Financing of education in Finland. Mysteries of the Finnish school: study less - know more? When and how much do we study?
The Finnish education system is rightly recognized as one of the best in the world. Six Finnish universities are in the top 400 according to recognized rankings QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) And TNE (Times Higher Education). And the University of Helsinki occupies a worthy place in the first hundred rankings.
In terms of the quality of teaching of individual disciplines, many Finnish educational institutions are even included in the world top 10.
The most important advantages of studying in this country are:
- Recognition of diplomas in most European countries;
- Large selection of English-language programs and courses;
- Free education in state languages;
- High practical value of education.
If one of the goals of studying in Finland is to get a job and move to a permanent place of residence, you should keep in mind that those who received an education in English have little chance of finding a job in Suomi.
In addition to an education diploma, almost all employers require applicants to have knowledge of the Finnish language. But even if a non-resident graduate speaks the language well, his chances are not particularly great.
At the same time, diplomas obtained from universities and polytechnics in Finland are quite competitive when searching for a job in the countries participating in the Bologna system (which includes almost all countries of the European Union). Therefore, the chances of getting a job in Europe with a Finnish diploma are very high.
Admission to Finnish universities
Enrollments of applicants are carried out in autumn and spring. Spring applicants typically have the opportunity to choose from more curriculum options. You can apply for some destinations already in the middle of winter.
After finishing 9th grade you can only enter a Finnish school or college. This will allow you to better learn the language and simplify your further studies at a university or polytechnic. In fact, such an applicant will be equal to a local applicant.
After completing 11 grades at a school in Russia or the CIS countries, you can apply for admission to Finnish universities. For this category, the application and admission procedure is the same as for all foreign applicants.
Depending on the type of educational institution, training according to basic educational standards has the following terms:
With certain programs and standards of study in each educational institution in Finland, students are given a certain freedom to choose academic subjects and disciplines. As part of the program, each student can determine the intensity of classes that is comfortable for themselves and adjust their work plan. At the forefront is the self-motivation and responsibility of the students themselves for the quality of their learning. Teachers only help with this. At Finnish universities, attendance is not strictly controlled: involvement in the process is a personal matter.
The educational program of each level at a particular university or institute contains a list of required disciplines. In addition, the student can add subjects to the individual curriculum at his own discretion. In this way, individual development is achieved without compromising educational standards.
The goal of the Finnish education system is the right to individual development of everyone in the learning process. This approach is being introduced starting from the preschool level and is familiar to Finns. Scores are just feedback, an indicator of an individual's area of development and growth.
If there is a system for monitoring the level of knowledge in the form of reports, exams and tests, the attitude towards them is calm. Any low rating can be improved as you work. Therefore, such tricks and tricks as cheating and cheat sheets are not honored.
In the curriculum, part of the class time is officially allocated for self-education and homework. Much attention is paid to group and practical work - universities cooperate with many companies. This approach perfectly prepares students for future work and allows them to develop communication skills.
Great importance is given to the field of practical application of knowledge: many disciplines are taught by practitioners - people working in Finnish and international companies. Students often undergo internships.
Types of educational programs
All Finnish higher education institutions provide education according to the following programs (standards):
Kandidaatin tutkinto - bachelor. The duration of the program depends on the type of educational institution:
- An ordinary university provides a theoretical knowledge base. The training program lasts 3 years. In such universities, a bachelor's degree is just the entry level. After receiving a bachelor's degree, most students continue their studies at a master's degree;
- The Applied University prepares bachelors for 4 years. After graduation, the graduate can start working, as he has a sufficient base of applied knowledge.
Maisterin tutkinto - master. A master's degree, as a higher educational level, guarantees a greater choice of work for graduates, and therefore is very popular. Depending on the area of study, this program can last from 1 to 2 years. For some specializations, professional practice is mandatory.
Tohtorin tutkinto - doctor. Doctoral programs last 4 years. A doctoral student receives a Ph.D. degree. and the right to teach.
Lisensiaatin tutkinto – licentiate. An alternative option to doctoral studies. The duration of the programs is 2 years. Mainly popular with working students. This program is of interest to those who want to improve their educational level and participate in scientific research.
There are two main types of higher education institutions in Finland:
- Classical universities (yliopisto) providing basic, fundamental education;
- Polytechnics (ammattikorkeakoulu) oriented towards applied disciplines.
Universities in Finland can award bachelor's and master's degrees, and here you can also take doctoral and licentiate courses if you wish. Polytechnics only recently began to award master's degrees.
Admission requirements
Today, Finland offers a large number of educational programs in English. These are both bachelor's and master's levels. But only educational programs in Finnish and Swedish are free.
The level of English according to the test for admission to a Finnish university must be from 6 for bachelors and from 6.5 for masters and doctors.
Conditions for admission in Finland:
| For admission to a polytechnic university | For entering university |
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| For admission to a Finnish university, the admissions committee will consider the results of the unified state and entrance exams. But the results of entrance tests play a decisive role. Each university has its own approach. Some tasks require preliminary preparation, for example, studying a company’s annual report, about which questions will then be asked. |
Separately, it is worth mentioning the entrance exams to Finnish higher education institutions. The approaches differ in many ways from those usual in Russia and the CIS countries.
The tasks in the entrance exams are intended, for the most part, not to test the applicant’s knowledge base, but to determine such categories as:
- Ability to study and analyze information;
- Teamwork skills;
- Creativity;
- Creativity.
Often real reports from Finnish companies are used in exams. A certain period of time before the start of testing, applicants must familiarize themselves with the material, and at the entrance test itself, questions and practical tasks will be asked, both individually and for working in a group.
Often, as tasks it is proposed to carry out SWOT-analysis of any object.
List of required documents
For a short-term stay in the country (less than 3 months), for example, to take language or other preparatory courses, it is enough to have a Schengen visa.
If you intend to stay for a longer period, you will have to apply for a so-called “permit to stay in the country.” Its validity period can be from 1 to 4 years, depending on the purpose of stay and the documents submitted for consideration.
This document is also called a “Student visa”. It is issued by the country's migration authorities approximately 2-3 weeks after submitting the application and the necessary papers. Failure rates are no more than 5%. When the document expires, it can be easily renewed within the country by submitting an application in an approved form to the police station.
To obtain a study visa, you need to submit documents to the Embassy according to the list below (in two copies - originals in Russian and translation into Finnish, Swedish or English - optional):
- An invitation from the educational institution (even a copy of a printed email with official information about admission is considered);
- A bank account statement confirming the availability of an amount of 6,720 euros per year of stay, which corresponds to the minimum subsistence level in the country;
- Completed application form in one of three languages – Finnish, Swedish or English, 2 pieces;
- International passport valid until graduation;
- Photos 47 X 36 mm, 2 pcs.;
- Education documents (certificate or diploma);
- An insurance policy with coverage for the entire period. Moreover, if the period is less than 2 years, then the amount of coverage is from 100 thousand euros. If more – from 30 thousand. Those living in the country for more than 2 years have benefits like all native Finns, so the amount of coverage may be less;
- Confirmation of payment of the registration fee in the amount of €330.
For minors, only an adult (one of the parents or guardians) can issue a travel permit.
It should be noted that Finnish embassies are very busy in summer and autumn, so it is better to apply for a visa immediately after receiving confirmation of admission.
Cost of education
Until 2016, both local and foreign students could receive free education in Finland. However, the country's government decided to take the path of monetizing education for visitors. This innovation affected bachelor's and master's programs in English.
Doctoral programs and studies in Swedish or Finnish are still free of charge.
Approximate tuition prices at some universities in Finland are shown in the table. It should be noted that applied, polytechnic universities are on average cheaper than classical ones. And those located in small towns are, accordingly, cheaper than in the capital and large cities.
Free education opportunities
All educational programs in Finnish and Swedish are free of charge. Therefore, a win-win option is knowledge of the language. There are not many opportunities for English-language education.
The most realistic chances of studying in Finland without large financial costs are provided by the programs of the Government of the Russian Federation. Talented children who have significant achievements in their arsenal (victories at all-Russian and international Olympiads in subjects, research, publications, inventions) can receive a government scholarship that pays not only for their studies abroad, but also for their maintenance during their stay in the country.
Government grants and scholarships in Finland itself are mainly aimed at doctoral degrees. They are awarded based on the results of scientific work, as well as to the Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia for the preservation of national culture. The latter are provided in the field of ethnography, history, ethnic studies and other areas in the field of culture of the people.
Bachelor's and master's programs taught in English do not receive support from the Finnish government. Finnish university scholarships for English-language programs are rare, and only those who have already received a bachelor's degree can apply for them.
Exchange programs
There are student exchange programs in Russia. To become a participant, you must be a student at an educational institution that participates in the international exchange program (CIMO, Center of Interbational Mobility). It mainly affects the areas of economics, ecology, tourism and natural sciences.
Student Accommodation and Meal Options
The most realistic and relatively inexpensive accommodation and food options for visiting students in Finland are student dormitories and canteens. They are not provided for free, but some scholarships may cover such costs.
If you have the financial means, you can rent housing, but you must be prepared for the fact that it is very expensive. To rent a room in the outskirts costs from 300 euros per month. The price of a set lunch in an inexpensive cafe starts from 15 euros.
Having a fairly free study schedule, students can find part-time work without compromising their studies. This can be a good help while studying in a northern country.
The most popular universities in the country
- University of Helsinki- . Finland's first university, founded in 1640. It is the oldest and most prestigious educational institution in the country, occupying a high place in world rankings. The university is famous for its multidisciplinarity and scientific research (under its auspices the League of European Research Universities LERU was created). Philosophy and media studies are considered the strongest areas.
- University of Turku- . It ranks second in size in the country. Founded in the 20s of the last century. Its peculiarity is its versatility. The medical and pedagogical faculties are considered the strongest.
- Aalto University- . Quite young (about 20 years old), but already a well-established university. The level of training of architects and designers at this university is very high. The university is included in the top 20 world rankings in these areas.
- University of Oulu- . The strongest areas of this university are computer technology, medicine and environmental technology. Oulu is included in major world rankings thanks to its active development and great attention paid to scientific research.
- - . The University of Jyväskylä is famous for its postgraduate education. Master's and postgraduate programs are very popular. Actively participates in student exchange programs around the world. The strongest areas are psychology and pedagogy. When training teachers, much attention is paid to inclusive education.
Factors of effectiveness of the Finnish education system
In PISA 2000 and PISA 2003, Finland achieved a very high average result, especially in the area of children's reading. Moreover, only in a few countries the educational achievements of schoolchildren are so little related to extracurricular factors: the economic, social and educational level of the family.
The achievements of Finland are considered exemplary; the Finnish experience is analyzed by the global educational community. What features of the Finnish education system led to such high results?
Some general features of the Finnish education system
In Finland, children attend school from the age of 7. After the reform of preschool education in 2000, local education authorities are obliged to provide a place for everyone in a preschool institution. 93% of children attend preparatory groups at school or kindergarten. The academic year begins in mid-August and ends in June. The choice of school is free; no one is obliged to send their children to school at their place of residence.
What types of schools exist in Finland?
- The first school isjunior level,lasting 6 years. There are about 3,000 junior schools in the country. All subjects, except foreign languages, are taught by one class teacher.
- The second type of school is a three-year “high school” (7th to 9th year of study), there are about 600 of them in the country. Subject teachers work in these schools.
- The third type of school isLukio(gymnasium), there are about 400 of them. They do not have the usual classes for us, but there is a system of courses in which training can last from 2 to 4 years. The final exam in Finland is a centralized exam. GPA is a decisive factor for those who want to continue their studies at the university. If a graduate has a good GPA, then he can apply for admission to the university. Whether he will enroll or not is decided by the university admissions committee. The number of applicants to a particular faculty depends on the teaching staff of the faculty. The idea of increasing the workload on teachers is not discussed by anyone: this will reduce the quality of teaching.
Sociocultural conditions as a success factor
Many believe that the success of the Finnish education system is associated with sociocultural and geographical features. What are they?
Finland has long, cold, dark winters, and a reading tradition has long been formed here, which does not exist in European countries located further south. Already at the beginning of the 20th century, Finland had the lowest percentage of illiterate people in the world (3.8% of the adult population). The traditionally high value of reading has been passed on from the older generation to children and youth.
Success in education is also influenced by the properties of the language: Finnish spelling corresponds to the phonetics of the language. There are no discrepancies between spelling and pronunciation, as in most other languages, in Finnish. Of course, such discrepancies do not really bother an adult, but they play a significant role in the process of learning to write and read. This primarily concerns children classified as at risk in PISA studies. These are those students who struggle to overcome the lowest level of understanding the text or do not cope with this task at all.
Foreign television is successfully used to develop reading skills in Finland. As a rule, the translation of foreign programs and films is not synchronized, but is done in the form of subtitles. Those who read few books but love to watch TV practice speed reading every day. Since they do it voluntarily, they want to watch TV! - the effect is quite high.
Income differentiation in Finland is the lowest of all developed countries. Of course, in Finland there are scientists and lawyers, doctors, teachers - on the one hand, and postmen, drivers, salesmen, mechanics - on the other. But there is no such social stratum as the proletariat. Every Finnish teacher knows that the values and normative attitudes in the families of his students are quite similar, which cannot be said about families in Germany or Russia. And although a high degree of homogeneity is characteristic only of the interior regions of Finland and is not so pronounced in densely populated regions and large cities, it has a significant impact on PISA results as a whole.
However, it is completely wrong to see the secret of Finnish success only in sociocultural and geographical features.
Regular studies of the quality of education, both international and domestic, convince us of this. For example, in the 1960s survey of mathematics achievement (IEA -1964), Finland's performance was low; in the same study from 1981, it is already at the average level; and in the TIMMS -1999 study, the results of this country are already significantly above average (only 6 out of 38 countries showed statistically significant higher results). Similar dynamics are observed for other significant indicators (knowledge in natural science, reading ability, etc.). Thus, although the objective sociocultural characteristics of the country play a certain role, the main factor of success was the reforms of the education system.
Welfare State Concept
The success of the Finnish education system is a consequence of targeted reforms driven by the idea of the "welfare state". This socio-economic model, adopted in Finland after the Second World War, led in the 60-70s to the beginning of targeted, deep structural changes in the entire state and social structure. Reform of the education system became the core of the central project of social development. That is why it is impossible to consider the Finnish education system in isolation from the process of socio-economic and political development of the country as a whole.
It must also be borne in mind that until the 60s, Finland was an agricultural country, 35% of the population of which was associated with agricultural professions, which were traditionally passed on from father to son. The education system was built taking into account the fact that young people were early involved in production relations in agriculture and were not interested in receiving higher education. The bulk of the population graduated from incomplete secondary seven-year school ("kanzakoulu"). To high school ("oppokooolu"- five years of study) and the three-year senior level - gymnasium, which gave the right to receive a higher academic education, few went. For them, such a decision meant a break with family professional traditions. The education system that existed before the structural reforms was parallel, focused on meeting the current needs of the population, which had developed according to tradition. The prospects for social development were not yet visible at that time.
It all ended dramatically: in connection with the crisis of overproduction of agricultural products, a political decision was made to liquidate a huge number of small peasant farms. At the end of the 60s, more than 300,000 Finns moved to neighboring countries. One can imagine what a threat this process posed to the development of a country with a total population of 4.5 million people!
A new concept for the development of society and the state has become a vital necessity. To ensure the material and spiritual well-being of the nation, the “welfare state” model was created.
It should be noted that the concepts of the “welfare state” developed in Finland and Sweden differ significantly from models with the same name in other European countries. Three main elements of public policy make up the welfare state model: the need for economic growth, the social rights of citizens and the welfare of citizens guaranteed by the state. The essence of the model is in linking these elements with each other, in understanding the nature of their interdependence. Social equality, productive labor, material well-being, and democratic structure (governance) were ideologically linked in it. This makes equality and solidarity a means of increasing economic efficiency, but at the same time they are goals for which economic growth is important. As part of the reform, great importance was attached to the pension and health insurance system, budget allocations for education, care for the elderly and disabled, assistance in providing housing and unemployment benefits, and scholarships for students. The central aspect of the model was ensuring the right every citizen to a full-fledged education - a position from which the whole concept of reform of the school system stems. At the same time, the main question was not about how much the reforms would cost, but about how much money the state needed to ensure them.
Integration, not differentiation!
Today in Finnish society there is a dominant positive attitude (consensus) towards the gradual transition of the entire school system to socially integrative schools that integrate weak and strong students, as well as children with any developmental disorders, into the general stream. This policy began in the 70s, and the last special school closed in Finland a few years ago. Until the end of general secondary compulsory education (up to 9th grade), all children study together.
The advantages of an integrative school are that it provides an opportunity for weak students to develop effectively, flexibly adapt to the increased demands of the labor market, and also promotes social integration and consolidation in society. Associated with the integrative approach is the need to develop special forms and methods of educational work that are consistent with the palette of different potentials for students’ educational achievements, not only in primary, but also in secondary school. In addition to teachers who have a diverse teaching repertoire, schools employ specialists who are able to work individually with children.
At the initial stage of the reforms, the Finnish public was concerned that they might lead to a decline in the overall level of education. Therefore, schools have introduced intensive elective courses, starting in grades 6-7. However, this experiment quickly came into conflict with the idea of equality, was considered pedagogically unproductive and was cancelled.
In Sweden, differentiation of children based on educational achievements is prohibited by law. Schools are not allowed to select children for special intensive courses in a particular subject. Teachers of one Swedish school, in an interview with the German magazine Pedagogy, admitted that they tried to secretly teach such courses, selecting the most capable students, but they clearly saw that from a pedagogical point of view this was completely wrong. “We have seen the feasibility of the principle of integration from our own experience and are no longer making such attempts.”
In line with the basic idea of integration and equality, the issue of repeating a year is also being resolved. Although it has not been legally abolished, it is used only in extreme cases. Retention for a second year is recognized as pedagogically and economically senseless.
All these educational and political decisions are a consequence ideas of equality. This idea is understood more radically in the Scandinavian countries than in other European countries, where it is also proclaimed as a central element of educational policy. In Finland, the idea of equality is understood most radically and includes not only equality of chances, but also equality of results. This means that all students, regardless of initial abilities, favorable or unfavorable social conditions for learning, should receive an equally high educational level by the end of the 9th grade. Finnish schools are structured to ensure this equality of results. This is the secret of her success and high scores in PISA.
Pedagogy
Finnish pedagogy, both in theory and in practice, is designed to ensure the political idea of equality. In psychological and pedagogical theories in the 70s, there was a decisive abandonment of attention to innate abilities or gifts and a transition to the study of abilities that influence the learning process. “The influence of various cognitive abilities on the results of the educational process should not be overestimated. If the material taught is correctly distributed and adapted to the needs of the individual student, gradually becoming more complex, and at the same time it is accepted that the speed of assimilation of the material can be different, then the learning results in groups with different abilities at the end will not differ much from each other. Accordingly, teaching in primary school should be differentiated so that the different times required for different students to master the material should become a recognized part of the system?
The concept of the American teacher Bloom was chosen as a didactic model to ensure this process." masterylearning", according to which the central element of the educational process is the careful formulation (definition) of educational goals and the subsequent detailing of these goals into individual steps, where for each, again, an educational goal is precisely formulated. The achievement of these goals must be monitored in a timely manner. A significant role is played here principle of overcoming difficulties, according to which the most important task of the educational process is that we promptly identify the difficulties that the student faces and help him overcome them. The system for assessing educational achievements is also important: marks that allow comparison of one student with another have been eliminated. Efforts were now directed towards the student's perception of his educational achievements - progress in learning, which should strengthen the student's confidence in himself, his abilities and increase a positive attitude towards the learning process as such. Already in the early stages of learning, self-assessment is practiced.
In recent years, there has been a transition from Bloom's concept, which was based on behaviorist learning models, to constructivist learning models based on the ideas of Piaget. They emphasize the student’s own activity in learning.
In the Finnish education system, teachers are given a high degree of freedom, guaranteed by law. However, teacher education reform went hand in hand with freedom. Teachers really need to master the full range of pedagogical methods and approaches. Only in this case can pedagogical freedom bring the expected results.
It's all in the beginning!
Both Finland and Sweden are characterized by the high role played by educators and politicians preschools and junior schools in the education system. They are the ones at the forefront of the entire school system.
It is believed that the success or failure of a child is determined precisely by the beginning of his educational path. This level requires teachers of the highest qualifications. “The most qualified teachers should work in the preschool sector and in primary school. It is during this period that a lot can be ruined, a person’s whole life can be ruined. In the senior level, of course, you can also do harm, but this is not so easy to do. Therefore, the most qualified teachers should work precisely at the junior level", - says Eskil Frank, vice-rector of the teacher training school in Stockholm. It is no coincidence that the film by the famous German director and journalist Reinhard Kahl, dedicated to the Finnish education system, is called “It’s all in the beginning!” In Finland, preschool teachers must have a university degree and communities are required to provide every child with the opportunity to attend a kindergarten or preparatory class at school. Children living in remote areas are brought to school in a special school taxi. The state makes targeted investments in the education of each individual child. "We need every student, we can't afford hopeless cases?" - says Jukka Saryala, President of the Central Department of Education in Helsinki. In Sweden, the state has consistently reduced parental fees for attending preschool institutions in order to ensure wide access to preschool care and education.
The pedagogical orientation towards the decisive importance of the junior level is clearly manifested in the distribution of public funds for education: The main flow of funding goes to the preschool and primary school levels. The role of the teacher in the senior level is not as high as in the junior school. If the junior school does its job well, then the costs of the senior school are reduced. The cost of funds for the junior level in Finland is significantly higher than in Germany, and for the senior level it is lower. In Germany, increased attention is paid to high school. This is a significant difference from the deeply rooted attitude both in Germany and in Russia on the importance of the senior level, the task of which is to ensure admission to a university. It is necessary to overcome this misconception and draw appropriate pedagogical and policy conclusions from the Finnish and Swedish experiences. In Finland and Sweden, a "strong school" is one that raises weak and average students to the highest level to which they are capable of rising.
Decentralization of the school system,
pedagogical autonomy of a separate school
and intrasystem diversification
The founders of the schools are local communities. Schools have very broad pedagogical autonomy (methods, organization of the educational process and even curricula), and parents have the free right to choose schools of different profiles. Thus, with external formal equality, strong intra-system diversification was formed: Each school is obliged - in accordance with the needs of society - to develop and implement your individual pedagogical profile. Within the framework of very general and broad goals and instructions set centrally, the board of each school itself develops its own program and curriculum. There are large differences between Finnish schools, much more significant than the differences between schools of the same type in Germany and Russia. The flow of students in densely populated regions of the country is distributed between schools with different profiles and training programs. Some schools have more intensive programs, others less. The idea of a “Finnish school” as a single educational system with common programs and curricula is incorrect. The general principles and goals are the same, but they are implemented at the level of an individual school in very different ways.
Currently, the central government agency plans to somewhat limit the freedom of schools in choosing programs - the discrepancy between schools has become too large. But the idea of “profiling” remains valid. The profile refers to the orientation of the school towards a mathematical, linguistic, artistic or some other bias. There are even schools with a sports profile.
The abolition of state inspection is also associated with this organization of the school system. Some analysts consider it a major factor in improving the efficiency of the Finnish school system. Trust in teachers, also associated with the reform of teacher education, is the basis for the freedom granted to teachers. With the help of evaluation, the school learns about its work, strengths and weaknesses. Evaluation is associated with consulting schools on emerging problems, and not with assessing their work or, especially, with sanctions. The replacement of state inspection with an evaluation system should be considered an essential element of educational reform in Finland.
Integrating alternative models into the education system
The diversity of school pedagogical profiles has led to the integration of internationally recognized alternative school models into the Finnish education system. Pedagogical freedom, freedom to choose educational systems, is enshrined in the Finnish constitution, which proclaims the right to establish non-state schools and private educational institutions. The right to home schooling is also established by law. The 1991 legislation, which was aimed at decentralizing the school system, included a provision for the integration of previously private alternative schools into the general education system. Alternative educational institutions such as Montessori, Frenet, Waldorf Steiner schools and others with international recognition are established without any additional approval and are financed on the same terms as regular communal (state) schools. The 1991 law legalized and equalized their rights with state ones. The rationale for this decision is typical, emphasizing that the public school system is learning progressive teaching methods from alternative schools. To receive funding, alternative schools must enter into agreements with local communities, under which they are provided with full financial support equal to that of public schools.
Within-school factors of high achievement in Finnish schools. School staff
The pedagogical concept presented above, in its specific embodiment, has its own organizational features. The staff of a Finnish school consists not only of administration, classroom teachers and subject teachers. In addition to them, school staff include:
1. School sister, By basic education she is a nurse, but has additional education in the field of preventive health work. Such professional specialization is unknown neither in Germany nor in Russia.
2. Curator, A social teacher by training, she deals with problems of a social nature. If a conflict between two groups arises in a class, the class teacher does not deal with this problem. He sends the conflicting parties to a curator, whose main competence is the ability to solve interhuman and intergroup problems. He must also be proficient in therapeutic methods of working with groups. Problems that need to be solved with the participation of parents are decided by the curator, not the teacher.
3. Psychologist. Often children themselves come to a psychologist. The fact that there is an adult at school who is obliged to remain silent about the problems entrusted to him, who is always ready to listen to you, support you, and provide competent assistance, is extremely important for children and adolescents. The teacher simply does not have time to deal with such problems with students. Of course, we are not talking about real psychotherapy in this context; we are talking about individual psychological problems. For example, a good student’s performance suddenly drops. She cannot concentrate on her studies: an accident happened to her brother and he ended up in the hospital. This girl does not need help with her studies, but psychological support is necessary. If she receives it, she will be able to return to successful activities again.
4. Special teacher. The task of this teacher is support and pedagogical work with those lagging behind. A special teacher must have basic teaching education, work at least three years in school and then receive special additional education, including the basics of psychology. A special teacher must master the entire palette of methods and techniques necessary to overcome various learning difficulties together with students.
5. Assistants. In schools with many students and large classes, there are assistants who do not have special education. They work as hourly workers under the supervision of teaching staff. These could be applicants who have not yet secured a place at university, non-working parents, for example, mothers who do housework. Their help significantly relieves teachers.
6. Kitchen staff. Each school has a kitchen and canteen. Children receive nutritious hot meals every day.
Finnish schools have a teacher replacement system. Each founder has a reserve of certified teachers. If the main teacher becomes ill, he will be immediately replaced. Therefore, there are practically no cancellations of lessons due to the absence of a teacher. This is of particular importance for weak students, who suffer more than others from missing lessons.
Teachers can devote themselves entirely to teaching, since there are additional specialists - psychologists, curators and others - to solve other emerging problems. If the school has large classes (18-20 children), then hourly assistants are invited. They work at the direction of the teacher and, as a rule, take care of students who cannot or do not want to follow the class or participate in general work. If a student is disrupting the class, the assistant sits next to him and works individually. In no case should the teacher be distracted from his main task - presenting the material to the whole class. For struggling students there is support system, covering 16-17% of all students! The idea here is this: if a weak student is identified on time and targeted assistance is provided to him, then he will not need to spend another year at school. Repeating a grade is not only traumatic for the student, but also uneconomical for society as a whole.
How is support for especially weak students provided?
When a student cannot keep up with his class, a special teacher is first invited to supervise him. In difficult cases, he takes the student and gives him individual lessons or conducts them in small groups. As a rule, after such additional classes, the student can return to class and continue his studies.
If a student is unable to cope with educational problems with the help of a special teacher, then the law requires that this case be brought to a special council. It meets once a month and includes the school administration, the class teacher, and in some cases a subject teacher, a psychologist, a special teacher and a school doctor. First, it is determined whether the child’s academic problems are a consequence of health problems. If this is the case, then the student should be treated by a doctor and parents will be informed. If this is not the case, then the council looks for other reasons for learning difficulties. The council is developing a plan to help him. A month later, this case is brought before the council again. The main question is whether the measures provided for in the plan helped. If there are no visible results, then they discuss what else can be done. One of the possibilities is development of an individual curriculum (program) for this student. In this case, not all of the class's learning goals are required for that child.
Cooperation with parents is highly desirable. But if they don’t want this, then the school must manage on its own. She has no right to abandon to the mercy of fate a student who, unfortunately, has parents who do not want to take care of him. The legal subject here is the child. It is to him that the law guarantees the right according to which his needs for care, attention, and support will be satisfied. Cases of teenage hooliganism and youth crime have no place in this system, because long before a student prone to deviant behavior will be identified and provided with timely help and support.
So, the main factor for the success of the Finnish education system is a well-thought-out school policy, which is part of the concept of a welfare society. Humanism, as a mentality and real social practice, permeates the entire Finnish society.
In recent years, it has set itself new goals, confirmed by the constitution, - the transition to a knowledge society and a communicative society. Related to these goals is the use of new educational technologies that use the capabilities of computers and the Internet, as well as teaching methods that develop independence and social abilities. The majority of students should receive higher education, and Finnish society is well on its way to this goal: the proportion of the population with higher education in Finland is the highest in the world.
The article was published in the magazine "Public Education", No. 4, 2006.
Today it's hard to believe that Finnish education system less than 50 years old. It was in the sixties of the now last century that the system of higher and vocational education in Finland began to take shape. Over these half a century, Finland has come a long way - now there are 29 universities in the state, of which 10 are specialized (3 polytechnic universities, 3 higher economic institutions and 4 arts) and the same number are multi-faculty.
However, education in Finland, as in any other country, begins not with institutes, academies or universities, but with preschool education. As you know, secondary and higher education in Finland is free, but preschool education is paid. Kindergartens are divided into three types: municipal, private and family; parents themselves choose which kindergarten to send their child to. Payment for kindergarten depends on family income. The maximum fee for a kindergarten is 254 euros, the minimum is 23 euros per month. Kindergartens in Finland accept children from 9 months to 7-8 years. And from the age of 6 they begin to prepare for school for free. Sometimes there are not enough places in kindergartens, and then the state pays an additional 500 euros monthly to the family so that one of the parents stays at home with the child. In Finnish kindergartens there are (by law) 4 children per kindergarten teacher, so kindergarten groups are usually small.
I must say that Finnish school education constantly attracts increased interest from the world community. The fact is that Finnish schoolchildren show impressive results in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). In 2000 and 2003, Finland not only took first place in this “competition”, but was also the only European country among the leaders. To understand the reasons for such success, you need to dig deep into the depths.
Education in Finland starts from preschool age. And it begins in the nursery, where children aged 3 to 6 years go. In general, a lot of attention is paid to the preschool education system in Finland. First of all, preschool educational institutions must prepare the child for school.
The second level of education in Finland is basic school, where a child studies from 7 to 16 years old (not much different from the situation in Russia, don’t you think?). But then the differences begin.
- Firstly, there are no exams in Finnish schools. Even graduations.
- Secondly, differentiation of teaching, highlighting some subjects and their in-depth study to the detriment of others is not encouraged.
- Third, there are no “elite” classes. In general, the private school sector in Finland is insignificant.
Ministry of Education of Finland pursues a policy of equalizing the education system - this means that education should be the same everywhere and for everyone, both in content and accessibility.
Interesting fact: it turns out that the buildings schools in Finland are designed by the country's leading architects, and the opinions of the students themselves (high school) and their parents are taken into account, so Finnish schools do not look like barracks or hospitals.
As in any other European school, the approach to classes is individual, i.e. Each child must find his own way. Two teachers work in one class at the same time - this takes the load off each of them and greatly simplifies and speeds up the decision-making process. After each lesson, students can tell what they were able to understand and what they didn’t. Moreover, misunderstanding of the subject is not considered the child’s fault, but is recognized as a teacher’s shortcoming in designing the knowledge delivery system.
In Finland there is a tradition according to which children are sent to the nearest school. Previously, it was generally prohibited for parents to independently choose a school for their child, and only in recent years has this ban been lifted. However, most parents do not bother themselves with unnecessary searches, preferring to send their children to the school closest to their place of residence.
And only at the third stage of education do Finns have the right to choose who they should actually study for, and most importantly, where? The choice is small: either a vocational school or a gymnasium. Currently, there are 441 gymnasiums (with a total number of students of 130 thousand people) and 334 vocational schools (with a total number of students of 160 thousand) in Finland. T Just as in the case of schoolchildren, in the case of students the state takes care of the full provision of students: they are paid for food, textbooks and travel to home. Actually, gymnasiums and vocational schools are the essence of high school.
At 19 years old school education in Finland ends completely. Upon completion, yesterday's schoolchildren take the matriculation - the first, only and last - national exam. Its importance is difficult to assess, because it plays practically no role for admission to universities. Admission is guaranteed only by successfully passing the entrance exams at the university itself. Moreover, the organization of entrance exams falls entirely on universities. At this stage, the difference between gymnasiums and vocational schools becomes clear. Graduates of the former, as a rule, enter universities, graduates of the latter - into institutes. This does not mean that graduates of vocational schools cannot enter universities - there are no formal restrictions on this - these are just statistics. Speaking of statistics, only no more than a third of school graduates continue their education in higher educational institutions.
Education in Finland, including higher education, is free (including for foreign students). Overall, state participation in financing the higher education system in Finland is estimated at 72%.
Natalya Kireeva lives in Helsinki. She recently spoke about the system and principles of local education and shared her opinion on why Finnish education is considered one of the best in the world.
Finnish school education has attracted great interest in Russia in recent years. The high results of Finnish schoolchildren in international rankings have made it the subject of careful study and even envy. Finnish schools are legendary, admired, blogged about, and featured in videos.
But is everything really as rosy as they say in the media and on the Internet?
Editor-in-Chief of the Motherhood portal Anna Khrustaleva took part in an educational trip to Helsinki to get to know the Finnish education system better and study the components of success. But, having immersed myself in the topic in practice, I came to completely different conclusions than I could have expected.
It is believed that Finnish education is based on seven “pillars” that ensure its success: equality, freeness, trust, independence, individuality, practicality, voluntariness. Let's look at each of them in detail.
Equality in Finnish schools - truth or myth?
The principle of equality applies to everyone: schools, teachers, students, parents and school subjects.
It is officially believed that all schools are equally good and you can study in any one, preferably the one closest to your home. There are no school ratings.
There is no testing for admission to schools, you can come to school without knowing the letters, without knowing how to read and count.
Teachers and students are equal, so the teacher is addressed by name and “you” (this moment most of all amazed my son, who was in a Russian language lesson with Finnish third-graders).
From first to ninth grade, students write in pencil and can erase and correct what they have written at any time. The teacher also checks their work with a pencil. And students can erase what the teacher wrote!
All school subjects are equally important, so there are no classes or schools with in-depth study of any subject. However, in high school (8-9), the individual inclinations of students are still taken into account: they have the opportunity to additionally take 4 elective subjects.
The principle of equality also implies equal rights to education for all students, regardless of their physical and intellectual characteristics.
Finnish schoolchildren write with a pencil
And in fact?
In reality, schools are, of course, different. If only because they are located in different areas - one among elite housing, where wealthy people live, the other on the outskirts of the city, where a large number of migrants live in poor neighborhoods. By the way, there are a lot of refugees from Somalia in Helsinki, whom Finland has been accepting since 1990 (Somalis make up 0.4% of the country's population).
There are no official ratings of schools, but word of mouth has not been canceled. In addition, many high schools are united with lukio (lyceum), where children enter after 9th grade. But lukio just has a rating, based on which the applicant chooses where to go to study. It is not surprising that the data from this rating is also associated with schools. Thus, the SYK school is considered one of the strongest in Helsinki, since the SYK Lyceum ranks second in the lukio ranking. On the first line of the rating is the Ressu Lyceum, and accordingly the Ressu school is considered elite.
There is no selection for schools, but Kindergartens have school readiness testing, which is mandatory for everyone, unless the kindergarten refuses to hold it. The test lasts three hours without a break and includes a large volume of tasks that children who are not used to studying for more than an hour cannot cope with. The usefulness of this test has been questioned in the Finnish press.
The above-mentioned SYK school recruits students for grade 3 based on the results of a large and difficult written test (there are no grades 1 and 2 at this school). So testing and selection still happen.
Finnish schoolchildren go to school by taxi
Free education in Finnish schools - truth or myth?
Education in Finland is free, that's true. Moreover, free meals in schools, free textbooks, notebooks, teaching aids and pencils. Each student is provided with a free tablet or laptop that they can take home.
If a student lives more than 2 km from the school, he is provided with a free travel ticket. And if he cannot use public transport (for example, a disabled child or simply living far from school in a rural area), his free taxi ride to school.
There is no need for a school uniform; you can wear whatever you want. Change of shoes is also not necessary; most children wear socks around school. Therefore, before the start of classes (which falls on one of the days in mid-August, there is no single date), parents do not. You don't need to buy anything at all.
And in fact?
In reality, the school system is, of course, funded by taxpayers. A taxes in Finland are strict. To begin with, progressive income tax eats up a significant portion of your salary.
Here is one father's story: “In a 9th grade lesson, my son was solving a problem: a teacher receives a salary of 3,200 euros per month and pays 19% tax, a school director receives a salary of 5,200 euros and pays 32% tax. How much more does a director earn? After my son decided, he came running to us and said: I don’t understand those who want to work as a school director!
I gave an example of a math problem in a Finnish school. This is about the approximate level of salaries and money received. But utilities are much more expensive! And additional taxes are several times higher: for one car (petrol engine 2000 cm3) road tax is 250 euros per year.”
In the above example, the director still receives more than the teacher (the difference in salary is 944 euros). But it also happens that after a salary increase due to an increased tax rate, the employee begins to receive less than before the increase.
By the way, only schools, lyceums and universities are free in Finland. And kindergartens are paid for by parents, and it’s not cheap: staying in a group five days a week from 8:00 to 16:45 will cost parents 1,000 euros per month.
Finnish schoolchildren solve examples on tablets
Trust (lack of control) in Finnish schools - good or bad?
Trust implies a lack of control. In Finnish schools there are no tests and tests imposed from above. Schools are not required to report to higher authorities(a huge number of regulatory authorities in the field of education were abolished back in the 1970s). No one compares students with each other or compiles school ratings. It does not conduct performance surveys, does not track the admission of graduates to prestigious lyceums, institutes and universities. This system allows you to get rid of bureaucracy and removes a lot of paperwork from teachers and schools. Time is freed up for the main thing - the educational process, working with children.
Teachers in Finnish schools are high-level professionals, with at least a master's degree. Teachers are given complete freedom in choosing teaching methods. Each teacher can independently create a curriculum and follow it. He himself compiles tests based on the material covered. Tests are carried out quite often, but their purpose is not to compare students and evaluate performance, but to check how well the material has been mastered, where gaps remain and what points need to be worked on additionally.
And in fact?
In theory, all this sounds great, but in practice it happens differently. Far away, all her teachers are eager to write their own program. A student from one of the best schools in Helsinki said: “I don’t want our English teacher to go back on maternity leave. She divides the students into pairs, tells them to read the paragraph and ask each other the questions written after it. It's boring. And now she’s being replaced by someone else, she speaks to us in English and gives us interesting tasks.”
Blind trust in the teacher and complete freedom of teaching also leads to the fact that high school teachers encounter knowledge gaps admitted in previous years. Example: the teacher explains how to calculate the area of a segment, but the students do not know the names of the parts of a circle.
The mathematics program is generally structured unevenly. For seven years, schoolchildren have been practicing four arithmetic operations, but in 8th grade the level of difficulty increases rapidly. The concept of unknowns is introduced for the first time, equations and systems of equations appear, exponentiation and root extraction, etc.
Finnish schools have large sports fields and a lot of greenery around.
Pictured is the Viikinmäen school in Helsinki, built in 2015
Independence as a principle of raising Finnish children
Finnish children play a lot in kindergarten. Their schedule includes two walks of three hours each. During walks, children often travel by public transport, including to the other end of the city with transfers. Many times we observed groups of 10-12 children in reflective vests, led by two or three adults, heading to a museum, to a park, playing near a waterfall. In Helsinki, preschool children are not kept behind fences; they are actively introduced to the city. And including transport, so by first class they can move around the city independently.
Schools also make sure that children spend a lot of time outdoors. Every recess takes place outside, regardless of the weather (and the wishes of the children), as well as physical education lessons.
Finnish schoolchildren decide for themselves what they want to eat
The food in the school canteen is simple and healthy: bread, vegetables, meatballs, or meat. Drinks include milk, kefir and water. The school canteen is arranged according to the “buffet” principle (the Finnish analogue of our concept of “buffet”) - each child takes what he wants and in the quantity he wants. Children are taught not to take too much, so as not to throw away food. Better go get some more. At the exit from the dining room there is an electronic board for rating the lunch: how tasty it was.
Finnish parents do not help their children with homework, and do not even monitor its completion. This is not accepted among parents and is not encouraged by the school. If a child has problems with school, it is the school that decides, not the parents.
And in fact?
To be honest, there is nothing to complain about on this point. I am in favor of introducing everything in our schools: outdoor recess, buffet meals in canteens and learning without parental participation.
Finnish schoolchildren do a lot of creative work
Individuality
If a child cannot cope with some tasks, is ill, or falls behind in some subject, he is provided with help - additional classes, homework, explanation of missed material.
The Finnish school is designed to help those who are lagging behind. An underachieving child is not stigmatized or shamed at class hours and parent-teacher meetings (children’s successes are not discussed at all at meetings; more general issues are resolved there).
They receive additional training (the teacher is paid for these additional hours by the state). They may be assigned a tutor in a certain subject (for example, if a child is bad at math, the tutor will take him for individual lessons for these lessons). Finally, they may be temporarily transferred to a correctional class. By the way, all foreigners who do not speak Finnish first end up in a correctional class, where they are taught in a small group (4-5 people) for a year or even longer, until they can join a regular Finnish class according to their age.
Children with severe developmental delays are provided with an individualized educational plan so that even they can graduate from school at a level within their reach.
And in fact?
But there is a downside to this too. A tutor will only be provided if the school has the resources to do so. But they are not always there, especially against the backdrop of the ongoing funding cuts.
Finnish teachers write with markers rather than chalk
Practicality
Probably many of us in childhood asked the question: “Why should I study this? Will this be useful to me in life? Many have heard similar questions from their children. And they probably found themselves in an awkward position, not knowing what to answer.
While in Russian schools children often “go through” completely abstract material, in Finland schoolchildren study primarily what is needed in real life.
Here is an example of a problem in mathematics: “Masha lives 2 km from school, and Petya lives 5 km. How far away do the children live from each other? A Russian schoolchild will most likely be confused by such a task, because it is not said in which direction the children’s houses are located. And Finnish children are given such tasks so that, after reflection, they determine that the answer will not be a number, but a range of values - from the minimum to the maximum possible.
Finnish schoolchildren love to cook
The most popular subject among Finnish schoolchildren is home economics. In the 7th grade, everyone does it - both boys and girls. And in grades 8 and 9 it can be studied as an elective, and many give it preference. They learn to cook, study the cuisine of different nations. By the way, traditionally, girls also do “male” work: they work on machines, make things useful for the household (stools, sauna buckets).
Senior teacher in a Finnish-Russian kindergarten: “We don’t teach anything that won’t be useful in life”
Graduates of Finnish schools are fluent in English. The language environment surrounds them in life (all English-language films on TV are shown without translation, with Finnish subtitles). To overcome the language barrier and increase vocabulary, teachers use open-ended questions to which one cannot give a monosyllabic answer (yes or no), but must be reasoned and explained.
The same principle applies in other disciplines. For example, the teacher asks the question: “Why can’t fish live out of water?” - and the children begin to think and look for answers. In Finnish school lessons, children are not given ready-made solutions, but are encouraged to search on their own.
And in fact?
At the upper level of secondary school (lyceum), there are also students who have problems in one or more subjects. Most often these are foreign languages and mathematics. Moreover, problems in mathematics sometimes reach the point of being ridiculous: students at a vocational school (department of tourism) have problems converting euros into dollars and do not know how to make a proportion. And even those who managed to enter the lyceum need a tutor to understand these simple mathematical operations.
Finnish schoolchildren wear socks around school
Volunteering in Finnish schools - what is the result?
Finnish parents do not work with their children. They don’t teach them to read, don’t show them educational books, and don’t teach them how to count. It is believed that the child will learn all this at school.
In kindergarten, too, there is no “preparation for school”, and in short daily classes, children engage in creative arts (modeling, drawing, appliqué, singing) and physical education. They don’t study letters, they don’t teach counting, in any case, there are no special classes for this, although there is a developmental environment - the alphabet hangs on the wall.
In the preparatory class (which is compulsory for all children aged 5-6 years), children perform very simple tasks, like “find the odd one out” among four blue and one red balls.
Finnish schoolchildren can sit on the floor or even in a cardboard house
Sitting at desks in Finnish classrooms is not mandatory. If you want, sit on the floor, or in a cardboard house. You can climb up onto the chair with your feet - no problem. Do you want to swing on a chair? It won’t work, the design of the chair does not allow you to swing on it (my son personally tested it).
In elementary school, from grades 1 to 4, there are no grades. In the student’s personal account there is a scale with gradations from “still need to train” to “did a great job”, on which the teacher notes the child’s personal achievements for each lesson. From the 5th grade, grades appear on a 10-point scale, but students are not divided into excellent students and C students, and any competition is avoided. Children do not know each other's grades; everything is posted in an electronic diary, where the student and his parents have access.
If a child does not want to study, they are not forced to. If you didn't do it today, you'll do it tomorrow. Children are not intimidated by bad marks, the Unified State Examination and the profession of a janitor. If he wants to listen to the teacher, he listens; if he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t listen. The country also needs wipers.
Most of all I was interested in the question of how, in such a free system, children have enough motivation to learn. It’s not that I think it’s possible to study only under pressure, but I know from experience that the lack of boundaries and commitments discourages and prevents you from achieving any significant result.
There is no clear answer to this question. I saw children slowly walking to school, their eyes glued to their phones, when classes started about 10 minutes ago. I heard from several students from different schools that they hated school. I also heard the admiring story of a fifth-grade student who moved to Finland less than a year ago, that studying in a Finnish school is very cool and much easier than in a Russian one.
Finnish schoolchildren are given everything for free, from a pencil to a computer.
Studying at a Finnish school is stress-free learning. Psychologists warn that amid fear and stress, the cognitive abilities of the brain are blocked. Unfortunately, in Russian school there are many moments that cause stress: fear of failing marks, fear of tests, intimidation of the Unified State Examination. Finnish schools don't have all this. It would seem that cognitive abilities should be activated, and success should go off scale. But actually it is not.
The Finnish school aims to bring weak and lagging children up to the average level.
Everywhere, from the Helsinki Education Authority to a school on the outskirts of the city, we were told that the system was doing its best to help children with learning difficulties. A whole system has been developed, from one-time additional classes to an individual curriculum, to enable everyone to master the program in a minimal amount.
And here There are almost no development opportunities for strong children. Unless parents are concerned about enrolling in an advanced school and taking extra classes (for example, using apps and websites).
Teachers and school principals themselves acknowledge the existence of this problem and the need to solve it.
I made a special trip to Helsinki to meet with Finnish education experts and find out the essence of the upcoming changes.
Finland has been a leader in the world for several years now. That is why the eyes of the world educational community have been focused on the Finnish education system for the third year in an attempt to determine the reasons for success and transfer positive experience to their realities.
The building of one of the oldest high schools in Helsinki (Eilantarha). Source: flickr
That's why the news that Finland is about to undertake the most radical curriculum reform in its education history is so stunning.
Liisa Poiholainen, head of children's and adult education in Helsinki, says about this reform:
We are about to begin a major change in Finnish education.
How are we used to seeing the school education system? A history lesson in the morning, a geography lesson in the afternoon, two algebra lessons and English to finish the day. Forty minutes of scattered knowledge. Finnish reformers set themselves the task of destroying this familiar structure, which had served faithfully for centuries. Already now, the traditional lesson system is gradually disappearing from high school - sixteen-year-old teenagers study not subjects, but “phenomena”, or phenomena, or processes, or whatever. The bottom line is this: during the career guidance course, young future specialists who have chosen, for example, service classes in the catering industry, undergo comprehensive training in “everything at once” - elements of mathematics, a foreign language, business writing and communication skills. In other words, everything that is directly needed to fully master the future profession.
Labor room in a secondary school in Jyväskylä, Finland. Source: flickr
Pasi Silander, Head of Urban Development for the City of Helsinki, explains:
Modern society needs a completely different approach to education to prepare people for their future professions. Nowadays young people use quite advanced computer technology. In the past, the same bank clerks needed to handle large volumes of numbers, but now this is no longer necessary. This is why we need to change education to meet social and industrial needs.
Of course, this does not mean that Finland wants to get only blue-collar workers or qualified service sector specialists. No, academically gifted students with an active interest in science are also taken into account. Apparently, it is assumed that the curriculum will be divided into separate educational topics - for example, the topic “European Union” will include elements of economics, history of member countries, the study of foreign languages and geography.
This is how natural science subjects are studied at school in Jyvaskylä, Finland.
Finland is a leader in the quality of education, whose university diplomas are valued all over the world. Therefore, other countries, concerned about the state of their education system, are carefully looking at what exactly their Finnish colleagues are implementing and what they can borrow from them. And high-quality free training of specialists in universities encourages young foreigners, including Russians, to strive to get an education in Finland.
Features of Finnish education
The Finns destroyed the traditional school education system. The main postulate is the need to obtain knowledge in an interdisciplinary form. For example, while studying the course “Tourism Organization”, students become familiar with the elements of micro- and macroeconomics, speak foreign languages, and learn to communicate. Education is as close to life as possible. Schoolchildren do not ask the question: “Why memorize something that will never be useful?”, since they are taught only what they will definitely need. To find out what her education is like, you can visit thematic Russian-language sites where emigrants share their experiences.
The fact that Finnish education is the best in the world is due to the principles developed by the Finns.
Equality, but not leveling
In Finland, schools are not divided into elite, “advanced” and ordinary. Almost all of them are state-owned and financed according to needs.
Each subject is considered important; there are no specialized classes with in-depth study of any discipline. The only exception is groups for working with children gifted in music, painting, and sports.
The school administration and teachers are not interested in the social status of parents. Even questions about this are prohibited.
Students are not divided into good and bad. Both very capable children and children with developmental disabilities are considered “special”. They study in regular classes; there are simply no others. Disabled children are integrated into the team from childhood.
Teachers are mentors. If a teacher singles out “favorites” and “outcasts,” he is fired. Teachers value their profession because it is well paid. But employment contracts with them are renewed annually.
The relationship between the rights of the student and the teacher is interesting. Children, in a conversation with a social worker, complain about adults, including parents and teachers, sometimes in a biased manner. When discussing the pros and cons of Finnish education, this fact is cited as the last one.
Why the Finnish education system is the best in the world: Video
Free
Children are not only taught for free, but also fed, taken on excursions, provided with extracurricular activities, and, if necessary, transported to school and back. The school pays for textbooks, office supplies, and even tablets. Collections from parents for any purpose are out of the question here.
Individual approach
The teacher takes into account the characteristics of each student and adjusts the educational process to him: he selects textbooks, gives exercises that correspond to the student’s mental abilities. Works are also evaluated according to different criteria.
In addition to regular lessons, there is supportive training for underachieving students (something like tutoring), as well as correctional lessons - when the child’s behavior is not satisfactory or the non-native language needs to be “improved”. The same teachers handle all this.
Preparing for life
There are no exams as such in Finnish schools. The teacher is allowed to conduct tests and tests at his own discretion. There is only one mandatory test at the end of school. There is no special preparation for it.
They don’t teach things that a particular child won’t need in real life, for example, they don’t teach how to calculate on a slide rule, and they don’t encourage them to know the periodic table thoroughly. And using a computer, a bank card, creating your own website on the Internet, calculating cashback on discounted goods - from an early age.
Trusting relationship
They trust teachers, eliminating checks and eliminating numerous reports. The educational program in the country is uniform, there are general recommendations in accordance with which teachers build their own.
They trust the children: there is no total control, during lessons they do not force the whole class to do one thing. A student is an individual who knows what is best for her.
Voluntariness
A child is not forced to study if he does not want or cannot. Of course, teachers make efforts, but in “difficult” cases they simply focus on a working profession, especially since in the country all work is honorable and decently paid. The task of the school is to understand in what field a person will bring maximum benefit to himself and the state. Career guidance is the concern of the “teacher of the future” on the staff of each school.
Of course, there is control over learning. Missing lessons, for example, is punished with additional assignments. Calling parents to the director to analyze the child’s behavior is not practiced. If a student fails, he will stay for a second year. This is not considered a shame or a sensation.
Independence
Children are taught independence, because... believe that this is the only possible way to help them build a successful life. Hence the lack of unnecessary supervision, encouragement of those who think and do not memorize, who themselves look for the necessary information, using all available resources and gadgets. For the same reason, teachers do not interfere in children's conflicts. They themselves must find mutual understanding and, if necessary, defend their rights.
The listed principles are subject to criticism, but the results of their implementation speak for themselves.
Structure
The multi-stage education system in Finland includes preschool, general education, secondary special education and higher education.
Preschool education
Children under 5 years old receive preschool education. It would be more correct to call it “education”, because the main task of employees is caring for children. Kindergartens are paid. The contribution amount is calculated based on the parents' income.
The younger the group, the fewer students and the more workers. If there are not enough places in kindergartens in a locality, parents are paid an allowance from the treasury.
At the age of 6, children are transferred to a preparatory group (at a kindergarten or school). Those children who did not attend kindergarten also go there for free.
Comprehensive school
She provides secondary education. They study for 9 or 10 years. Parents monitor their children's progress in a single electronic journal. In the absence of diaries (since, as a rule, there is no homework either), they are given a report card with the child’s grades every month. Students are given grades orally.
The academic year lasts from mid-August to mid-May. There are also holidays. Working week – 5 days. Schools do not work in two shifts.
The school at the embassy in Finland adheres to the same regime, although the curricula and teaching principles here are fully consistent with all-Russian ones.
First level
From 7 to 13 years old, children attend primary school. In the first and second grades they study their native language, reading, mathematics, and natural history. Physical exercises are required. Finnish school also includes teaching creativity: singing, playing musical instruments, modeling, drawing. Later, other subjects are added, including two foreign languages.
Upper stage
High school starts from 7th grade. If in primary school children studied in the same class with one teacher, now each teacher teaches a separate subject, and a classroom system is practiced. The educational institution has teaching assistants on staff.
After 9th grade, the general education level ends. “Above-plan” tenth grade for those who want to deepen their knowledge. Graduates continue their education at a new level or go to work. They make their professional choice while studying at school, and then they get acquainted with their future specialty.
Lyceums and colleges
According to the final test, ninth-graders enter college (the weaker ones), where they study blue-collar jobs, or a lyceum, improving in their chosen disciplines. In the first, more attention is paid to practical skills and abilities, in the second - theory. But after graduating from both, young people can study at universities.
Higher education in Finland consists of universities and institutes of applied sciences (polytechnics). The learning process is modern, high-quality, giving graduates confidence in their relevance in the labor market.
The first are focused on acquiring practical knowledge and skills in all sectors of the economy, management, and social sphere. Even in location they are close to a specific region. Graduates are helped to start working in their acquired specialty.
Universities provide academic knowledge in the fields of natural sciences, humanities, and technology. The training program is two-stage: three years prepare bachelors, another two years prepare masters. There is a predisposition to scientific activity - they offer continuation of education for two years and upon completion they issue a licentiate diploma (candidate of sciences). To become a Doctor of Science, you need to enroll in doctoral studies, study there for four years and defend your dissertation. A master's degree is also available to graduates of institutes, but first they have to devote three years to work in their specialty and a year to prepare for admission.
National and foreign citizens study at universities for free.
Popular educational institutions
There are fifty universities in the country, the leader among which is the capital's University of Helsinki. There are 11 faculties, 35 thousand students, 2 thousand of which are foreigners. The medical faculty is highly valued. One of the university’s research centers, the Alexander Institute, is engaged in the study of Russia. Excellent faculty and teaching staff, developed infrastructure. Teaching in English is only for master's and doctoral students.
Other universities are less populous. There are 20 thousand students in Aalto, 2 thousand are foreigners. 390 professors. The scientific centers are equipped with excellent equipment. The School of Business (bachelor's degree) teaches in English.
The main university in Turku has over 19 thousand students, of which 3.5 thousand are foreigners, 7 faculties. They deeply study biotechnology, astronomy, everything related to computers, as well as medicine, law, economics, social and other sciences.
A number of subjects are taught in Russian at Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences, including undergraduate courses.
How to enter university
Having chosen a university, you should carefully study the rules for admitting foreign applicants. For now, studying in Finland is free for Russian students.
The application and documents can be sent by email. Instructions are provided on the websites of universities and institutes. Thus, a copy of the high school diploma must be translated into Finnish; a certificate of passing an international English language exam is required; you need to tell why this particular university is preferred (in English).
If the documents are satisfied by the administration, an invitation is sent to take the entrance examination, which is the basis for issuing a visa. Cross-border admissions committees come to Russia to recruit Russian applicants from some educational institutions.
Those enrolled in the university apply for a student visa. You will also need:
- international passport;
- photographs 47 x 36 mm;
- message about enrollment as a student;
- certificate of completion of secondary school in Russia;
- bank confirmation of funds for living abroad;
- medical insurance (policy);
- For minors, parental permission is required to travel to Finland.
Foreign students must annually register with the police at their place of residence.
Cost of Finnish education for foreigners
Despite the declared freeness of education, the cost of training consists of expenses for housing, food, payment for additional classes, and trade union dues. Textbooks and manuals are paid. No scholarships are paid. Part-time work for full-time students during semesters is allowed, but not more than 20-25 hours per week.
You can live in a dormitory, but the number of places is limited, you have to rent a room. The range of housing prices, as everywhere else, is large - 100-400 euros per month, depending on the city and the quality of the apartments.
About 100 euros will be spent on textbooks and fees. Food is expensive.
Advantages of studying in Finland for Russians
Young Russians are eager to study here because they are confident that a hard-earned diploma from a local university or institute will help other European countries.
What else attracts you?
- Possibility not to pay for training.
- Proximity to the borders of Russia, transport accessibility.
- Opportunity to study in English.
- The prospect of improving Finnish and Swedish.
- Live in a calm, well-maintained country.
A good education is the best capital that does not lose value in times of economic turmoil. Diplomas from Finnish higher educational institutions are a guarantee of successful employment and rapid career advancement.
