Lessons from Finland

During the Term break, I was invited to join an educator’s program to visit schools from ELC to Year 12 in Finland. I went to learn about what lies at the basis of their phenomenal success in education. I hoped to share my observations of  how they cater for students who require education support right through to gifted students. Finland illustrated the fabulous things we are doing at St Catherine’s School, whilst highlighting a number of ways we could make our educational delivery even better.

In Finland, educational delivery is based on evidence-based research, which recognises the importance of :

• Quality teachers (all teachers must have a Master Degree in Education)
• Including student voice across all sectors of schooling from Years 2 to 12
• Student wellbeing. Wellbeing committees meet every fortnight to support students who may suffer from anxiety and depression. The committee comprises of nurses, psychologists, principals and education support teachers and in some cases, external therapists.
• Mindfulness as part of a commitment to equip students with life tools they can apply in their daily lives, and implements a
• Response to Intervention Model ( a tailored curriculum for students with learning difficulties).

Life-long learning is at the core of the education system. There is no national testing at a basic education level (Years 1-9) in Finland.

Using formative testing, results are used to:

• Support and guide the learning process
• Help the pupil learn in their best learning style
• Help the pupil to form a realistic self-image
• To inform the pupil and his parents about the progress of the pupil.

Formative testing occurs pre and post the delivery of a 7-week unit of work

Since 2016, the new curriculum in Finland has a greater emphasis on Informal education. More often than not, students learn outside the four walls of the classroom, visiting their local environs, museums,science centres and virtual reality worlds. Finnish education aims to connect students with real world problems in real world contexts.

STEM education has been a significant influencer in Finland’s new curriculum. Art has now been included: STEAM. Increasingly, subjects are merging, rather standing alone. This is particularly true in the secondary years.

Finland’s new curriculum, also includes the importance of time and space: time to learn, and learning spaces to enhance learning. Healthy living with a focus on nutrition and physical education is also emphasised in the curriculum.. That is why children only start formal school at the age of seven years old.  From our equivalent years of Prep to Year 9, students enjoy outdoor breaks, every 45 minutes for 15 minutes. The only exception to this, is when the weather dips below 10 degrees Celsius or students are in Years 10-12 when they only go out for the first half of the school day.

There are a number of differences in managing specific sectors in schools.

Junior School

In Junior School, there are:

• Small class sizes
• Outdoor breaks every 45 minutes up till lunchtime
• Competitive sport after school
• An effective support system. The Principal heads the group, which comprises of psychologists, special education teachers, teachers, social workers, school nurses, and therapists where required.
• A Student Wellbeing Committee where teachers check-in to seek guidance in managing student needs. The Committee meets every fortnight.
• New students always meet with the Wellbeing Committee members
• Individual programming, where curriculum is planned in Professional Learning teams
• Supplementary teaching where a special teacher works individually, with a maximum of five students at a time
• Special Education is delivered using Rti (integrated in mainstream classroom teaching, special small group classes, therapy based education)
• Music, Art, Home Economics, and Woodwork is included in each students’ weekly timetable.

There are very few special schools in Finland. Education is equitable and inclusive of all learners.

Senior School

In Senior School,

• Students set learning goals alongside teachers
• Wellbeing committees operate as in Junior School
• There are break out classes within the school for students experiencing mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression
• No scores are discussed in class. No rankings of schools. Skills are the focus, as is, individual development
• Teachers encourage students to make their own choices for electives in Years 7-12 .No parent is permitted to influence this. This is an agreement between the parent and school, allowing students to learn the impact of choices even in the early years and to learn to live with them
• Student voice is valued and given opportunity to express their voice through student councils which feed into Senior School Leadership meetings and influence a range of areas such as: learning spaces and their construction, choice of classroom furniture, cafeteria food, environmental subjects and electives on offer.
• Outdoor breaks every 45 minutes up till lunchtime
• Competitive sport after school
• Music, Art, Home Economics, and Woodwork are all included in each students’ weekly timetable.

Upper Senior School

In Years 11-12, the students have national testing. These are the only years where there is national testing. The students have three choices for their study.

1. Comprehensive Education – readiness for equivalent VCE (although there is one final exam in their last year at school)
2. Vocational Education – Students can go  to vocational Institutions, which specialise in an area of their choosing
3. A combination of the two. Adult education provides a pathway for adult students to progress through the equivalent of our VCE, opening up the possibility of entering University in their adult years.

EAL Students

• Immigrant students complete a one-year intensive to learn Finnish and Swedish. After this intensive year, they go to nearest school and are supported in Finnish until they no longer have the need.
• EAL students have lessons in their mother tongue twice a week. These lessons also include cultural lessons.  Qualified EAL teachers are employed or parents of these students are provided with basic training to teach students in their mother tongue.

Areas for possible development at St Catherine’s School

Through my observations in Finland I found that St Catherine’s School could benefit from developing the following areas:

• Further commitment to our wellbeing delivery
• Build physical exercise into the school day
• Further development of professional learning teams and teacher collaboration
• Inclusion of Art into the STEM curriculum
• Additional informal learning opportunities as stimulus to lessons providing authentic learning opportunities for students to make connections with learning and the real world
• Merging of or cross-curricula project work opportunities for students
• Alternative classroom provisions for students experiencing mental health issues