What I Know About Finnish Education

I first heard of Finland’s strong education system when I began teaching in 2009. Finland’s reputation as a utopia of progressive education policy remains intact to this day. According to the Program for International Student Assessment, Finland is currently ranked 12th in mathematics, fifth in science, and fourth in reading (Source—The Guardian).

Image Source

So, what is it that makes Finland’s schools so successful? I wondered that myself when I first learned of the Fulbright DAT Program. Since applying for the Fulbright program a year ago, I have been searching for what makes Finland so great. There is no one reason. Rather, a compilation of many practices and philosophies that create an approach to learning focused on students’ well-being. I highly recommend the book, Finnish Lessons 2.0 by Pasi Sahlberg. In his book, Sahlberg traces the evolution of Finnish education and highlights how Finland differ from most other nations.

This blog post shares some basic information regarding the Finnish education system. Reflecting on this research will help prepare me for visiting schools and will give readers background knowledge on the school system in Finland. Every school is different depending on structure, philosophy, resources, and student body. I am excited to compare my research to actual school observations in future posts.

For now, here is what “I think I know” about Finnish education:

Image Source

• Teaching is a highly regarded profession in Finland, the equivalent to doctors and lawyers. Every year, only 10 percent of qualified applicants to the University of Helsinki's primary and secondary school teacher training programs are accepted (Source—Straits Times). This statistic illustrates how many Finns' desire to enter the teaching field.
• Teachers are required to have a master’s degree which is paid for by the state (Source—The Guardian).
• Teachers typically spend four hours a day in the classroom and two hours planning and collaborating with colleagues (Source—New York Times).
• Basic (or comprehensive) education in Finland is mandatory for nine years, beginning in the year of the child’s seventh birthday. The comprehensive school curriculum is divided into grades 1-9. Grades 7-9 are taught by subject teachers. Upper secondary schools consists of grades 10-12 with instruction by subject teachers. Upon completing 9th grade, students may choose to 1) continue to senior high school, 2) go to a vocational school, or 3) start working. According to an article by the Smithsonian, 43 percent of Finnish high-school students go to vocational schools.
• Finnish students are given only one nationally graded assessment called the Matriculation Examination. Given at the end of 12th grade, passing the Matriculation Examination makes a candidate eligible for continuing his or her studies at a publicly funded university (Source—Fulbright Finland).

Image Source

• School periods last either 45 minutes or 90 minutes. After each 45 minute period, students get 15 minutes of free time, and after each 90 minute period, students get 30 minutes of free time (Source—Academic Business Advisors).
• Students do not spend all their time in school on the academic subjects. On average they take two hours a week of sports, and two hours on topics that include art, music, shop, and crafts (Source—Academic Business Advisors).
• Elementary school students get 75 minutes of recess a day versus an average of 27 minutes in the US (Source—New Republic).
• Children are not sorted into so-called ability groupings. All children are taught in the same classrooms, with lots of special teacher help available (Source—Smithsonian Magazine).
• There are no rankings, no comparisons or competition between students, schools, or regions (Source—Smithsonian Magazine).

Why Finland has the Best Education by Michael Moore

Learning about Finland’s education system has led me to contemplate my own roles as teacher and librarian. What I am most excited about with the Fulbright program is the opportunity to visit Finnish classrooms and speak with students and teachers. From these sources, I will truly understand what it is that makes Finland’s education system so great.