The Minister of Education and Research is the senior minister at the Ministry of Education and Research (Estonian

Estonian language

Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...

: Eesti Vabariigi Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium) in the Estonian Government. The Minister is responsible for administration and development of Estonian educational system as well as for administration and funding of research and development activities on national level.

The Minister of Education and Research is chosen by the Prime Minister

Prime Minister of Estonia

The Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government of the Republic of Estonia. The prime minister is nominated by the President after appropriate consultations with the parliamentary factions and confirmed by the Parliament. In case of disagreement, the Parliament can reject the President's...

 as a part of the government. The current Minister of Education and Research is Jaak Aaviksoo

Jaak Aaviksoo

Jaak Aaviksoo, born 11 January 1954 in Tartu, Estonia is an Estonian politician and current Estonian Minister of Education and Research. He is a member of liberal conservative Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica.- Education and career in science :...

, who took the position with the installation of a new government in April 2011.

The Minister is assisted in his/her work by the Deputy Minister, Secretary General, Secretary for General and Vocational Education, Secretary for Higher Education and Research, and Secretary for Youth Affairs and Foreign Relations.

History

Post of the Minister of Education was created at the birth of independent Republic of Estonia on 24 February 1918. From 1928 to 1936 the official title was the Minister of Education and Social Affairs. The end of the Republic of Estonia on 21 June 1940 marked also the end of independent governance of education in Estonia. The Ministry of Education continued from 1940 to 1991 under orders received from Moscow and was merged with the Educational Committee in 1988.

The Ministry of Education was re-established in 1989 to replace the Educational Committee of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic. With the restoration of independent Republic of Estonia on 20 August 1991 the Ministry regained its supreme authority on educational issues. In 1993 the ministries of culture and education were merged to form Ministry of Culture and Education. 1996 the old order was restored and a separate Ministry of Education re-established. 2001 the Ministry was relocated to Tartu

Tartu

Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...

 due to several economic and regional political arguments, but also due to successful lobby by University of Tartu

University of Tartu

The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...

.

On 1 January 2003 the Ministry of Education was renamed to Ministry of Education and Research in order to reflect better its focus and areas of administration. The title of the Minister has changed according to the changes in the name of the Ministry.

1918 to 1940

	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party
1	Peeter Põld Peeter Põld Peeter Siegfried Nikolaus Põld was an Estonian pedagogic scientist, school director and politician , and the first Estonian Minister of Education. As curator of the University of Tartu he oversaw the university's transition to the Estonian language in the newly independent country....	24 February 1918	28 November 1918	Estonian People's Party Estonian People's Party The Estonian People's Party was a centre-right political party in Estonia. Its predecessor, the Estonian Popular Progress Party was founded by Jaan Tõnisson in 1905 as one of the first Estonian political parties. After the Revolution of 1905, it remained the only legal political party in Estonia...
2	Karl Luts	28 November 1918	12 March 1919
3	Harald Laksberg	12 March 1919	9 May 1919
4	Johannes Kartau	9 May 1919	19 November 1919
5	Konstantin Treffner	19 November 1919	2 August 1920
6	Friedrich Sauer	2 August 1920	27 October 1920
7	Jüri Annusson	27 October 1920	27 January 1921
8	Heinrich Bauer Heinrich Bauer Heinrich Bauer was born in 1813. He was a shoemaker. He was a leader of the League of the Just. When the League of the Just changed to the Communist League Heinrich Bauer became a member of the Central Authority of the Communist League. He was prominent figure in the German and the international...	27 January 1921	22 November 1922
9	Aleksander Veiderman	22 November 1922	20 February 1924
10	Rudolf Georg Gabrel (acting)	20 February 1924	27 March 1924
11	Hugo Bernhard Rahamägi	27 March 1924	17 December 1925
12	Jaan Lattik Jaan Lattik Jaan Lattik was an Estonian politician, writer and a former Estonian Minister of Education and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia....	17 December 1925	10 December 1927
13	Alfred Julius Mõttus	10 December 1927	5 December 1928
14	Leopold Johannes Johanson	5 December 1928	10 June 1929
15	Jaan Hünerson	10 June 1929	12 February 1931
16	Jaan Piiskar	12 February 1931	20 February 1932
17	Jaan Hünerson (2nd time)	20 February 1932	3 October 1932
18	Hugo Kukke	3 October 1932	18 May 1933
19	Konstantin Konik Konstantin Konik Konstantin Konik M.D. was an Estonian politician and surgeon, member of the Estonian Salvation CommitteeKonstantin Konik was born to a working class family, his father made living as a carter...	18 May 1933	21 October 1933
20	Nikolai Kann	21 October 1933	11 May 1936
21	Aleksander Jaakson Aleksander Jaakson Aleksander Jaakson was an Estonian Major General and the Estonian Minister of Education between 1936 to 1939 and Chief of the General Staff of the Estonian Army between 1939 to 1940...	11 May 1936	12 October 1939
22	Paul Kogerman Paul Kogerman In 1938–1939 Kogerman was ex officio member of the National Council . From October 1939 until the Soviet occupation of Estonia on 21 June 1940 Kogerman served as Minister of Public Education....	12 October 1939	21 June 1940

1989 to Present

	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party
23	Rein Loik	28 December 1989	21 October 1992	(none)
24	Paul-Eerik Rummo Paul-Eerik Rummo Paul-Eerik Rummo is an Estonian poet and politician and a former Estonian Minister of Culture and Education, a former Estonian Minister of Population Affairs....	22 October 1992	21 June 1994	(none)
25	Peeter Olesk	21 June 1994	17 April 1995	Estonian National Independence Party
26	Peeter Kreitzberg Peeter Kreitzberg Peeter Kreitzberg was an Estonian politician, member of parliament and a member of the Social Democratic Party. Kreitzberg served as the Estonian Minister of Education and Research from April to November 1995...	17 April 1995	6 November 1995	Estonian Centre Party Estonian Centre Party The Estonian Centre Party is a centrist, social liberal party in Estonia. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members....
27	Jaak Aaviksoo Jaak Aaviksoo Jaak Aaviksoo, born 11 January 1954 in Tartu, Estonia is an Estonian politician and current Estonian Minister of Education and Research. He is a member of liberal conservative Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica.- Education and career in science :...	6 November 1995	30 November 1996	Estonian Reform Party Estonian Reform Party The Estonian Reform Party is a centre-right, free market liberal party in Estonia. It is led by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, and has 33 members in the 101-member Riigikogu, making it the largest party in the legislature...
28	Rein Loik (2nd time)	30 November 1996	17 March 1997	(none)
29	Mait Klaassen	17 March 1997	25 March 1999	Estonian Coalition Party Estonian Coalition Party Estonian Coalition Party was an Estonian centrist/centre-right liberal political party. Founded in 1991 by Tiit Vähi, it disbanded in 2001. The party was an observing member of Liberal International from 1998 on. It had a contacts with parties like Latvian Way and participated in the ruling...
30	Tõnis Lukas Tõnis Lukas Tõnis Lukas is an Estonian politician. He is a Vice-Chairman of the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica.-Early career:Lukas was born in Tallinn, Estonia. After graduating from secondary school and spending another year in technical school in Tallinn, he went on to study history in University of...	25 March 1999	28 January 2002	Pro Patria Union
31	Mailis Rand Mailis Reps Mailis Reps is an Estonian politician and a former Estonian Minister of Education and Research. She is a member of the Estonian Centre Party.-Biography:...	28 January 2002	10 April 2003	Estonian Centre Party Estonian Centre Party The Estonian Centre Party is a centrist, social liberal party in Estonia. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members....
32	Toivo Maimets	10 April 2003	13 April 2005	Union for the Republic - Res Publica
33	Mailis Reps Mailis Reps Mailis Reps is an Estonian politician and a former Estonian Minister of Education and Research. She is a member of the Estonian Centre Party.-Biography:...  (= Mailis Rand, 2nd time)	13 April 2005	5 April 2007	Estonian Centre Party Estonian Centre Party The Estonian Centre Party is a centrist, social liberal party in Estonia. Keskerakond is a member of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party. It has the largest membership of an Estonian party, with over 12 000 members....
34	Tõnis Lukas Tõnis Lukas Tõnis Lukas is an Estonian politician. He is a Vice-Chairman of the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica.-Early career:Lukas was born in Tallinn, Estonia. After graduating from secondary school and spending another year in technical school in Tallinn, he went on to study history in University of...	5 April 2007	5 April 2011	Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica is an Estonian Liberal Conservative political party. It was founded on 4 June 2006 when two conservative parties, Pro Patria Union and Res Publica merged. Up to the 2007 parliamentary elections, the party held 32 seats out of 101 in the Riigikogu and one of...
35	Jaak Aaviksoo Jaak Aaviksoo Jaak Aaviksoo, born 11 January 1954 in Tartu, Estonia is an Estonian politician and current Estonian Minister of Education and Research. He is a member of liberal conservative Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica.- Education and career in science :...  (2nd time)	6 April 2011		Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica is an Estonian Liberal Conservative political party. It was founded on 4 June 2006 when two conservative parties, Pro Patria Union and Res Publica merged. Up to the 2007 parliamentary elections, the party held 32 seats out of 101 in the Riigikogu and one of...

Contact information

Estonian Ministry of Education and Research

Munga 18, 50088 Tartu

e-mail: hm@hm.ee

Tel: (+372) 735 0222

Fax: (+372) 735 0250