The Finnish Education System - Coursework Example

Finnish Lessons of Finnish Lessons The Finnish education system is currently characterized by excellent leaders and teachers. The education system in Finland is as a result of a phenomenon transformation which has attracted the attention of scientific researchers and the education systems of the world such as the US which are in dire need for reforms and change within the education system. Finland performed poorly in education during the 1960s and 1970s (Sahlberg & Hargreaves, 2011). During this time, it was uncommon for the Finns to attain a degree. Additionally it was only a single adult out of ten within Finland who had attained basic education. At the time the education levels among the Finns lagged behind as compared to its neighbors Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The current situation of education in Finland is very desirable. This is attributed to the fact that the turnout at preschool education is 98% with 99% of the Finns completing basic education which is compulsory in the country (Stotsky, 2012). Higher education in Finland is currently funded by the state and is attended by 50% if Finns who enroll and finish to prepare for the work environment. More importantly, teachers are highly valued in Finland whose professional accountability and expertise is relied upon in teaching and testing students. The skills, knowledge and commitment of teachers in Finland towards their students are all but desirable. In the light of this illustration, it is apparent that there are lessons within the Finland education system which would be learned by the rest of the world and specifically the US which is characterized by the need for reforms in education. This essay is based on the book “Finnish Lessons” by Pasi Sahlberg with an aim of discussion what can be learned from the transformation of the education system of Finland. The Finnish model of education is specifically favored in this essay as compared to the Global Reform Movement Model. Additionally the essay draws recommendations on the constructive policies in education which would be adopted for effectiveness in education reform as learned from the Finnish Lessons. As opposed to the development of sequential revolution in the education system which is proposed by the Global Reform Movement Model, the Finnish education system has been developed upon policies which favor systematic leadership as drivers of periodic change in education (Sahlberg, 2011). The changes in the Finnish education system and the reforms therein are based on a shared vision and accepted values. This approach has successfully worked in Finland because the values on education within this county are congruent with the contemporary practical ideas that are related to sustainable change in the education system (Ravitch, 2012). More significantly though is the fact that the high performing education system of Finland and its equitability and sustainability are adjuncts of the economic and social transformation within Finland. These transformations have made Finland to have a knowledge society that is very competitive within the welfare state (Sahlberg, 2011). It is from Finland that the importance of recruiting only the best within the education system is learned. Opinion polls within Finland demonstrate that teaching is the most admired of professions among high school graduates. It is in this sense that becoming a teacher in Finland even at the primary school level is a highly competitive process (Stotsky, 2012). This is demonstrated by the thousands of applications which are submitted by high school graduate yearly to the Teacher Education Department of Finland. It is through excellent commitment to teaching, desirable interpersonal skills and high scores that candidates are selected into the teaching profession (Saalbach, 2012). It is due to the rigorous and focused recruiting process that the best of teachers end up in the Finnish classrooms. It is in the light of this that the education system within the US and the world at large should focus on recruiting teachers who are highly committed to teaching and those who have proper skills, knowledge and attitude. More importantly, based on the Finnish Lessons, it is recommended for world education systems to adopt and implement education policies which make the teaching profession to be very competitive and hence attract the best of teachers into the classrooms. Moreover, policies on payment of teachers should be reviewed to provide competitive compensation packages which will in return make teaching a competitive and admired profession. The American education system and the rest of the world should learn the importance of proper preparation of teachers and high academic standards as a prerequisite to an effective education system. In Finland, a master’s degree is a must for all teachers. This is applicable in all levels of Finnish education from primary, through middle and high school (Sahlberg, 2011). This demonstrates that teachers in Finland are adequately prepared for teaching. This preparation includes adequate attainment of skills and knowledge and the appreciation of the importance of education as the driver of social and economic change. Since there are no alternative routes or ways through which a Finnish teacher would acquire teaching credentials except through a university degree, it is apparent that the teachers are properly and adequately prepared for their role in education and the society at large. The preparation of teachers in Finland is characterized by primary school teachers who have majors in education. Additionally, teachers of upper grades are trained with a special focus on a particular subject such as science or mathematics. This ensures that the pedagogical knowledge that the Finnish teachers have is particularly in line with specific subject or content. As a result, Finnish teachers are well prepared for teaching (Ravitch, 2012). In teacher preparation, the lessons that can be drawn from Finland are related to the fact that a combination of reflection, research, meaning and practice is the basis for teacher education (Sahlberg & Hargreaves, 2011). It is in the light of this that it is recommended that the American context should adapt policies that favor teacher education that is based on adequate preparation of teachers. This would be achieved through teacher education which aims at cultivating skills that are supported by scientific knowledge among teachers. Moreover, this recommendation is based on the need to prepare teachers to have a focused attitude and commitment to their roles in education. These lessons are learned from the Finnish teacher education curriculum which is designed and implemented with a view of ensuring that teachers are prepared with skills and knowledge which are based on theory and also on practice (Ravitch, 2012). On the basis of Finnish Lessons, it is further recommended for world education systems to emulate the Finland’s teacher education which is purely research based (Stotsky, 2012). Through this, research methodologies, education theories and evidence on teaching practice will play the major role in preparing teachers for their teaching role. The curricula of teacher education across world education systems should therefore be designed to follow a systematic pathway from the basic foundations of though in education through research methodologies in education and advanced educational sciences. This will ensure that teachers are equipped with skills in design and knowledge on theoretical and scientific aspects on education. Through these forms of teacher education and preparedness, Finland has been able to expose its learners to teachers who are ready and adequately qualified for the most appropriate approach to attainment of educational material and its application (Sahlberg, 2011). There are important lessons that education systems which needs change must learn from evaluation, hiring and retention of Finnish teachers. The management of education in Finland is not centralized. Because of this, the hiring decisions are made by school boards in conjunction with the school principals and school staff (Saalbach, 2012). Nonetheless the hired teachers registered with the Trade Union of education. In addition, the popularity of schools in rural areas in Finland is promoted through premiums and allowances which are offered to young teachers during the hiring process with a view of attracting them to the smaller schools in rural Finland (Ravitch, 2012). It is in line with these reflections that it is recommended for the American education system to favor a decentralized education system especially in the hiring process. This will promote competitiveness in education and the importance that is attached to the teaching profession. Additionally, it is recommended for the education systems of the world that are working towards transformation to ensure that schools in rural areas are popularized through policies which promote rural education. This will ensure that education is available and provided for all. In return, the enrolment and graduations will increase especially in rural areas which would lead to an overall high education levels. In Finland, the evaluation of teachers has not been formalized. Additionally, the assessment of Finnish students is also not standardized. As a result, the performance of teachers in instructing learners is characterized by feedback from other staff and the principal. The values of education within Finland are based on the assessment of a good teacher as one who has the ability to cause positive transformation, growth and progress among students in a more holistic way (Stotsky, 2012). It is in this sense that the policies for teacher and student evaluation within education systems that are undergoing change should be reviewed. This will ensure that teacher and student assessment or evaluation is based on the ability of the teaching process to achieve goals and objectives. More importantly, the education policies within education systems of the world that seeks to change must be designed to ensure that the assessment of students is based on the attainment of holistic rather than fixed knowledge and skills. The high teacher retention within the Finnish education system leaves many lessons to be learned. It is said that it is only 12% of teachers in Finland who exit from their teaching profession (Sahlberg & Hargreaves, 2011). This is due to the fact that the teaching profession is considered a noble profession in which teachers are expected to stay in schools for life once they have been employed. More importantly, the working environment of Finnish teachers is respected, trusted and autonomous (Saalbach, 2012). This leads to the motivation of Finnish teachers for commitment to teaching which results in high retention rates. This is opposed to the bureaucratic education and accountability systems that are proposed by the Global Reform Movement Model for education which makes teachers to feel that they are controlled, threatened and undervalued. It is recommended for education polices of world education systems to focus on retaining teachers through the provision of appropriate working terms and environment. This will motivate teachers to stick to the teaching profession and as a result exercise their skills and knowledge in promoting the learning process among students. Furthermore, the expertise and experience of teachers becomes valuable to learners in education systems which value the implementation of policies and approaches to teacher retention. Significant lessons are also to be learned from the Finnish education system in areas of leadership, student assessment and engagement in the curriculum. Student assessment and the role and responsibility to the curriculum within the Finnish education system are more autonomous to the teachers (Stotsky, 2012). Teachers are engaged in planning the curriculum and the content that learners should be presented with. This is demonstrated by the teachers within the Finnish local authorities who are responsible for approving the curriculum at school level (Ravitch, 2012). This is opposed to the Global Reform Movement Model which has been criticized based on the fact that experienced and qualified teachers are not given the opportunity to play the major role in the design of the curriculum. It is in this sense that it is recommended for American education systems and other world systems which are undergoing education reforms to set policies which favor the involvement of qualified and experienced instructors in the design of the curriculum. This recommendation is based on the fact that it is the qualified and well trained teachers who are able to accurately determine the content and approach to education which is appropriate at different levels of the learning process. In Finland, teachers play the major role in student assessment (Sahlberg & Hargreaves, 2011). This is opposed to the Global Reform Movement Model which has been criticized on the basis of its favor for standardized assessment and testing for students. The Finnish education policy and national curriculum focus and prioritize on personalized creativity and learning (Saalbach, 2012). As a result, the assessment of students is based on their specific abilities for development. This is unlike the Global Reform Movement Model which proposes assessment of students on the basis of global or national indicators. In light of this, it is recommended that national policies should favor assessment of students which is based on personalized abilities rather than national indicators. This is due to the fact that the learning environment is characterized by a diverse student population with differences in abilities for growth and development in education. As a result, the approach to assessment should be reflective of the diversity in abilities among learners. It is therefore apparent that the Finnish Lessons provide appropriate learning ground for transforming education systems in matters of leadership in the design of the curriculum and assessment of learners. In the light of the above discussions and reflections upon the reforms in the Finnish education system, important lessons can be learned by the American education context and the world at large. The Finnish Lessons demonstrate that policies of education systems that are undergoing reform must be reviewed and designed to match the Finish education system. The lessons that are learned from the Finnish education include proper teacher education, recruitment and retention which should be characterized by a competitive education profession. Additionally, the design of the curriculum, assessment of students and school leadership should emulate the Finnish example. More importantly, teachers must be motivated through competitive compensation, proper working environment and teacher assessment which are decentralized and hence less controlling. This will lead to commitment among teachers in the application of their skills and knowledge to achieve the desired learning outcomes among students at all level of the learning process. References Ravitch, D. (2012). How, and How Not, to Improve the Schools. New York Review of Books, 59(5), 17-19. Saalbach, H. (2012). Lets Finnish Schooling. Science, 336(6087), 1381-1382 Sahlberg, P. (2011). Lessons from Finland. Education Digest, 77(3), 18-24 Sahlberg, P., & Hargreaves, A. (2011). Finnish lessons: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland?. New York: Teachers College Press Stotsky, S. (2012). Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland by Pasi Sahlberg. Journal of School Choice, 6(2), 295-300 Read More