Finnish Education Forum

Qatari students follow Finnish curriculum at English-language school

Via Yle Uutiset: Qatari students follow Finnish curriculum at English-language school. Excerpt:

The Finnish International School in Doha, Qatar offers English-language tuition to roughly 700 students based on the Finnish school curriculum. 

According to vice principal Hanne Patomäki, the school was the brainchild of Mozah bint Nasser, the wife of the former Emir of Qatar, who became interested in Finnish education years ago. After visiting Finland she set about establishing a Finnish school in Doha. 

Educluster Finland, an education lobby group headed by the University of Jyväskylä, seized the opportunity and collaborated with the education ministry in Qatar to get the school off the ground in 2014.

Like many other schools, educators encourage students to be active. However in the searing summer heat when daytime highs soar to 40 degrees Celsius, children spend their study breaks indoors.  

They play ball games, dance and play tag in a large air- conditioned hall for as much as half an hour. Voices ring out and it is possible to discern Finnish, Arabic and English in the melee.

"Our language of instruction is English. The curriculum is Finnish but we have made some additions of course, such as Qatari history, Arab and Islam for Muslims," Patomäki explained. 

The school currently accommodates students ranging from pre-school level to the first year of upper secondary school. In a few years, pupils will even be able to complete upper secondary school at the institution, making it the first of its kind outside of Finland. 

Better pay than in Finland 

The Qatari school has more than 100 teachers and assistants on its payroll – 39 are Finnish while 60 represent other nationalities. Teachers’ salaries in Qatar may be double pay packets in Finland – or more. 

Employee perks also include generous housing benefits as rents in Qatar range from 1,500 to 5,000 euros monthly. The cost of a rental in a residential area for detached homes with a sports field and pool may come in at 3,000 euros or more. 

Funding for the school comes from annual tuition fees, which run from 10,000 to 15,000 euros. The fees are generally paid by the employers of students’ parents.

UK: Labour seeks to emulate Finland's school system

Via The Guardian: Top of the class: Labour seeks to emulate Finland's school system. Excerpt:

It’s early afternoon in Lintulaakson school in Espoo, near Helsinki. The younger children are having a snack before starting their after-school activities. Upstairs a group of 12-year-olds are in a craft class, cutting patterns and making clothes on sewing machines. 

Outside, children play in an enormous outdoor space, equipped with climbing frames, football pitches and basketball courts. “Hey, Petteri,” one boy yells casually at the principal, Petteri Kuusimäki. “Next year can we start school a bit later, at 10am?” Kuusimäki jokes with them. It’s all first names here. 

The Finnish education system is the envy of the world. Along with Tove Jansson’s Moomins, Nokia phones and Iittala glassware, it has become one of the country’s most celebrated exports – and it’s easy to see why. 

Its students consistently score well at the top end of the Pisa international league tables, and as Kuusimäki walks me round his school he describes a kind of education utopia – a place where teachers are highly trained, revered and trusted, and children’s wellbeing is paramount.

There are no Ofsted-style inspections, no streaming by ability, no national exams until 18, no school uniforms, no school league tables and no fee-paying private schools.  

At its party conference this week, Labour committed to follow Finland’s lead and not only scrap Ofsted but abolish private schools by forcing them to integrate them in the state sector. Explaining the policy, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, told BBC Radio 4: “In some countries, it is not allowed to charge for education in any form … in Finland, for example.”  

The British Labour party is far from alone in its enthusiasm for the Finnish education system. Every year hundreds of delegations of teachers and policymakers from all over the world pour into Helsinki to see this nirvana for themselves. So popular has it become that international visits are strictly regulated and have to be paid for – a presentation costs €682 (£607) per hour and a school visit €1,240.

In the past two months there have been groups from Israel, Brazil, China and Korea. In the coming weeks there will be visits from New Zealand and Lithuania.

Meanwhile, Finland’s influence is spreading far and wide. Last month a school opened in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam based on the Finnish curriculum and pedagogical approach, with Finnish staff on the teaching team.

Finnish education system for Sri Lanka

Via LankaWeb, a Ceylon Today report: Finnish education system for Sri Lanka.

The education system of the Scandinavian country, Finland, currently considered as the world’s best education system, will be introduced to Sri Lanka through the newly initiated ’compulsory 13-year education for all students’ programme, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said today (21).  

While participating in the launching ceremony of the programme, at Temple Trees, he added that the Government of Finland is also supporting the programme.

"I am grateful to Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam for initiating this programme after coordinating with the Government of Finland,” he said. 

He noted that it would be applied to 800 Government schools in the beginning as a pilot project. 

"In Sri Lanka, more than half of the students drop out from the Ordinary Level exams, the 11th year of their education, however, in countries like Japan, India, Malaysia, China and South Korea, they have 13 years of compulsory education,” he said.  

The Premier emphasized that education should generate academics, scientists, researchers as well as technicians, artists and sportsmen. 

"Skills of the various people are diverse. Education should give shelter for all. Some are good in academics, while others in music, drama and sports. In Sri Lanka, there are 300,000 job opportunities for technicians, but we only have 100,000 technicians, while 200,000 opportunities remain vacant. Everyone should not try to go to universities, and in the new education system we will try to provide opportunities for students to select the career path of their choice within the school system and follow it.”  

According to Wickremesinghe, the new system will be an employment oriented one.  

"In ancient Sri Lanka, our treasure was paddy, cinnamon and various agricultural products. But, currently, our treasure is human resources. If you empower the children through education, the country will have a better future,” he added

Malaysian education sector to benefit from cooperation with Finland

Via the New Straits Times: Malaysian education sector to benefit from cooperation with Finland.

PUTRAJAYA: Finland is ready to help Malaysia strengthen its education system by deploying experts from their education sector. 

Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said the commitment to help had been conveyed by Finland National Education Agency general manager Olli-Pekka Heinonen during a bilateral meeting held on Wednesday.  

“In the meeting, Heinonen said if Malaysia cannot send its officers to Finland due to financial constraint, Finland is prepared to send over their people to Malaysia," Maszlee said in a statement today.  

He expressed hope that the cooperation would translate into Malaysia learning from the experience and good practice of the Finnish. 

This, he said, would elevate Malaysia's own standard of the education system. 

Yesterday, the Education Ministry together with the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) organised a seminar on the 2018 Finnish Education System in Gombak.  

The seminar was organised following a previous discussion held between Maszlee and Finland Ambassador to Malaysia Petri Puhakka on July 13.  

Maszlee said the seminar had become a good platform for Malaysian educators to learn from Finland in line with the government’s aspiration to raise the standard of Malaysia's education system. 

Starting from 2000, Maszlee said the education system in Finland had developed by leaps and bounds, which was obvious based on international assessment which qualified Finland to secure the top rank in the world’s education competitiveness.  

Finland’s success story, he said, should be emulated by Malaysia as it strived to impart high quality education and ensure that the country could be among the top three in international assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

Finnish forest school inspires playful education in China

Via GB Times: Finnish forest school inspires playful education in China. Excerpt:

A group of 43 second graders in neon-green vests are restlessly waiting to leave their school yard in Kangasala, southern Finland. They are about to exit the school premises to spend the remaining two-three hours among nature. 

The students are accompanied by Lancy Jia from educational company Sumino. She has come to learn more about this special form of outdoor education that she plans on bringing to China already next year. 

Reclaiming childhood 

 Students restlessly waiting to leave the school yard for their weekly day of "forest school". Sara Lilja Steensig gbtimes.com For two years, these students from Vatiala Elementary School have been spending every Monday, all year round, in forests, parks and beach areas. Here, they study all possible subjects, from maths and languages to art and physical education. 

“Our school is part of a project aiming at making children move more and make our teaching methods more activating. During a course in Scotland we got the idea to develop our own forest school,” explains teacher Maarit Tuomanen, who has been one of the driving forces behind the educational experiment.

Lancy Jia, CEO of the Finnish company Sumino that works with educational exchange mainly between Finland and China, plans on exporting the playful and active approach of Nordic teaching to kindergartens and schools in China. 

“China is currently reforming its education system and Finland is promoting education export, so I think the match and timing is perfect,” she says.  

The education system in China is very competitive, but the overwhelming focus on academic skills can mean that there is only time for studies and hardly any time for play.  

“I want to help Chinese children reclaim childhood. They should enjoy life and have fun,” thinks Jia, who has observed how many young parents in China have understood the importance of play and fun in their children’s education. “There is a huge demand for the Finnish education approach in China right now.” 

Maths on the beach 

On this sunny day in May, the kids from Kangasala are not going to one of the two forests near to their school as they usually do. Last week they got so many mosquito bites that they need a break from the shadowy woods. Instead, they headed to a beach by a lake less than a 10-minute walk from the school.

“I don’t like walking here, but when we get out to the forest or the beach it is a lot of fun,” says eight-year-old Meea.  

She is especially fond of the 20-30 minutes of free play at the end of each forest school day. 

“It’s great, because the boys also join us, when we play here. In the school yard, they just play football,” she explains. 

“I prefer being outside,” says one of the boys, nine-year-old Tomi. “It might be quieter, when we are inside, but it is fun being outdoors.” 

The students are divided into three groups that rotate between three different points: one where they play a maths memory game; one with a relay race to find different words from which they have to form sentences; and one using nature materials, such as twigs and dandelions, to form different geometric shapes. 

“It is really a surprise to me that the kids can learn mathematics from nature, but they can. I think this is brilliant,” exclaims Lancy Jia.

The Finnish classroom—in Malaysia

Via the New Straits Times, a Malaysian newspaper: The Finnish classroom. Excerpt:

As I open the door to the classroom, a typical Finnish Math lesson is under way. 

The classroom is divided into four stations with desks and chairs arranged in a cluster to accommodate 10 students in a station. There are ice cream sticks and macaroni in one, and small tubs in red and blue in the other.  

Forty pupils, divided into four groups, are engrossed in activities with their new teachers of the day, oblivious to observers in the room. 

 The Finnish education system has been making news since its outstanding PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) results in 2000 and so much has been written about the system. 

Its ability to produce high academic results among children, who do not start formal schooling until the age of 7, have short school hours, long holidays, relatively minimal homework and no exams, has long fascinated education experts around the world. 

Recently, the Finland embassy in Malaysia organised a half-day demonstration of Finnish teaching and learning approaches in conjunction with its 100th year of independence. It was a chance not to be missed to see for myself what takes place in a Finnish classroom. 

The lessons, ranging from English, Math to Music and Crafts, are conducted by Tiina Malste, a teaching expert, and Emmi Herler-Westeråker, an experienced teacher from EduCluster Finland. It is followed by a reflection session in the afternoon for the observers. 

The one I observed was a Maths lesson conducted in English for 40 Year Two students at SK Taman Megah in Petaling Jaya. 

Among the widely accepted explanations for Finnish success are Finland’s focus on teacher-student interaction and the demanding teacher-education system. Finnish education has a national curriculum, often revised, but how the teachers implement it is up to them. Their teachers are trusted as professionals and given a great deal of responsibility with flexibility on what and how they teach.  

I was curious not only to observe if their lessons were any different, but also how the two teachers handled these eight-year-olds, who came from a different education system.  

During the lesson on that day, both teachers, although not anxiously pacing around the classroom, had their eyes on the pupils. It was clear that decisions made during the lesson were with a common objective: to ensure that the child learns. 

One of the basic principles of Finnish education is that the child comes first. Every pupil and student has the right to educational support from highly competent teachers and the child’s potential should be maximised. 

To foster the potential of every child, a teacher must be alert and observant. 

Malste, during the reflection session, said student individualisation meant the teacher was aware of each student’s behaviour and emotional state. It helps that in Finland, teachers generally stay with the same class for at least a couple of years.  

As like any young children, some listen, while others don’t, during the lesson. Many times, I noticed that the teachers had the firm, no-nonsense approach similar to the traditional, teacher-centred classroom instruction. Yet, most of the time, they were gentle and approachable. 

It was as simple as when the time was up at a station and the pupils needed to move to the next one. Both teachers made sure that they queued up and moved in an orderly manner. Another example was when Herler-Westeråker explained a math concept on the board. 

One girl, who was sitting at the end of the table, was distracted by the pupils in the next station and was not paying attention. Realising this, the teacher moved the pupil quietly nearer to the board to bring her focus back to the lesson. 

What’s also interesting was that each child got his or her own math practice exercise on small laminated card that the teacher had prepared earlier to pace the pupils and track their progress. The pupils used ice cream sticks and macaroni to complete the tasks on addition.  

When one child got the right answer, the teacher would give him or her another piece of card to attempt. When a child did not get the right answer, the teacher would decide if the child needed more help. 

In Finland, students are not categorised based on their abilities. Teaching is adjusted to serve the mixed abilities in a classroom. Effective teaching is more important than the size of the classroom. Teachers must be aware of their students’ levels and prepare the tasks accordingly.

Finnish National Agency for Education to boost education export

Via the Finnish National Agency for Education: Finnish National Agency for Education  to boost education export - Education Finland growth programme launched. Excerpt, slightly edited:

In 2014, the turnover of Finnish education export was about 260 million euros. However, there is potential for much more. The Government Programme has set a target to increase the turnover to 350 million euros by the end of 2018.  

"Finland is in a good position to become a leader in education export," explains Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of EDUFI. "Our education system is regarded highly worldwide and there is demand for our education expertise. Compared to many other countries, however, education export is still in its infancy in Finland. In addition to public education providers, we also have promising start-up and more established growth companies. With this new unit, we want to support their continued success. To succeed, we need consistent work to develop a model for education export that is best suited and unique to us, different from our competitors. This is where Education Finland comes in." 

Potential for education export at all education levels  

Businesses, universities and vocational education and training institutions are the main operators in education export. Digital learning solutions designed by Finnish companies have been successful across the world. Schools employing Finnish teaching methods and teachers have been established in Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Finnish excellence in teacher training has been sold to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Indonesia and South Africa. Finnish expertise in curricula development and early childhood education and care has also attracted international interest.  

From the beginning of next year, the vocational education and training reform will allow export of vocational qualifications. EDUFI is already running a pilot project in which 11 training providers are selling vocational competence-based qualifications to 20 countries. The most popular products include qualifications in entrepreneurship, management, metal work and machinery, processing industry, social and health care, electrical engineering and automation technology, engineering and product development. 

Potential for education export can be found at all levels – liberal adult education institutions as well as general upper secondary schools have also expressed interest in starting education export. 

The most promising markets for Finnish education export include China, the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, South-East Asia and Latin America. Africa is also regarded as a growing market. In addition to these regions, the pilot projects to export vocational education and training are directed at Russia, USA and India, too.

Finnish education for small children in Beijing

Via ScandAsia.com: Finnish education for small children in Beijing.

Dibi Academy China’s kick-off event took place at the Ambassador’s residence on 11 April. New early childhood education centres will be opened in Beijing and Shanghai later in 2017. 0-5 years old kids will be taught in English in small groups by both Finnish and Chinese teachers, based on the Finnish education methods. Weekly sessions contain music, arts, gym, math and nature studies. Finland’s Ambassador H.E. Marja Rislakki, gave the opening remarks following by Mikko Salo’s, Johan Storgård’s and Miranda Zhang’s introductions.  

Dibi Academy offers: 

Babies curriculum (aged 2–23 months) consists of Arts, Music, Communication and Gym. They are combined to a meaningful, caretaking and inspiring whole that supports the baby’s development as a social being and the parents' closer contact with the baby. 

Learning goals for the babies include awakening of inspiration and excitement, stretching the borders of the experience field and activating the senses. At the same time parents learn new ways to communicate with the baby and enjoy the company of the young life to the fullest. 

All lessons are given in English and translated into the local language. Such an early training gives great support to future language learning ability because babies automatically acquire sounds and melody patterns of the English. 

Dibi Academy’s curriculum for kids (aged 2–5 years) consists of five subjects: Arts, Music, Sport, Nature and Math. The learning goals are matched to age-relevant skills. 

All subjects support each other in a way that enables wide-spanning creative thinking which is strengthened with multiple, changing themes throughout the year. Social group skills, communication and creativity has very important role in our education and all teaching emphasizes playfulness, innovation and environmental awareness. 

Every lesson is held in English and translated into the local language. Both English and international communication culture are easy to learn for children and our method makes use of these abilities.

The Finland that can inspire the world

Via The Helsinki Times, an op-ed by William Doyle: THE FINLAND THAT CAN INSPIRE THE WORLD. Excerpt:

Finland’s greatest achievement – its education system – can be its greatest gift to the world, and a key to its global future. 

It is time for Finland not only to export its education ideas, but to also embrace an even larger vision that can help Finland achieve its true destiny among nations. 

It is time for Finland to serve as the Global Intellectual Capital Exchange of Education. 

My wife was born in Tokyo, and my eight-year-old was born in New York City. 

Inspired by the writings of Finnish educator Pasi Sahlberg, I came to Finland as a Fulbright Scholar to study its world-renowned school system, to give my son an experience in a Finnish school, and to lecture on education and media at the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu. 

During five months as a Finnish public school father, and as a classroom observer inside the university’s teacher training school and other schools, I have been completely amazed by how good Finnish comprehensive schools are. 

Unlike in many other nations, children in Finland are given a rich, wide curriculum, a highly professionalized teacher force with freedom and autonomy, constant outdoor play breaks, and classroom environments that are warm, safe, respectful, supportive and collaborative. 

Children in Finland are tested every day, not by faceless electronic screens, but through constant individualized observations and “check-ins” with real-life teachers who help them learn and grow at their own pace, without fear, toxic stress, cram schools or overwork, all of which may be of little use to authentic learning and instead destructive to childhood. 

While much of the rest of the world is flooding schools with counter-productive stress, privatization and low-quality standardized testing, Finland leads the world with its evidence-based, child-centered approach. 

I have come to realize that Finland’s historic achievements in delivering educational excellence and equity to its children are the result of a national love of childhood, a profound respect for teachers as trusted professionals, and a deep understanding of how children learn best. 

Finland’s education system is hardly perfect. Its schools and society are entering a period of huge budget and social pressures. Finnish students slipped in one recent round of global benchmark tests. Many students reportedly feel bored or disengaged from school. 

But times of struggle also open doors of great opportunity, and Finland’s educational foundation can help it become an even stronger, more confident nation on the world stage. As French philosopher Albert Camus wrote, “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” My Finnish friends call it sisu. And Finland's schools are its bedrock strength, and an inspiration to the world. 

Some of Finland’s educational strengths are culture-specific and probably cannot be directly “exported.” But many others may in fact be “global education best practices” that can inspire educators, students and parents around the world. 

Finland has the credibility and the authority among the world’s educators not just to share its own insights, but to collect and share educational insights, innovations, research and best practices from all over the world – from the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and from every school system. 

The initiative would support existing programs by the OECD, the UN and other organizations, would analyze global educational best practices in a real-world context, and examine the interplay between education and other social policies. 

Finland should seize this opportunity for global leadership

Ministers pave way for increased Finnish education exports

Via University World News: Ministers pave way for increased education exports. Excerpt:

Minister of Education and Culture Sanni Grahn-Laasonen and Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Lenita Toivakka last week presented a proposal to parliament for removing legal obstacles to the export of Finnish education products and expertise. 

“There is an enormous potential for education exports from Finland, but today legal issues are blocking these. We are now taking steps to remove these hindrances,” Grahn-Laasonen said. “The objective is to create more room for selling education abroad and hence improve the resource base for research.” 

Several projects have been undertaken in Finland since 2009 to prepare export strategies for Finnish education including working out a definition. It was agreed that the term “export of education expertise” did not adequately cover the Finnish plans, which include consulting services and technological solutions for facilitating learning processes. 

Several business areas in Finnish education exports have been developed, for instance further education for public services using multi-mode learning methods including virtual learning; learning games (eg Rovio’s product “Angry Birds"), and the Funzi learning platform “Skills to build your dreams – delivered to your mobile”; and other products of learning, such as Sanako’s language learning products. 

Grahn-Laasonen presented a survey from higher education institutions and private companies mapping out the factors that are currently creating obstacles for the expansion of educational exports – such as the present legal blocking of charging tuition fees and the opportunity to have flexible contracts in collaborative arrangements with institutions and organisations, including private companies abroad. 

She said that the survey information will be used to “produce a roadmap for removing obstacles and boosting the export of education, not only in higher education but also in professional and vocational training”. 

The roadmap is to be finished by January 2016 and the Team Finland Network – whose core members include the ministries of education and culture, employment and the economy, and foreign affairs, as well as public bodies operating under their guidance – will coordinate activities between public actors that will offer educational exports and also supply support services. 

“Companies will be encouraged to set up plans for selling education abroad and it is estimated that 560 people will be recruited to this sector in the near future,” Minister Toivakka added. 

A growth programme for educational exports “Future Learning Finland” was established this autumn, financed by the ministry for employment and the economy and administered by Finpro. 

The plan is being put forward at the same time as the proposal to introduce tuition fees for students not taught in Finnish or Swedish from outside Europe, as reported by University World News last week.