Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations -- Introduction: Setting the stage -- Chapter 1: History: Challenges and gifts from the past -- Chapter navigator -- Introduction -- Forselius the founder -- Background -- Forselius the reformer -- Swedish royal measures -- 1200-1700 -- Invasions, occupations and trade -- Education -- Russian rule: 1700-1900 -- End of Swedish rule, start of Russian rule -- Nineteenth century: Russification versus national awakening -- Twentieth century -- Revolutionary ferment -- Gain and loss of independence: 1917-1939/40 -- 1939-1988: "denationalisation", sovietisation and resistance -- 1945-1988: system changes and working within it -- Summary and conclusions -- Lessons learnt -- Notes -- Chapter 2: Education system overview: What makes it work -- Chapter navigator -- Introduction -- PISA's reach -- Overview -- Importance -- Notes of caution -- Overview of Estonian context and education -- National context -- Structure of education system -- Preschools -- Primary and secondary general education schools -- Schools serving students with special education needs (SEN) -- Hobby schools -- Vocational schools -- Tertiary-level institutions -- Non-formal education -- Features of the preschool to Grade 12 education system -- Language -- Form/homeroom teachers -- Time in class -- Recess and vacations -- Class size -- Streaming -- Homework -- Testing -- Some school system success indicators -- Discipline -- Retention: repeating a grade -- Dropout rates -- Computers and internet connections -- Estonian PISA scores and rankings -- Governance: seeking the right balance between centralisation and decentralisation -- National-level governance of general education -- Governance of local government schools.