning. The news was announced by Kristina Kallas, Estonia’s Education and Research Minister, at the Global Education Forum in London last week, according to The Guardian.
Initially revealed in February, AI Leap aims to provide 58,000 pupils and 5,000 educators with the latest AI learning resources by 2027—completely free of charge. The program will first be rolled out among 16- and 17-year-old students.
A Digital-First Mindset
Speaking at the forum, Minister Kallas highlighted Estonia’s vision-led digital approach in comparison to the majority of other European countries, who are now moving toward restricting smartphone use in schools.
“Estonian society is more fortunate in using digital tools and services—so are teachers,” she explained.
Estonia’s society speaks volumes. The nation ranked ahead of all European nations in mathematics, science, and creative thinking, the most recent PISA tests indicate.
Estonia has long been an advocate of innovation through digital platforms across the board—government services to voting. Estonian teens as young as 16 years can even vote in local elections, which they can cast easily via their smartphones.
We want to have them use that technology in civic life—to become educated, to think,” Kallas said. “It would be odd to stop them from having phones at school and get them to vote on those same phones.”
Rather than banning smartphones themselves, Estonia lets each school create its own policy—namely for
