President Karis: The teacher is always at the heart of education

TALLINN - President Alar Karis said on Monday at the opening of the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) in Tallinn that in a rapidly changing world, the role of teachers is increasingly important, and the future of education depends on how well we can support and trust them.

President Karis emphasized that the teacher always remains at the heart of education. "Invest in teachers. Trust them. Give them time and support and allow them to be independent. If we do so, our learners will not be left alone in a rapidly changing world," he said.

According to the head of state, learners need not only answers but direction, the skill to learn, and someone to help connect knowledge with values and responsibility. "The more complex the world becomes, the more we need something that technology cannot offer - human guidance," said President Karis.

According to President Karis, new technologies do not diminish the importance of the teacher but make it even more significant. "The teachers we need most are not just transmitters of knowledge. They are professionals who support the learner, cultivate curiosity, and help young people cope with uncertainty confidently, not with fear," said the Estonian head of state.

In his speech, the Estonian head of state also touched upon the impact of artificial intelligence on education and highlighted Estonia's "AI-Leap" initiative, which aims to use artificial intelligence to improve the quality of learning. "The AI-Leap is not essentially a technology reform. It is a reform of learning and teaching," President Karis emphasized. "Innovation does not end when the application reaches students and teachers - that is precisely where it begins."

The International Summit on the Teaching Profession, held in Tallinn, brings together education ministers, teacher union representatives, and education leaders from nearly 20 top-performing PISA countries to discuss the future of the teaching profession and the adaptation of education systems in a rapidly changing world.