The Success of the Finnish Education

SystemBy:

Matt Lanzoni

The purpose of this presentation is to introduce you to the Finnish education system and the success that its students are showing compared to other nations, where Finnish education and culture are heading in the future, and how I believe I can contribute to it.

Introduction

The public education system in Finland differs from that of America and other Western nations, yet it has been consistently ranked as one of the best in world.

Education in Finland is completely funded by the government, yet the education budget is only 5.6% of Finland’s GDP.

Finnish Education System

Despite the education budget being so relatively small, there are no tuition fees, students get free meals while at school, and Finland also provides free transportation for students in rural areas that may not have a school near them.

Finnish Education System (cont.)

Most students in Finland begin school at age 7 though many parents enroll their students in daycare prior to this.

From ages 7-16 students are mandated to attend what is known as “comprehensive school.”

After the age of 16, students may attend either an upper secondary school or a vocational school much like in the United States.

Structure of the Finnish Education System

The majority of schools in Finland are actually publicly funded with only 3% of the population having attended a private school.

Much like public schools, private schools receive state grants and as such they are not allowed to have tuition fees, selective admission, and must provide for the same social entitlements that students at public schools receive.

Private vs. Public Education

In order for a private school to be established it must first receive approval from the Council of State

Because of these requirements, most of the private schools in Finland are either religion-based or based on the Steiner schools model.

Private vs. Public Education (cont.)

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) study the achievements of students around the world with the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which Finland has been ranked at the top since 2000.

How Successful is the Finnish Education System

In the PISA report for 2009, Finland scored above the OECD average in all three of the categories scored: reading, math, and science.

In reading: Finland was ranked 3rd out of 65 countries In math: 6th out of 65 In science: 3rd out of 65

PISA 2009 Findings

Does Finland continually administer standardized tests to track student achievement?◦ No. In fact there are no mandatory exams except an exit exam

taking after a students’ senior year of high school.

Does Finland have a strict curriculum every teacher must follow?◦ No. Teachers from all over Finland contribute to develop a

national curriculum which offers only guidelines for teachers.

So What Makes it Work so Well?

Teachers play an integral part in the success of the Finnish education system.

Becoming a teacher in Finland is very competitive.

For example, in 2010 at the University of Helsinki, 2,400 students competed for 120 slots in the Master’s program there for school teachers.

Most teachers have a Master’s Degree and were among the top 10% of their graduating class.

Teacher’s in Finland

The typical classroom in Finland has no more than 20 students and most schools are small enough for teachers to know every student.

Low achieving and high achieving students are placed in the same classrooms and the higher achieving students are expected to help their fellow classmates.

About 30% of students receive special help during their first nine years of school.

Classrooms in Finland

Teachers typically spend only 4 hours a day inside a classroom teaching and students are given a full 30 minutes of unstructured recess everyday year-round.

Teachers are also paid to spend two hours each week working on staff development.

Teachers often collaborate and share ideas or lessons.

Class Time

This process is to ensure comparability in the standards and quality of higher education qualifications in the member countries of the European Union.

With this process, the distinction between Finland’s vocational and academic schools’ qualifications are starting to become distorted.

The Bologna Process

While 93% of Finns have graduated from high school (either vocational or academic), politicians in Finland are beginning to put more pressure on the education system to provide higher education for students.

This has lead to a restructuring of higher education institutions by introducing new degrees or universities combining schools.

Bigger Push for Higher Education

A major aspect of Finland’s education system is that it is aggressively progressive which means that it is always adapting and changing to meet new challenges and needs.

One of these challenges is implementing and teaching students about technology.

Some schools have begun to use new technology, such as new 3-D science equipment to help students observe blood flow in the human body.

Incorporating New Technologies

With the increase desire to “globalize” classrooms, I could help bring a different perspective into the work environment having been born and raised in a different culture.

Also with the consolidation of schools and the implementation of new technology, I could help to train the teachers or professors on the new equipment to assist them in teaching larger or more diversified classes.

How I Can Contribute

Only 3.4% of the Finnish population are foreign born yet with the increase in publicity that Finland is beginning to receive for its educational success and economic growth, that number is sure to increase in the upcoming year as more people look to move to Finland.

This will put new strains on Finland and its culture that is used to dealing with people who were born and raised in the Finland.

The Future of Finnish Culture

With the equality of the Finnish education system and the increasing wealth of Finnish citizens, there are beginning to be patterns of affluent parents pulling their students from schools who are seeing an increase in immigrant students.

This might begin to create a chasm in education where Finnish born students may want to be in separate classes than students of other nationalities and cultures which may go against the Finnish tradition of equal education.

The Future of Finnish Education

Bassett, P. F. (2008). The Finnish Model. National Association of Independent Schools, Retrieved from http://www.nais.org/publications/ismagazinearticle.cfm?ItemNumber=151216http://www.nea.org/home/40991.htm

Snider, J. (2010). What can we learn from finland?: A q&a with dr. pasi sahlberg. The Hechinger Report, Retrieved from http://hechingerreport.org/content/what-can-we-learn-from-finland-a-qa-with-dr-pasi-sahlberg_4851/

Anderson, J. (2011). From finland, an intriguing school-reform model. The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/education/from-finland-an-intriguing-school-reform-model.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general

Hancock, L. (2011). Why are finland's schools successful? . Smithsonian Magazine, Retrieved from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/Why-Are-Finlands-Schools-Successful.html?c=y&page=1

Abrams, S. E. (2011). The children must play . The New Republic, Retrieved from http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/82329/education-reform-Finland-US

Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). What we can learn from finland’s successful school reform. Rethinking Schools, 24(4), Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/40991.htm

References

Gamerman, E. (2008). What makes finnish kids so smart? . The Wall Street Journal, Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120425355065601997.html

(n.d.). Higher education in finland. The International Education Site, Retrieved from http://www.intstudy.com/study-destinations/europe/finland/nfineduc02

Central Intelligence Agency. (2012). The World Factbook: Finland. Updated June 20 th, 2012 Retrieved July 17th, 2012, from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fi.html.

Education. (2012). Statistics Finland, Retrieved from http://www.stat.fi/til/kou_en.html

References (cont.)