Haridustasemele

Haridustasemele is an Estonian term used to describe the level of formal education that an individual has completed. In statistics and research, haridustasemele serves as a categorical variable representing an individual’s highest attained education, rather than current study status or informal learning.

In practice, haridustasemele is linked to recognized education levels. Common categories include basic education (algharidus), secondary education (keskharidus, including general secondary and vocational secondary), vocational education (kutseharidus), and higher education (kõrgharidus, including bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies). In international contexts these levels are often aligned with the ISCED classification, which enables cross-country comparisons of educational attainment.

Data on haridustasemele are collected through population censuses, household surveys and education-specific statistics. In Estonia, Statistics Estonia (Statistikaamet) aggregates and reports on educational attainment to analyze trends in the labor market, social mobility and human capital. The data are used to compute indicators such as the share of the population with tertiary education, the distribution of education levels by age group, and the relationship between education and employment outcomes.

Interpreting haridustasemele requires consideration of national classification schemes and cross-border comparability. Differences in how degrees are recognized or counted, as well as changes in educational reforms over time, can affect longitudinal analyses. Nonetheless, haridustasemele remains a key descriptive variable for understanding the educational composition of the population and informing policy decisions related to education and labor markets.