Ott Pärna

Creativity crisis was the cover story of Newsweek in July, dealing with the downturn of American society’s creativity. Although the intelligence index of young people has in general risen for 10 point in one generation (varied environment does give boost to children’s intellect), the creative ability of US children in the age group from kinder garden up to sixth grade is in clear decent. Ibidem the achievements of a person are three times more affected by the level of creativeness in childhood than if IQ. This is a significant result of the work of scientists in University of Indiana.

Generally the creativity means the ability of an individual to instantiate connection between different subject fields and come up with original ideas and solutions for problems. Also to define a problem requires wise creativity. Most children are born creative – the environment, including parents and schools can either evolve or supress it.

I have no knowledge of studies on the growth or decent of creativity of children in Estonia. The results of our education are good, but at the same time the studies of pupils interests and delight in learning show low result. This refers to the out of date teaching methods, from which proceeds the boredom of learning. Interest of youngster to learn in science lessons is low and their understanding of this field is mechanical. Almost non-existent are the connections between teaching different subjects and the presentation theoretical. Teachers are intimidated by the new technologies, as they are afraid to succumb in this field to the pupils. It is a paradox that the incorporating of pupils in the development of teaching process is in Estonia twice lower than in other states. So it is a vicious circle.

Certainly we do have good schools, forward-looking directors, teachers and fun lessons. We also do have the technological possibilities to take a new, content changing leap in the whole process of general education – to get our second ‘Tiger leap’ towards information society. 

To achieve the dream the Estonian technology and educational experts have been labouring half a year to get between covers the road maps of the content-rich usage of IT in education.

While the Tiger Leap Programme, started by Toomas Hendrik Ilvese and Jaak Aaviksoo, named by Kaarel Tarand and declared by President Lennart Meri on 21st of February 1996, brought computers and internet into school, the freshly publicised proposals take technology deeper into learning-teaching process. By the valuation of experts the technology makes possible to solve many challenges facing education today.

What is the tangible use of the second leap of the Tiger?

Technology enables to develop the materials and methods of learning which do take in account the pupils individuality, the learning pace and interests. For instance today there exist the means to make the lessons of the best Estonian chemistry teacher available to everyone in Estonia. Hence the difference in availability to get the best education due to pupil’s place of residence or economic situation lessens. The availability of good education and the best teacher improves, the difference in the levels of schools lessens. The technology enriches the teaching process with sound, video and other multimedia possibilities. The learning process will be more effective, interactive and fun. The connection between different subjects will be better and more related to real life. Why not to shoot the coming autumn in the nature class and use the changes recorded through statistics programme in math? Alas today the computer in school is mainly used for writing and showing slides.     

Technological solutions will ease also the work of directors and teachers – prior is better informed to make decisions, the latter has less routine work and more time for pupils and self-education.

The roadmap produced by experts is a sequence of unavoidable steps that need to be made to make noticeable change happen. For instance on the state’s level it is necessary to name e clear leader, who will be responsible for the whole result in introducing technological solutions into educational process. The fragmented responsibilities do net get the result necessary. 

For one the proposal was made to establish the teachers innovation fund to support the presenting and implementation of new ideas, the usage of new teaching methods, the organising the adequate individual and group projects and the spreading of results on the principle bottom-up. The role of director as the point person, his/her openness to innovations and change is crucial.  Hence the proposal was made to create a special award to credit the forward-looking directors and to accent the job as such. Also the existence of education technologies competent both in pedagogics and technics and socially capable was stressed – these are the key people who help directors and teachers to grasp the new technologies.  

To close up – the second Tiger Leap does not hang on money. First and foremost it needs will and enthusiasm, foremanship and cooperation, both from statesmen and educational leaders, teachers and pupils, parents and also from technology firms. We are standing on the brink of an era where the technology is on the way to broaden the classical understanding of a lesson, allowing different subjects and real life to be tied together. If we are innovative and can make ‘our tiger to leap again’, we will certainly with our capable youngsters proceed about one generation of the states whose previous smart have given today admirable results.   

When we are successful in our steps, we have potential to become ‘spokesperson’ in technology usage in education like we are in the fields of e-government of cyber security. Let’s grab the bull by it horns and have a nice school year.

ott.parna[A]arengufond.ee, CEO of Development Fund

From the original opinion article in Postimees - 60s were the time of revolution. Not only in the music but in art, fashion, politics, technology and lifestyles as well. It was the time of turbulent change. And in any case it is the time fascinating to look back to, especially for those of us who hadn't even taken their first breath yet.

The young were behind those changes. Young and restless souls. As Robert Kennedy said, this world needed the quality of youth. "Not the youth as a period in time, but youth as a way of thought - willpower, the quality of imagination, boldness dominating over cowardice and desire for adventures over simply making it through," JFK's younger brother said these golden words.

Today's Estonia needs all that. We can do a lot, the old dinosaurs we are (the author is 34 years "old"), but the young are the ones to make Estonia anew. Praise the young and they will flourish - an Irish proverb. Involve the young and the Republic shall flourish, could be an Estonian proverb.

Any business or project that is not initiated by the young or where the young are not involved in as whole hearted owners from the start has the risk of not growing. At least they will not lead our society forward nor contribute in what president Meri called Estonian vigour. I'm not talking about mere daringness. The balance between life experience, knowledge of the world and youthful enthusiasm is important. In youth organisations, e. g. JCI which's Tallinn department I had the honour of managing couple of years ago, it is called mentoring - mutually supportive trust relationship between the more experienced and young newcomers. In Singapore by the way, even the government has a mentor not to mention the new generation of society leaders. I believe that we as well would benefit from using this modern version of master-apprentice relationship!

I write this article because I'm worried. Worried, because our society and our young are moving to different directions. They are like two trains on a branch line, moving apart. The further out of the station they go, the smaller is the chance of them meeting again. Like this year's snow - the larger the pile the longer it melts. Though, in the nature the coming of spring is a given, in the society not so much!

I will tell you a story about Marili.
Marili is an industrious economy student who studied in Netherlands, came to the Development Fund for internship, and with whom I talked about life one day. According to her for a young person Estonia is already complete - you step off the school conveyer, into a country where everything seems to be in place. But at the same time it's too boring and uninspiring, and it's hard to find one's place.

Marili says that Estonia is extremely hostile to new ideas. Everyone's sole purpose, amplified by media, seems to be beating others - mere complaining and making words. Everyone looks back all the time. This is like a wall for a young person, they hesitate with their decisions. And this is where the boldness comes in. Large undertakings of the 90s jumped in the water and learned to swim. Today many lack courage and many don't care. People see themselves outside Estonia. Sportsmen go study in the USA in search of better trainers. The curious go to travel in Australia, etc. This in itself is a good thing. Most young people want to and they should spend one longer period of their lives outside.

"The problem starts when none of the older generations really waits us back," says Marili. It feels like we can't find and don't have a place. And at the same time, among the young, material interests dominate over the desire to be a full fledged member of the society. Everyone asks, what does the society give me for this? People hope to self-make themselves and get "there" on their own. But where is there? "In Estonia it is the status among others - expressed by a new car and a house. Life like in a movie," Marili adds.

In Scandinavia and Europe the focus on the society can be felt more. There are many people, all of them tough. But they do not show it - there is no need to seek attention at any cost like Estonians tend to do.

The Dutch have a dignified history and they are very self-conscious people. At the same time they accept new ideas. Everyone walks with their backs straight, doing their own thing. Estonians do little but talk loud. And no-one wants to be just a good citizen.

There are dogmas in Estonian society that inject complexes and cowardice into the young. You have to be like others, think similar, so that you wouldn't be screwed. You need to keep good relations. If you step on a tail you may endanger your future. Few people, such as Lauristin, say things straight out - they have nothing to lose. That is why many young Estonians going to the world suffer from an inferiority complex.

They feel not important and are modest accordingly. That, in comparison to an American, who has seen nothing outside his country, but feels superior nonetheless. We need to encourage our young to keep their backs straight. It's a question of culture and values we obtain through experience and with the support of our home (and society).
Marili's friends' circle is not a political one. But still they use a saying - let's not talk about politics, it's dirty. If people see that many things are done dirty, that there's juridical correctness without moral one, it develops similar mentality in our young. There has been more of this lately. Direct and open unworthy conduct is equal to spitting to people's faces.

Despite all that young people still go to politics. Especially the high achievers; and even the student bodies are already political. But this could wait. There should be a time to study abroad, understand how the world works, make a professional career and do something in the real life. One should go to the politics only when they have something to give. When there's something you know really well and can rely on when making general politics.

Marili concludes that young people don't know where this country is going. They ask, why should we waste ourselves here? Why's there a glass ceiling to our society, obstructing our growth? These questions are asked by people who actually care about Estonia.

These are merely one youth's feelings towards her country, but they invoke thought. It's the better part of our young that do not feel at home in this society. If we do nothing they might grow to be the next generation of student freedom-fighters. Selfless young in pursuit of justice, the ones we decorate with medals in another three fourths of a century.

Sven Grünberg said that too many grumble about this country. And he said it well, but we must also not forget that the right to grumble is called the freedom of speech - corner stone to democracy. But the constitution also tells as to secure and develop our country. For the present and future generations. With these generations.
In the Development Fund we plan to include more directly at least 100 of our most brilliant young people - our future thought leaders, public figures, businessmen and politicians. To brainstorm together, to debate and to set big goals to our country's economy. What will you do?

Ott.Pärna@arengufond.ee, CEO.

I am jotting down a few observations I have made at conferences and daily work in the course of the past months. At last, it was elaborately said in the parliament that innovation is not really an economic term, rather it is a matter of culture. This has to be nurtured from kindergarten: children have to be taught to think creatively, all the more, they need to be encouraged to learn from mistakes.

Regrettably, the whole of Europe has difficulties with such an upbringing. The paradox of the Old World lies in the fact that there are two things that are really loathed: failure and big success. And we are not in a much better situation. In this regard, the media has a big role to play in developing values. If we want to catch up with Old Europe and promote innovativeness, we will have to try to think more in the American way. In the land of opportunities, failure is looked upon as a learning possibility, and it is actually a person's third business that is considered  successful.

In spite of the surrounding crisis we in the Development Fund's investment division see positive tendencies: the quality of business plans and investment proposals has increased. There are still too few ambitious and globally oriented projects in Estonia, but those that do exist are more carefully thought out. However, the things persistently in short supply are international sales and marketing competences, which often have to be sought across the ocean. If most potential customers are in North America, only people who have lived on that continent, who have contacts and breakthrough experience can organise sales to these clients. Hence, in order to achieve an international breakthrough, we have to contemplate how to cross-breed Estonian ideas and technologies with international sales and management competencies. Mutual co-operation and strategic partnership with agents should also be considered when reaching out to foreign markets. For example, for each dollar that Microsoft makes, its partners are said to make eight.

In the past months we have received a project or two a week. All in all, during slightly more than 18 months we have examined some 160 projects. In reality, just about half of the projects possibly have an international growth potential and of these 50 per cent are more mature, elaborate and realistic. In a month, we get some three co-investment requests from angel investors, affluent individuals and foreign investment companies.

By and large, considering the future opportunities of the Estonian economy, I tend to believe more in growth areas than in specific sectors. For example, we talk about environmental and sustainable energy products and services, which are on the rise in the world also during the crisis and offer opportunities to companies in many different sectors. The same is true for health and welfare products and services. This sector, too, is growing owing to the aging population in rich countries and the budgetary pressures. This area also holds opportunities for many companies in the private as well as (surprise, surprise!) the public sector. Health care services will be promoted more actively across borders and health care technologies and telemedicine equipment will be sold along with health capsules and tubs, ergonomic furniture, artificial joints, health promotion services, rehabilitation, eye surgery, dental care, smart clothing, e-health solutions, etc.

Should the government contribute more and encourage entrepreneurs to look more actively for unconventional ways of making money? Yes, absolutely. The astuteness to find a profitable section in a production or service chain is of key importance to each and every company. The government, too, has to be smart and figure out those big buttons it has to press so that the society and the entrepreneurs would be naturally innovative and capable of spotting breakthrough opportunities. Meanwhile, the impact is bigger the earlier one "presses the button". We have to be decisive in making our higher educational system international. We have to see to it that a business student, a technocrat and a designer would already write course papers together at school. Also, the first priority in basic education should be maintaining and developing children's creativity and problem-solving.