Education Cooperation in Tartu County

The Association of Municipalities of Tartu County supports county-wide cooperation in education and helps connect local initiatives with wider development goals.

Our work focuses on strengthening collaboration across the education system, supporting professional networks and contributing to the development of learning opportunities across the county. Education is closely linked with wellbeing, community life and the long-term development of the region.

What we do

In education, our role is to support and coordinate county-wide cooperation. This includes:

• supporting networks of teachers, school leaders and education professionals;
• coordinating subject olympiads, competitions and student events at county level;
• contributing to cooperation between municipalities in education-related issues;
• supporting joint development activities that involve more than one local authority or sector.

Education landscape

Tartu County combines a strong urban centre with surrounding rural municipalities. The education network is diverse and includes preschools, general education, vocational education, higher education, hobby education and adult learning opportunities.

In the City of Tartu, the education landscape includes 25 municipal preschools, 14 private preschools, 31 general education schools, 5 vocational schools and 12 higher education institutions.

In the rest of Tartu County, there are 30 municipal preschools, 27 general education schools, 1 branch of a private school and 4 state-owned general education schools for pupils in need of intensified or special support.

Cooperation networks

A key strength of education in Tartu County is cooperation. Teacher subject networks and school leader networks help professionals exchange experience, share good practice and develop common approaches across the county.

These networks support both everyday collaboration and longer-term development. They also help connect educational institutions from different municipalities and strengthen learning communities across the region.

Learning beyond formal education

Education in Tartu County is understood broadly. In addition to schools and preschools, learning also takes place through hobby education, extracurricular activities and adult learning.

These opportunities support creativity, future skills, personal development and active participation in community life. They help create a more connected and inclusive learning environment for different age groups.

Related focus areas

Education is closely connected with several other areas of our work. You can also explore:

• Children and youth
• School Food