For education and learningFor education and learning

Education in Finland Institutional infrastructure and financing

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Finland known as…

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Finland at a glance

Independent since 1917, member of the European Union since 1995

- Total area 338,000 km2, Population 5.4 million (17 inhabitants / km2) (Annual growth rate 0,3 %)

- Two official languages: Finnish 92 %, Swedish 5,4 %, (Saami 0,03%)

- Religion: Lutheran (78 %), orthodox (1 %)

-74,6 % of population (aged 25 to 64) have completed upper secondary or tertiary education. 33,2 % have university or other tertiary qualifications

-Immigrants: 3,4 % of population

-Main exports: electronics, metal and engineering, forest industry

-Average monthly earning: 3111 € (2776 € median) (2011).

-6,8 % of GDP goes to education

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Content

1. Main features

2. Administration

3. Funding system

4. Evaluation

5. Conclusions

For education and learning

Comparison of Finnish education policy to the global education movements (Hargreaves, Earl, Shawn & Manning, 2001, Sahlberg, 2004)

Trust through professionalismCulture of trust that values teachers’ and headmasters’ professionalism in judging what is best for students and in reporting on progress of their learning.

Consequential accountability The school performance is closely tied to the “inspection” and ultimately rewarding or punishing schools and teachers.

Broad knowledgeFocus on broad learning; equal value to all aspects of individual’s growth in personality, moral, creativity, knowledge and skills.

Literacy and numeracy Basic knowledge and skills in reading, writing, mathematics and science (= prime targets of education reform).

Flexibility and diversitySchool-based curriculum development, networking through steering by information and support.

Standardization Standards for schools, teachers and students to improve the quality of outcomes

Education development in FinlandGlobal Education Reform Movement

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Education in Finland

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Main Features of The Finnish School system

Equal opportunities for education irrespective of domicile, sex, economic situation or mother tongue Regional accessibility of education No separation of sexes Education totally free of charge Comprehensive, non-selective basic education Supportive and flexible administration – centralized steering of the whole, local implementation Individual support for learning and welfare of pupils Development-oriented evaluation and pupil assessment – no testing, no ranking lists

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… 1970 1980 1990 2000 …

Comprehensive School - Parallel education system ends

Framework

Curriculum

Non-graded system to the Senior Secondary school

Course system to the Senior Secondary schools

Frame system for lesson hours

Unification of comprehensive school

Development of School System in Finland 1970-

Decentralization

Expansion Rising Integration

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”The Limits” of the educationS

kill

s

Age group100 %

100 % Proff. Jarkko Hautamäki University of Helsinki?

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1968 : 9-year basic education

Early to judge individual capacities at the age 11 or 12

Losing the reserve of human resources

Poor country and industry needed up-to-date

more and more private schools being founded

Increasing demand of equal education for all

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1985 : Decentralization

Grouping by ability abolished

Eligibility for furher studies became open to everyone

Extra resources for schools

Freedom for schools to flexible grouping of pupils

New national curricular guidelines

More freedom for municipalities to organize their administration

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1994: “Let us allow education change more in line with the conditions of people, according to their skills and knowledge, than in line with the condition of the system” Vilho Hirvi (GD of FNBE)

Framework curriculum

Main target and main content in 120 pagesCentral approval procedures of textbooks abolishedDecisions on text books and other materials to schoolsSystematic national evaluation of learning outcomes beganClose co-operation between administration, teachers, their union and associates

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Content

1. Main features

2. Administration

3. Funding system

4. Evaluation

5. Conclusions

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Education and society

Working force supply

Education demand

Educational policy

Education system

Schools and curriculum

Learning process

Labour demand

Education supply

Working life•Changes in economics and professions•Mobility•Flexibility•Knowledge intensiveness•Social shared knowledge•From qualification towards competence

Population•Belief to education•Career and education as a capital•Social rise•Regional development•General improvement of education level

Politics and international influence

Labour market

Education market

Source: Timo Kekkonen,Confederation of Finnish Industries

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Society

Government Programme

Social and cultural change

Demographic and labour developments

Development in labour demand

Regional development

Globalisation and internationalisation

Administration

Education system

Financing and Steering

Teachers

Education and research plan (MoE) 5 yrs

Government strategy

Universities

NB

E

Polytechnics

Arrangements 1-3 yrs

Pro

vincia

l cou

ncils

Eva

lua

tion

bo

ard

Education and Research plan

Etc.

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Administration of basic and upper secondary Administration of basic and upper secondary education in Finlandeducation in Finland

President of the Republic

GOVERNMENT

Parliament

Ministry of EducationMinistry of Education

Local Authorities and Joint Municipal AuthoritiesSchools and other Educational Institutions

Private Education ProvidersSchools and other Educational Institutions

State-maintained Educational Institutions

Education Evaluation Council

National Board of Education

Center for International Mobility, CIMO

Matriculation Examination

Board

State Regional Administration

Other Ministries

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Administration in education

State:

time allocationcore curricula funding (42 %)national

evaluations

State regional administration:

evaluation

regional cooperation

Education providers/Municipalities:

basic, upper secondary &

polytechnic education

allocation of funding

local/school level curricula

evaluation

Independent legalentities:

universities

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Steering System of The Education

School Acts and Decrees

General objectives and distribution of lesson hours

National Core Curriculum

Teacher Education

(Universities)

Local Curriculum (Providers of education)

Teaching and learning materials

(Publishing companies)

Matriculation examination

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Municipalities as organizers of educationAdministration•Politicians•Civil servant•Organisation

Funding•Levy (tax), a political decision of tax rate•State subsidy•Other sources

Obligations for the municipality•Education•Healtcare•Infrastructure etc.

Regulation•Laws, degrees and norms•Instructions•Recommendations

Data Collection•Students amounts•Teachers, students’ choices, etc.•reviews

Evaluation•External•Selfevaluation

Development•Projects•Plans

Employer•Teachers and other staff•Service agreements

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School autonomyCurriculum– National Core Curricula by NBE – Guidelines by the municipality – local orientation– School-based curriculum

Annual work plan and budget, recruitment of teachers and staffDecisions on group forming, daily work rhythm and other practicesProfiling of schools by contentsText books and other materials– Central approval procedures abolished 1993– Decisions on school level

Pedagogical autonomy of teachers Voluntary participation in national development programs

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Content

1. Main features

2. Administration

3. Funding system

4. Evaluation

5. Conclusions

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Funding system of education

Local authoritiesJoint municipal authorities

Private providers

Schools

Schools

Schools Schools

Schools

Schools Schools

Local authorities cover 58% of TOTAL expenditure within this system (constant share per inhabitant)

Funding by unit price

Who will pay this?

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Government transfer system - Unit price

(Basic education)Ministry of Finance

• 7300,49 €/6-15 –years old inhabitant/year (2012)

• Based on year 2009 real costs

Each provider (municipalities) has it’s own unit price, in which is taken into consideration:

• population density of the municipality

• insular population

• number of Swedish speaking/bilingual/foreign language pupils

• Ratio of 13-15 years old pupils (7-9 grades)

Private provider’s unit price is 90 % of the home municipality

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Government transfer system - Unit price

(Upper secondary education)Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

• 6704,40 €/student/year (2012)

• Based on year 2009 real costs

Each provider has it’s own unit price, in which is taken into consideration:

• School size (number of students)

• Special tasks

• Boarding school

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Government transfer system - Unit price

(Vocational education)Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

• 11131,17 €/student/year (2012)

• Based on year 2009 real costs

Each vocational sector has it’s own unit price

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Some examples about the costs per pupil (2003)

0 1 000 2 000 3 000 4 000 5 000 6 000

Helsinki

Espoo

Oulu

Lahti

Kuopio

Vantaa

Turku

Jyväskylä

Tampere

Pori Opetus

Majoitusjakuljetus

Oppilas-ruokailu

Muuoppilas-huolto

Sisäinenhallinto

Kiinteistöt

Pienethankkeet

The big cities

Euros/pupil

Instruction

Accomotion and transportation

Meals

Other services for pupils

Adminis-tration

Buildings

Small projects

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Calculated funding and real costs per pupil in basic education 2003

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000

Real costs

Cal

cula

ted

fu

nd

ing

Balanced line of calculated funding and real costs

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Content

1. Main features

2. Administration

3. Funding system

4. Evaluation

5. Conclusions

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Systematic National Evaluation

Instead of final exams

Sample based

Evaluation program guarantees that every school will take part in certain time

For basement of decisions of administration

Development oriented evaluation

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For education and learning

Advantages:• Easier (cheaper) to organize than final exams• Not too heavy for schools (not every year and not

for every grade, not for testing)• In addition we get information of aspects such

attitudes and working methods• Every involving schools will have analysis of their

performance• No ranking of schools and teachers

Disadvantages:• Variation of assessment• Need of statistical tools (reliability?)

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Sample based evaluation

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Two-step sample

1st step: Language, province, EU- regional programme, Municipality type

2nd step: School size (systematic sampling)

Usually 6 – 10 % of the relevant age group

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Example of sample

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PROVINCE FINLAND SAMPLE

Quantity Ratio(%) Quantity Ratio(%)

South Finland 243 34 48 33

West Finland 252 35 52 36

East Finland 90 13 19 13

Oulu 73 10 16 11

Lapland 46 6 9 6

Åland Islands 9 1 0 0

Total 713 100 144 100

Source: Mathematics in basic education at 9th grade ; 2004

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Example from mathematics

Three-part test:• multiple choice, mental arithmetic and problem-

solving tasks

In addition, pupils filled in a questionnaire investigating aspects such as attitudes and working methods.

Also background information relating to instruction is collected from principals and teachers.

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For education and learning

Content

1. Main features

2. Administration

3. Funding system

4. Evaluation

5. Conclusions

For education and learning

Conclusions from the Finnish education system development

Making a profound change in education requires strategic objectives, time and patience

Empowering of the teaching profession produces good results

A supportive ethos of education is essential

High standards for all encourage and enable students to do their best

Education policy and education practices are never at their peak

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Links:

www.oph.fi/english

www.minedu.fi

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Thank you!