Minister of Education and Research (Estonia)

The Minister of Education and Research is the senior minister at the Ministry of Education and Research (Estonian: 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 as a part of the government. The current Minister of Education and Research is Tõnis Lukas, who took the position on 18 July 2022.

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

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.

Titles

• 1918-1928 : Minister of Education
• 1928-1940 : Minister of Education and Social Affairs
• 1940-1989 : Inexistant
• 1989-1992 : Minister of Education
• 1982-1996 : Minister of Culture and Education
• 1996-2003 : Minister of Education
• Since 2003 : Minister of Education and Research

List of ministers

1918 to 1940

	Name	Took office	Left office	Party
1	Peeter Põld	24 February 1918	28 November 1918	Estonian People's Party
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	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	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	18 May 1933	21 October 1933
20	Nikolai Kann	21 October 1933	11 May 1936
21	Aleksander Jaakson	11 May 1936	12 October 1939
22	Paul Kogerman	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	22 October 1992	21 June 1994	(none)
25	Peeter Olesk	21 June 1994	17 April 1995	Estonian National Independence Party
26	Peeter Kreitzberg	17 April 1995	6 November 1995	Estonian Centre Party
27	Jaak Aaviksoo	6 November 1995	30 November 1996	Estonian Reform Party
28	Rein Loik (2nd time)	30 November 1996	17 March 1997	(none)
29	Mait Klaassen	17 March 1997	25 March 1999	Estonian Coalition Party
30	Tõnis Lukas	25 March 1999	28 January 2002	Pro Patria Union
31	Mailis Rand	28 January 2002	10 April 2003	Estonian Centre Party
32	Toivo Maimets	10 April 2003	13 April 2005	Union for the Republic - Res Publica
33	Mailis Reps (= Mailis Rand, 2nd time)	13 April 2005	5 April 2007	Estonian Centre Party
34	Tõnis Lukas (2nd time)	5 April 2007	5 April 2011	Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica
35	Jaak Aaviksoo (2nd time)	6 April 2011	26 March 2014	Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica
35	Jevgeni Ossinovski	26 March 2014	9 April 2015	Social Democratic Party
35	Jürgen Ligi	9 April 2015	12 September 2016	Estonian Reform Party
36	Maris Lauri	12 September 2016	23 November 2016	Estonian Reform Party
37	Mailis Reps (= Mailis Rand, 3rd time)	23 November 2016	21 November 2020	Estonian Centre Party
38	Jaak Aab	25 November 2020	26 January 2021	Estonian Centre Party
39	Liina Kersna	26 January 2021	18 July 2022	Estonian Reform Party
40	Tõnis Lukas (3rd time)	18 July 2022	Incumbent	Pro Patria

External links

• Ministry of Education and Research official web site