www.pasisahlberg.com

Pasi Sahlberg, PhD Director General CIMO (Ministry of Education) Helsinki

UnFinnished Business: Education Policy Lessons from Finland

www.pasisahlberg.com

FINLAND

Education system performance over time in Finland and developed nations

Learning, Participation, Equity, and Efficiency

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Policy Paradoxes

Paradox #1: Excellence through Equity

0.0  

5.0  

10.0  

15.0  

20.0  

25.0  470   480   490   500   510   520   530   540   550  

Low                                                                                                                                                              Quality                                                                                                                                                        High  

High                                                                                                  Equity                                                                                            Low  

Finland  Japan  Canada  

New  Zealand  

Australia  

Netherlands  

Korea  

United  States  Germany  

Italy  

Norway  

Spain  Denmark  

UK  

Iceland  

Belgium  Luxemburg  

Austria  Portugal  

Israel  

Poland  Slovakia  

Greece  

Reading  literacy  PISA  score  2009  

Percentage  of  variance  of  student  reading  perform

ance  due  to  socio-­‐economic  status  

Percentage  of  variance  of  student  reading  performance  due  to  socio-­‐economic  status  

OECD 2010

PISA 2006

Equity in education variation of student performance in science

Variation of performance between

schools

Variation of performance within

schools

Equity in education variation of student performance in science

PISA 2006

Paradox #2: Less is More

Finnish teachers teach less…

OECD 2011

0

100

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1000

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Uni

ted

Sta

tes

Mex

ico

New

Zea

land

S

cotla

nd

Aus

tralia

R

ussi

an

Ger

man

y P

ortu

gal

Net

herla

nds

Irela

nd

Eng

land

S

pain

B

elgi

um (F

l.)

Slo

veni

a Ic

elan

d B

elgi

um (F

r.)

Nor

way

D

enm

ark

Fran

ce

Cze

ch R

epub

lic

Luxe

mbo

urg

Est

onia

K

orea

H

unga

ry

Aus

tria

Japa

n Ita

ly

Isra

el

Finl

and

Pol

and

Gre

ece

Hours per year

Middle School Teachers

Net contact time in hours per year in public institutions

Finnish pupils study less …

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1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

Finl

and

Sw

eden

Kor

ea

Nor

way

Ger

man

y

Gre

ece

Japa

n

Aus

tria

Den

mar

k

OE

CD

ave

rage

Por

tuga

l

Bel

gium

Spa

in

Irela

nd

Eng

land

Fran

ce

Mex

ico

Italy

Aus

tralia

Net

herla

nds

Ages 12-14

Ages 9-11

Ages 7-8

Total compulsory instruction hours between 7 and 14 year-olds

OECD 2011

… in and out of school

460

480

500

520

540

560

580

50,000   55,000   60,000   65,000   70,000   75,000   80,000   85,000   90,000   95,000   100,000  

Norway

Finland

Korea

Portugal

United States

Austria Switzerland

Denmark

Germany

Canada

Greece

Italy

Spain

France

Ireland Sweden

Belgium

United Kingdom

Australia Netherlands

Japan

Cumulative cost per student in USD (2006)

PIS

A s

cien

ce s

core

in 2

006

More money, less learning

OECD 2010

Learning

Cost

Paradox #3: Test Less, Learn More

National averages of 15-year-old students learning outcomes in mathematics 2000-06

460

480

500

520

540

560

USA UK Canada Australia Japan New Zealand Ireland Finland

2000

2003

2006

Finnish Students are Tested Less

OECD 2001-2007

Standardized tests in three education systems

1st 3rd 6th 9th 12th

Grades in school

T

T

T

T T T

T T T T T T

Standardization

Paradox #4: Teaching is A Dream Job

Applicants to primary school teacher education

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1000

2000

3000

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5000

6000

7000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Male

Female

Applicants to primary school teacher education

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1000

2000

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6000

7000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Male

Female

Accepted

Teacher salaries relative to workers with college degree

Admission: 1st Phase 2nd Phase 3rd Phase - high school merits - exam - interview

- other merits

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

OECD 2010

UnFinnished Business

Academic Holistic X

Global Educational Reform Movement

Finnish Way

Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

Standardization Personalization X

Global Educational Reform Movement

Finnish Way

Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

Competition Team work X

Global Educational Reform Movement

Finnish Way

Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

Choice Equal opportunity X

Global Educational Reform Movement

Finnish Way

Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

Accountability Trust X

Global Educational Reform Movement

Finnish Way

Meaning of Finnish Lessons

Teacher Policy: Professionalization

Accountability Policy: Trust-based responsibility

Testing Policy: Purposeful assessment

1

2

3

”One  thing  I  never  want  to  see  happen  is  schools  that  are  just  teaching  to  the  test  because  then  you’re  not  learning  about  the  world,  you’re  not  learning  about  different  cultures,  you’re  not  learning  

about  science,  you’re  not  learning  about  math.”  

“All you’re learning about is how to fill out a little bubble on an exam and little tricks

that you need to do in order to take a test and that’s not going to make education interesting.”

28  march  2011  

"The story of Finland's extraordinary educational reforms is one that should inform policymakers and educators around the world.” —Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University “A terrific synthesis by a native Finn, a teacher, a researcher and a policy analyst all rolled up into one excellent writer.” —David Berliner, Arizona State University "This book is a wake-up call for the U.S. It is the antidote to the NCLB paralysis." —Henry M. Levin, Teachers College, Columbia University

Foreword by Andy Hargreaves

Kiitos!

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