Each spring, the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) brings together official delegations of ministers of education, leaders of teachers’ organizations, outstanding teachers, and other education experts and teacher leaders from countries with high-performing and rapidly improving educational systems, as measured by PISA, to learn from both their successes and their shared educational challenges. It is a unique and important forum where ministers and union leaders discuss best practices worldwide that strengthen the teaching profession and raise student achievement.
Summit arrangements
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The Estonian ISTP2026 organising committee will host a welcoming desk for delegations at Tallinn Lennart Meri airport during the arriving hours of the Heads of Delegations (HODs). The desk will be located in the arrivals hall.
A two-way airport transfer will be provided for each country’s HOD and accompanying members who arrive and depart on the same flights. Desk agents connect HODs and accompanying delegates to the relevant chauffeur.
For delegation members arriving or departing on different flights, please see more information about the options available for travel between the airport and the hotel from Practical Info.
The hotel is in walking distance from the summit venue Creative Hub (Kultuurikatel), but transfers will also be provided between the hotels and the summit venue.
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A liaison officer will be assigned to accompany each delegation during the ISTP 2026. Points of Contact (POC) will receive the contact information of their liaison officers (LO) before the Summit. Liaison officers will be fully available to the relevant delegations during the Summit’s programme from March 8th – 11th, providing information to the delegation, e.g. about the meeting agenda, timing and in relation to bilateral meetings, as well as assisting on further matters as needed. Liaison officers will greet the relevant delegations at the Registration and Hospitality desk from 8 AM March 8th, or as wished by the relevant Head of Delegation.
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Official delegates will be assigned seats at the main table and in a row behind the main table, in an alphabetical order of the participating countries and special observers countries. Delegation observers may take their seats in the audience section of the conference room.
At the beginning of the summit, the moderator will inform the delegates about the proceedings and the procedure to request the floor to speak. Please note that speaking opportunities cannot be guaranteed for all delegates during each session. Delegations wishing to secure participation in specific sessions are strongly encouraged to communicate their requests to the moderator in advance of the summit. Interventions of each delegation should not exceed two minutes to allow as many countries to participate as possible, generating a dynamic dialogue. Further information on the format of the discussions will be available in the moderator’s letter which will be sent to all delegations in advance of the Summit.
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Country delegations will meet on the last day of the Summit (Wednesday, March 11th) for an hour to discuss and prepare their policy priorities/three commitments for 2026.
Delegations will meet in the Cauldron Hall or elsewhere in the Creative Hub.
Each country delegation should prepare the following using the template found here in Reference documents.
- one key insight from the Summit and
- three top commitments for the coming year.
The completed template must be uploaded via the link that will be shared before the summit. Please include your country name in the file title and ensure the upload is completed within the one-hour timeframe.
Country delegations are required to bring their own electronic devices to fill in and submit the template.
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All Country POCs (as indicated during the registration process) will receive a list of all Country POCs by email in the beginning of February 2026. Delegations may use the list to contact the relevant POC to arrange a bilateral meeting at a mutually suitable date and time.
If a bilateral meeting room is required, the requesting country POC should submit a request by contacting info@istp2026.ee indicating:
- The countries involved
- Preferred date and time
- The POCs and their email addresses
- Number of delegates attending the meeting (max. 3 – 4 persons for each delegation)
The POCs will receive an e-mail confirmation from the organisers with the date, time and assigned meeting room once arrangements are made.
The bilateral meeting rooms are located as follows.
- Level 3: meeting rooms Kuut, Pilv for up to 9 delegates; meeting room Kaja for up to 12 delegates.
- Level 4: meeting room Torn for up to 13 delegates, meeting room Merkel for up to 7 delegates.
- Level 2: Terrace Hall for up to 16 delegates
- Level 1: Stalker Hall for up to 16 delegates
- Level 0: Small Hall for up to 16 delegates
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The summit will be held in English only. However, if countries wish to bring their own interpreters, they must contact the organisers at info@istp2026.ee.
