Why Is Educational Leadership Training Important for Increasing Learning Achievements of Finnish Schools?

Kysti Vrri, Principal, Elimki Upper Level of Comprehensive School HEADs Fifth International Stakeholder Seminar, Oslo, March 10th, 2006

School as a leadership environment (Salo 2002, 52)

School is politically steered and controlled and therefore strongly dependent on its environment Aims are diffuse and contradictory; lack of unambiguous criteria of goal attainment Fundamental conflict of autonomy and control between the bureaucratic-hierarchical organization and professional teachers Weak internal integration and small mutual dependence Schools contribution is difficult to indicate
K. Vrri 2006-03-10 HEAD Stakeholder Seminar / Oslo

Principals realistic and insufficient leadership possibilities at schools

pedagogical autonomy of teachers mutual independence of teachers teachers strong commitment to subjects (in subject teaching) so far quite inflexible collective labour agreements of teachers
K. Vrri 2006-03-10 HEAD Stakeholder Seminar / Oslo

Principal recruitment in Finland

principals formal qualifications emphasize the teachership
a masters degree qualifications for teaching at that particular school adequate teaching experience

and knowing some statutes in educational administration

certificate in educational administration (12 cr), at least 25 credits long principal preparation program at university, or knowledge in educational administration gained in some other way

and only a little knowledge in educational management and leadership in situation where the challenges of principals are far more complex (see Jaris presentation)
K. Vrri 2006-03-10 HEAD Stakeholder Seminar / Oslo

To conclude:
Finnish educational policy relies on local decisionmakers (local authorities and schools) Finnish principals are the key-players in developing education in Finland Finnish principals have only a limited amount of possibilities to influence the core of the work Finnish principals usually have only a limited amount of training in educational leadership before the principalship -> there is a growing demand of clever and skilled principals
K. Vrri 2006-03-10 HEAD Stakeholder Seminar / Oslo


there is a growing demand of clever and skilled principals that
are able to contribute to the success of the school are able to
lead professionals to better learning results manage and organise the work at school administrate public service

are able to take advantage of the limited leadership possibilities are willing to fill the retiring principals places
K. Vrri 2006-03-10 HEAD Stakeholder Seminar / Oslo

It means that
principalship has developed from being primus inter pares to the role of head of multiprofessionalism principalship has developed to the direction of a profession there used to be, is and will be a need for principal preparation programs
the certificate in educational administration the university-level principal preparation programs wider and deeper programs

there is and will be an ever-growing need for further education for principals
specialist qualification in management programs PD programs advanced studies at universities other courses and studies
HEAD Stakeholder Seminar / Oslo

K. Vrri 2006-03-10

Why educational leadership training?

It is the principal that
is responsible for the accountability is facing the challenges has quite little previous leadership training has to know how to take advantage of the minor and major leadership possibilities

K. Vrri 2006-03-10

HEAD Stakeholder Seminar / Oslo