Finnish Education system“A source of well-being for all”

Riitta Gerlander, Embassy of Finland

28 November 2007

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Contents

1. Finland at a glance2. Features of the Finnish education system3. School autonomy4. Pre-school education5. Primary education6. Upper Secondary education7. Higher education8. Challenges9. Why Finland ranks high in international comparisons?

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Finland at a glance

• Independent since 1917, member of the European Union since 1995

• Total area 338,000 km2, Population 5.2 million (17 inhabitants / km2)

• Two official languages: Finnish 94 %, Swedish 6 %, (Saami 0,03%)

• Religion: Lutheran (84 %), orthodox (1 %)

• 74,6 % of population (aged 25 to 64) have completed upper secondary or tertiary education. 33,2 % have university or other tertiary qualifications

• Immigrants: 2 % of population • Working life: 86 % of women (aged 25-

64) are employed outside the home

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Features of the Finnish education system

• Equal opportunities for education irrespective of domicile, sex, economic situation or mother tongue

• Regional accessibility of education

• No separation of sexes

• Education totally free of charge

• Comprehensive, non-selective basic education

• Supportive and flexible administration: centralized steering on the national level --> local implementation

• Interactive, co-operative way of working at all levels; idea of partnership

• Individual support for learning and welfare of pupils

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Statistics of the schools (2004)

Education level Institutions Students

Primary education: Comprehensive schools

3 729 593 148

Upper secondary general education

441 120 531

Vocational and professional education

290 230 823

Polytechnic education 31 131 919

University education 20 173 974

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School autonomy

• Curriculum– National Core Curricula by National Board of Education – Guidelines by the municipality – local orientation– School-based curriculum

• Annual work plan and budget, recruitment of teachers and staff• Decisions on group forming, daily work rhythm and other practices• Profiling of schools by contents• Text books and other materials

– Central approval procedures abolished 1993– Decisions on school level

• Pedagogical autonomy of teachers • Voluntary participation in national development programs

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Pre-school education”Learning by playing”

• For children from 6-years-old --> • 99,9 % of the entire age group (2004)• The instruction is not divided

into subjects• Various fields covered:

language, mathematics, ethics and philosophy, environmental and natural studies, health, physical development, art and culture

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Primary education

• 9 years of comprehensive school (age 7 - 15)

• Teaching, textbooks, meals, health service and travel to and from school free of charge

• About 65 000 pupils start school every fall

• Large urban schools and

small village schools

• Almost all schools

are municipal

• Seperate schools for

the Swedish-speaking

population

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Upper Secondary educationOver 50% of the age group complete upper secondary school education

HIGH SCHOOL• Students 16 - 19 years of age• about 37 000 new students every

year• Gives eligibility for higher

education • General education, 3-year syllabus• Divided into courses (1 course =

38 hours): compulsory, specialisation and applied courses (18 compulsory subjects)

• School year usually divided into 5 or 6 periods

• Distance and virtual teaching has been developed

• Ends in a national matriculation examination (min. 4 tests)

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION &TRAINING• 7 sectors of education (Social and

healthcare, Technology and traffic etc.)

• Gives eligibility for higher education

• 52 vocational qualification including 113 different study programmes (3 years, 120 cr)

• Apprenticeship training and competence-based qualification

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Higher education33,2 % have university or other tertiary qualifications

UNIVERSITIES

• Mission: to carry out scientific research and to give education based on it

• Multifaculty universities, Universities of technology, Schools of economics and business administration, Art academies

• Coming: Innovation university

POLYTECHNICS• Mission: to provide ”hands-on education”

with a practical approach• Answering the needs of the regions’ own

industry and the SME sector as a whole

TRENDFewer schools, combining forces,

searching for synergies

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Challenges

• Equality in education• School satisfaction and well-being at school• Learning outdoors of the school• Exclusion• Career counseling• Support for learners• Special-needs teaching: Disabled people, top intelligent ones• Development of secondary education• Development of teaching of immigrants; Internationalisation• Development of researcher training and research as a career• Increasing the interaction between research and society

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Why Finland ranks high in international comparisons?

Compared to other Nordic countries

• Tradition– Teacher profession– Value of education– Orientation of work

• Projects and their implementation– Practical development– Teachers in key role– Organizers of education were also involved

• Strong support towards pupils– Special education

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Questions?