“Numerous international surveys have proved it: Finnish basic education is at the top of the table. High-quality education based on equal opportunity has otherwise played a key role in the success story of Finnish society. Education has created prosperity, safeguarded democracy and evened out differences between regions and social classes.” (Country Brand Report)
As the report “Mission for Finland!” states, one of Finland’s strengths is its excellent comprehensive school system and high quality teacher training. Every teacher in Finland is required to have a Master’s degree, the goal of it being that teachers know their subjects and possess good pedagogical skills to share their knowledge. (Note: The reports focuses on comprehensive school system mainly, we’ll write more about higher education later on.)
Education is free in Finland, with a few exceptions, which ensures same opportunities to every child no matter their background and previous education. Until upper secondary school or vocational school meals are free for all students. In universities and universities of applied sciences meals cost usually less than 3 € since KELA, The Social Insurance Institution of Finland pays part of a meal price. This ensures that every child may eat at least one warm meal every day. According to school cooks, kids eat the most on Mondays, after a weekend at home where sometimes meals might be a bit different. A hungry brain needs to eat, too!
One of the report’s titles “Finnish teachers know how to laugh” summarises well the friendly and non-hierarchical relationship between pupils and teachers in Finland. Especially our German friends living in Finland have been surprised about how easygoing Finnish teachers can be with kids. Back in their country a primary school teacher or a university professor is always THE authority. Indeed, a distant and formal relationship is more of a rule, not an exception. One could think that a child or anybody learns better in a safe environment where help and support is easy to ask and get.
Finnish kids have succeeded really well in PISA researches (Programme for International Student Assessment). According to the Finnish Country Brand Report, the PISA comparison evaluates not only 15-year-olds skills in mathematics, science, reading and problem solving but also children’s attitudes towards studying.
Young Finns were ranked high in 2003 in 2006 when PISA’s foci were on mathematics and science, respectively. Moreover, the Country Brand Report refers to another international survey researching young people’s social skills. Apparently Finland did well here, too but it appears that despite the knowledge on social matters, young Finns don’t actually put their skills into practice. Does our respect for silence, personal space and just a little small talk turn into poor manners? A foreigner knowing barely anything about Finland might easily understand us wrongly, don’t you think. The Finnish language doesn’t even have a proper word for English “please” or French “s’il vous plaît” and as for our experience, hearing “anteeksi” when someone pushes you happens more rarely in Finland than hearing “excuse me” from a foreigner.
Comprehensive schools obtained great results in surveys such as PISA and foreign representatives visit our schools to learn from us. Free education and free school meals would surely do good for students in countries where only the wealthy can afford education.
We can be very proud of us and keep up the good work but how could we develop our education system further? How to turn social skills from theory to practice? Should we start kissing cheeks or have kids go for lunch at home?
