Summary

International legal acts stipulate the right of everyone to education. In order to guarantee the realisation of this right, these acts contain prescripts to countries regarding the organisation of education. Four general principles dealing with the organisation of education could be mentioned: 1. In order that the right of everyone to education be guaranteed to at least a minimum level, it is necessary that schooling should be to a certain extent compulsory; it is also necessary that the state implements measures to ensure that compulsory school attendance be adhered to (the principle of compulsory education).

2. The obligation to acquire education unavoidably results in the requirement that adhering to compulsory schooling should occur free-of-charge (the principle of free education).

3. Since education is compulsory, it must be of a pluralistic and tolerant nature in order to defend the freedom of thought and religion of pupils (the principle of balanced education).

4. The principle of freedom of thought and religion leads to the freedom to choose the education to be acquired and the educational institution, and the freedom to found private schools (the principle of educational freedom).

The author examines the implementation of these principles in Estonian educational law, concentrating thereby on the comparison between the organisation of education in France and Estonia.