SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Background to Finnish school

education

Dr. Pekka Räihä

School of Education
Tampere University

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THE SUCCESS OF THE FINNISH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Since year 2000 Finnish students’ achievement has been among

the top countries in the world in international comparison
studies (e.g. PISA) on literacy, science, mathematics and problem
solving

In addition to the high average level, Finnish results are most

equal, and there are very few Finnish students in low
achievement groups

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EDUCATION AND FINNISH EXPERIENCES
• Educational systems are deeply embedded in national, social
and cultural history, contexts, and norms and cannot be
transferred as one to one directly to other countries and
cultures
• However, we believe that Finnish experiences we have
received during the last decades of educational reform in
building quality education, can help Indonesian experts in
analyzing the current system and planning for constructive
solutions
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION Source: Finnish National Board of Education

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• Finland was recently ranked number one on

Save The Children’s 14th Annual Mothers Index

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Finland goes against evaluation-driven

centralized school model
• Comprehensive 9 year education for all
• Children do not start school until they are 7
• They rarely take exams
• Children are not measured during the six first
years
• All children are taught in the same classrooms
• 30 % of children get extra help during their first
nine years
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• Education is free
• Students have free meal every day
• Difference between weakest and strongest
student is smallest in the world
• In international standardized tests Finnish
students are among the very best

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• Teachers are given the same status as doctors and

lawers
• All teachers have masters degree
• Only 10 % of applicants get in class teacher
education
• The national curriculum is only broad guidelines
• Schools and teachers have a lot of autonomy

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Support for families

• Maternity clinics
• Expectant mothers normally meet with a nurse and doctor 11-15
times during pregnancy
• Maternity package
• http://www.kela.fi/web/en/maternitypackage
• Child health clinic
– assess the physical, mental and social condition of children under
school age
– support parents in providing secure, child-focused rearing and care
– Support is provided by home visits by a public health nurse before and
after the birth of a child, and at other times if needed, plus by parents'
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groups.
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Support for families

• Family counselling
– Counselling can be sought if
• there is concern about a child's development, behaviour or
emotional life,
• a child has problems at day care, in school or with friends,
• parents need help in parenting or in settling disputes among
themselves,
• there has been a bereavement in the family or a difficult
situation,
• parents are considering divorce or family members need
support in getting over a divorce. 11
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Well educated mothers

• The level of a parent’s education has a direct correlation with
the amount of time spent on childcare, found a research
conducted by the Väestöliitto, the Family Federation of
Finland.
• The level of parent’s education is more evident in the case of
mothers.
• Mother’s high education increases the time spent on childcare
by the father.
• Highly educated mothers have also been observed to spend
more time with their children in development activities as well
as other sorts of invigorating exercises, such as playing and
outdoor activities. 12
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Well educated mothers

• Finland a is one of the seven OECD countries
where tertiary attainment rates for women are
higher than those for men by at least 10
percentage points, with 46% of women holding a
tertiary qualification compared with 33 % of men.
(Education at a glance 2013)

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Gender equality

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