Every Estonian schoolchild will soon be able to write their own code and produce software

Estonian Tiger Leap Foundation has launched a program called “ProgeTiiger”, through which Estonian students in grades 1 to 12 will be introduced computer programming and creating web and mobile applications. ProgeTiiger program will start with students in the first grade, which starts around the age of 7 for Estonians. The education will continue through a student’s final years of public school, around age 15.

Thanks to the program, children as young as 6 will be able to learn to write their own code and produce software.  “The interest of students towards using modern technologies has grown year after year. With the “ProgeTiiger” program we prepare students to become from consumers of software to developers of software,” Tiger Leap Foundation manager Ave Lauringson said.

In the first stage, the program concerns pilot schools, in the following years all public schools can join if they want to become part of the “ProgeTiiger” program. Teachers are being trained on the new skills, and private sector IT companies are also contributing.

Estonian Tiger Leap Foundation decided to start this project because they saw how many companies struggle to find decent programmers. This new program is expected to bring Estonia in front of the rest of the Eastern Europe in terms of IT development and growth. As the country with one of the highest internet penetration rates in the world and computerisation and digital connection for people encouraged and supported by the state, Estonia really sets to become an IT-tiger of the world.

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