Finnish Education Forum

Parents file complaints over 'failure' of new school

Via Yle Uutiset: Parents file complaints over "failure" of new school. Excerpt:

Parents of children at the Pontus school in the city of Lappeenranta in eastern Finland have filed a number of complaints with the Regional State Administrative Agency about teaching methods and practices at the school. In some cases, parents have decided to move their children to other schools where more traditional pedagogical methods are still being used.  

The Pontus school is one of the first in the country to fully implement the new core curriculum, introduced by Finland's Ministry of Education in 2016, which is based on the concept of 'phenomenon teaching' – the replacing of traditional subject-based classes like maths and history with interdisciplinary courses focusing on broader topics. 

Under the new curriculum, children are also encouraged to become autonomous learners, for example by creating their own study plans. 

The Pontus school's brand new building was completed and opened in the autumn of 2017, and the architecture was designed to support the objectives of the new core curriculum.  

The building is divided into four units, with approximately 80 primary school children enrolled in each unit. The students within each unit are sometimes further divided into smaller age groups, or sometimes they all work together in one group.

"I didn't learn anything" 

However, the teaching methods and the use of space at Pontus have not suited the pedagogical needs of all children. Sixth grader Aino Piironen found the need to create her own study plan an insurmountable challenge, after childhood epilepsy left her with mild memory difficulties.  

Aino's parents believe that the school failed in its core task of educating Aino. In their view, the school's modern learning environment made it difficult for her to concentrate and that she would have also needed more help from teachers and staff to support her memory.  

Another area of difficulty for Aino was when all the members of the separate units came together in the open space, or 'market square'. The children usually sought a place to sit on the cushioned seats while the teachers sat at a desk in the middle of the room.

"The beginning of the school day was chaotic," Aino recalled.  

The most difficult thing of all, according to Aino, was the lack of teaching. Students began the day by working on their own weekly plan, approaching teachers in the middle of the 'market square' for advice when needed. 

"It was hard for me that the teacher did not teach at first, but instead we should have been able to learn things by ourselves," Aino said. "I didn't learn anything."

Teachers' union: Finnish schools need €1bn to return to Nordic standards

Via Yle Uutiset, an alarming report: Teachers' union: Finnish schools need €1bn to return to Nordic standards. Excerpt:

Many Finnish middle school students experience violent anxiety during school hours, says the Trade Union of Education (OAJ). 

The organisation blames lack of funding and oversized teaching groups for the problem. Six years ago, the government subsidy for education expenses fell from 58 percent to 25-26 percent, it says. 

The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities calculates that preschool and primary education funds have been cut across the country by some 520 million euros per year since 2012. 

OAJ specialist Jaakko Salo says that annual sum needs to be returned.  

"That would bring us up to a billion euros, which is what we need to get back to our 2012 level and the Nordic average quality of education," Salo says.  

The discussion comes after two dramatic cases of students breaking down from stress during the school day in Jyväskylä in August. One child began to self-harm in the middle of a class, while another retreated under a desk to shudder with anxiety.  

Teachers say they are increasingly worried about the rise in student stress, which can also frighten other students when expressed during class.  

"The worry used to be whether everyone had done their homework," says one anonymous Jyväskylä teacher. "Now each day is just survival for many." 

Unequal footing 

The differences between municipal funding for various schools can be vast, the OAJ says. Education cuts in south-central Lahti are at nearly 450 euros per student, while the eastern city of Kuopio received an additional 106 euros per student (a budget boost of 1 million euros), since 2013 respectively.  

"Group sizes would have become unmanageable without the government subsidy," says Kuopio education chief Leena Auvinen. 

When funds run dry, students with special needs must be relocated to regular classes. When group sizes grow, these special needs students risk not receiving the support they need, says OAJ chief shop steward Petri Kääriäinen.  

"Teachers are recommending that students seek professional counselling more often than before," he says. "The counsellors just send the kids back. Teachers are not listened to and they don't have the tools to deal with this situation."

Chaotic classrooms as school year starts

Not all is well in Finnish education. Via Yle Uutiset: Friday's papers: Chaotic classrooms, limited company leg-up and more thunderstorms. Excerpt:

School started on Thursday in most areas of Finland and local paper Vantaan Sanomat features an article on a poll carried out last spring that found that teachers and parents in the capital region city of Vantaa agree that teachers and pupils need more support in the classroom. 

Some teachers responding to the parent association/teacher union survey said that classrooms these days are very restless, even chaotic. Among primary school teachers, 36 percent said that classroom support was not sufficient, while 60 percent of secondary school teachers said pupils were not being given the support promised them by Finnish law. 

Comprehensive education in Finland follows the principle of inclusivity. All children are taught together in the same classroom, with a system of three tiers (general, enhanced support and special needs education) designed for pupils that might need more help. 

Teachers' time limited 

VS interviewed two teachers who wished to remain anonymous. They say that the idea of a shared classroom meeting all of the kids' needs is a great idea in principle – and an illusion in practice. This is because the teachers are alone with the children for more of the school day. The school's few special teachers and assistants are spread thin; they only have a few hours of time a week to help the teachers in the classroom. 

"It works if there are two adults in the classroom. It would be incredible if we teachers could always work with a partner," said the first teacher. 

The second teacher says that of the 20 children in her classroom last year, one-quarter needed either enhanced or special needs support. Both agree that the number of children in school that need more support in the classroom is on the rise. In their 30 years on the job, they have seen major changes in the Finnish school dynamic. 

"Yelling, getting up and wandering around, breaking pens and pencils, throwing things, swearing… We often have to tell the pupils that they are not allowed to speak to us that way," they say.  

The teachers tell VS that penny-pinching in basic education will end up bringing a much higher price tag for society in the future. 

"Savings will mean more marginalization. Average and bright pupils will also lose their interest in studies because we don't have the resources to pay attention to their needs and so they are forced to underperform."

Sahlberg: Why Finland's schools are top-notch

Via CNN, an opinion piece by Pasi Sahlberg: Why Finland's schools are top-notch. Excerpt:

What are the main factors that prevent American students from achieving the kind of success that Finnish students attain? 

There are three things that have positively affected the quality of Finnish schools that are absent in American schools. First, Finland has built a school system that has over time strengthened educational equity. 

This means early childhood education for all children, funding all schools so they can better serve those with special educational needs, access to health and well-being services for all children in all schools, and a national curriculum that insists that schools focus on the whole child rather than narrow academic achievement.  

Second, teachers in Finland have time to work together with their colleagues during the school day. According to the most recent data provided by the OECD the average teaching load of junior high school teachers in Finland is about half what it is in the United States. That enables teachers to build professional networks, share ideas and best practices. This is an important condition to enhancing teaching quality. 

Finally, play constitutes a significant part of individual growth and learning in Finnish schools. Every class must be followed by a 15-minute recess break so children can spend time outside on their own activities. Schooldays are also shorter in Finland than in the United States, and primary schools keep the homework load to a minimum so students have time for their own hobbies and friends when school is over. 

The difference is pronounced in America, where a national poll of elementary school principals found that up to 40% of U.S. school districts have reduced or eliminated recess in order to free more time for core academics, and one in four elementary schools no longer provides recess to all grades. 

I hear people often arguing that because the United States is much bigger, more diverse, and more unequal, it's harder to reach higher quality education. But even if this were true, it would not explain why in Finland students learn better in their schools than in most other places in the world.  

Some aspects of the American school system are not helpful in improving education quality and equity. First, education in the United States is too much defined by testing and data. If getting the data using frequent standardized tests occupies up to one-third of all available time to teach, that will alone prevent students from making the marks they should. 

Second, American education places too much faith in marketplace choice, which parents have because of expanded access to charter schools. This weakens the public school structure that is fundamental to many successful education systems elsewhere. 

Finally, more students in America have novice or nonprofessional teachers in their classrooms today than ever. Frequent turnover of teachers in thousands of American schools undermines the entire education system. 

What would be the way forward then? The United States can't become Finland, but there is a lot it can learn about what works and what doesn't. 

One affordable and smart step would be to terminate policies and practices that prevent American teachers from teaching what matters most to their students. Redesigning current punitive accountability for schools and abolishing unnecessary standardized tests would remove a big burden from schools and leave teachers with more time to focus on real learning.  

The ultimate test for the American education system will be whether it can bring equity to the forefront of education policies. When poverty explains up to half of student achievement, schools must have measures to better cope with the harmful consequences that disadvantaged family backgrounds have on teaching and learning in many schools. Enhancing equity has been one key to success in Finland.

Helsinki to cut back on schools' teaching assistants

Via Yle Uutiset: Helsinki to cut back on schools' teaching assistants.

The city of Helsinki currently employs some 600 teaching assistants. The administration is looking to send home all of assistants assigned to specific schools, retaining only students’ personal helpers. 

The decision to send home the teaching assistants is part of a savings programme agreed back in the spring. 

“These cuts will save 2.7 million euros,” said Rauno Jarnila, Helsinki’s director of education. 

The education chief said that now would be a good time to give up the assistants previously assigned to schools on the basis of need.   

Jarnila said he was not yet able to say how many would be affected by the plan. However if the cuts are implemented they will come into force at the beginning of 2015, mid-way through the academic year.

Finland: Education in the Europe 2020 Strategy

Via Eurypedia, the European Encyclopedia on National Education Systems: Finland: Education in the Europe 2020 Strategy. Excerpt, with my bolding, and then a comment:

Europe 2020 is a 10-year strategy for a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The strategy identifies a number of key areas which concern the field of education and training: a common headline target with twin targets on early school leaving and higher education participation; country specific recommendations; the Annual Growth Survey under the European semester of economic governance; the question of investment in education; and the agenda for New skills and jobs. 

The strategy identifies a Europe 2020 headline target with two underlying targets for education and training to be reached by the EU by 2020: 

• To reduce the share of early school leavers to 10% from the current 15%; 

• To increase the share of the population aged 30–34 having completed higher education from 31% to at least 40%. 

EU member states have translated these two EU wide-targets into specific national targets. 

With respect to early school-leavers, Finland is expected to record a lower figure than the target level of 10% set in the Europe 2020 Strategy. According to the National Programme for Europe 2020 Strategy, the target is to reduce the proportion of early school leavers to 8%. A related target, as articulated in the Government’s Development Plan for Education and Research, is that 94 % of 30-year-olds will have a post-compulsory qualification by 2020. 

The EU target relating to tertiary qualifications is close to the long-term realised level in Finland. The proportion of 30 – 34 year-olds having completed higher education is currently around 38%, and the national aim is to raise the percentage to 42 by 2020. EU headline target is 40%. 

Education policy priorities are outlined in the Government´s five-year Development Plan for Education and Research for 2011-2016, which was adopted on December 2011. Special development targets in the Plan are to alleviate poverty, inequality and exclusion, to stabilize the public economy and to foster sustainable economic growth, employment and competitiveness. 

The starting point for achieving the targets is that sufficient funding for education, skills and research will be ensured by the Government. Education leading to a qualification will continue to be provided free of charge at the basic, secondary and tertiary levels. 

The foundation for young people’s employment is built at an early stage. It is important that the basic education equips all young people with knowledge and skills needed in working life, society and lifelong learning. The most effective way to prevent young people’s exclusion is to intervene in problems and offer support to children who need it already in early childhood education and in basic education. 

The Development Plan for Education and Research sets the aim of guaranteeing the child’s right to safe and high-standard basic education on an equal basis. The grounds for granting Government transfers for basic education will be reviewed to support this aim. 

The Government will allocate special subsidies for the reduction of group size in basic education. Similarly, the provision of intensified and special support will be backed by government subsidies. The realisation of pupils’ right to support will be monitored. 

 It is not, however, enough to complete basic education. In practice, an upper secondary qualification is a precondition for entry into the labour market and further education. Even if the overall education supply at this level exceeds the size of the age group the entry to education is not guaranteed to all. At present there are considerable differences in the regional accessibility of vocationally and professionally oriented education. 

Moreover some of the student places are taken by persons who already have a qualification, while many unqualified persons remain outside education. 

The implementation of youth guarantee was started in the beginning of 2013. The youth guarantee guarantees that each person under 25 years of age, and recent graduates under 30 years of age, will be offered work, a work trial, or a study, workshop or labour market rehabilitation place within three months of registering as an unemployed jobseeker. 

The youth guarantee also includes an educational guarantee, which guarantees a study place for each young person finishing basic education. The educational guarantee will be taken into account in the size and regional targeting of student intake as well as in the revision of student admission principles.

From a Canadian perspective, these are stunning goals. Simply committing adequate funding for education is beyond the dreams of our provincial governments. A "pupils' right to support" is unheard of.

The British Columbia Teachers' Federation is locked in a long strike over the provincial government's refusal to bargain class size and composition. The basis of the strike would vanish if the government was ready to reduce group sizes in basic education. 

 

As for a "youth guarantee"—the idea is so outrageous it hasn't even come up.

Canadian schools in general, and BC schools in particular, do very well in comparison with Finnish schools. But teacher morale and student attrition rates are unacceptable. If we had targets like these, and achieved them, we could give the Finns a real run for their money.

Finland: Hundreds of students need special arrangements for matriculation exams

Via Helsinki Times: Hundreds of students need special arrangements for matriculation exams. Excerpt:

Among candidates preparing to sit their matriculation examination today, there are hundreds who could have only dreamed of doing so a decade ago. 

Special arrangements for students with dyslexia have been available since the early 2000s, and it has been possible to apply for assistance on account of illness or disability for longer. 

Currently, nearly 2,000 candidates are granted permission for special arrangements for exams every year. 

“Matriculation examinations are a huge milestone for disabled students regarding their further studies,” explains Henrik Gustafsson, lawyer at the Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities (FPD).  

“Under the UN disabilities treaty, people with disabilities are entitled to have access to further education along with everyone else. Their special needs must be accommodated in exams. Failing to do so is tantamount to discrimination, according to the treaty.” 

Special arrangements are common, yet not all upper secondary schools undertake to organise them, says Airi Valkama, the chair of the Finnish Diverse Learners’ Association, a national dyslexia organisation, which campaigned for a law reform on special arrangements. 

According to Valkama, headmasters are obliged to inform students about the possibility of the measures that can be taken to facilitate exams. 

Jasmi Ahonen (19) graduated from Lohja upper secondary school last spring. She suffers from a hereditary muscle disorder, which was diagnosed when she was seven. In fifth grade, she started using a wheelchair and passed upper secondary school with the help of a computer and a classroom assistant. 

She took her matriculation exam in a separate room supervised by an invigilator while her assistant waited in the corridor. She was permitted two extra hours to do the exam. “Going to toilet takes some time,” explains Ahonen. The illness also makes her hands tire easily. 

Ahonen took the examination in six subjects, including history, which she now studies at Open University with the goal of passing the entrance exam for Helsinki University.