Education system in Finland

Helsinki University main building

The education system in Finland is laid down in a school law and regulations. The government decides on the national targets and timetables. The framework plans and standards are specified by the Central Office for Education (Finnish: Opetushallitus ). The highest school authority in Finland is the Ministry of Education. The education system is considered to be particularly exemplary and gives Finns a high level of education. There is no special supervisory authority in Finland. The educational institutions themselves are responsible for coordinating and ensuring quality. Statutory goals and statistical surveys enable efficient quality control. The public expenditure on education are just above the OECD -average.

Particularly noteworthy is the low literacy rate in Finland. In the 20th century, this was the lowest in the world at well below 1%.

history

In Finland there has been a general compulsory study since 1921. In 1968 the parliamentary majority decided in favor of an integrated school system . Between 1972 and 1977 unit schools or community schools (see below under “Unit schools”) with grades 1 to 9 were introduced. When the German press became aware of the Finnish education system in 2001, after the first PISA results were published, these reforms of the 1960s and 1970s were presented in part as adopting the GDR school system . Paavo Malinen, who has toured the countries of the Eastern Bloc for the Finnish Ministry of Education, clearly puts the GDR's influence on the Finnish school system into perspective: “The reception [in the GDR] was always friendly and the hosts wanted people to report on their achievements , but the work in the school always seemed very formal and pedagogically rigid. ”In fact, the structure of the primary school was based on the Swedish model, which was further modified to better take into account the individual learning requirements.

From 1980 a “classless” upper school level was introduced. With the introduction of the new curricula in 1994, the responsibility of municipalities and schools was strengthened. At the same time, school evaluation was introduced and the school was opened to the information society . In addition to regular school operations, nationwide training and school projects for foreign language diversity, mathematics and natural sciences as well as the promotion of reading skills are carried out. Since 1998 the law has regulated today's comprehensive school education.

PISA results

In the PISA studies of the OECD traditional Finnish students on average far above average performance; With Japan , Korea, Canada and the Netherlands , Finland belonged to the top group, was in one of the top four places in all test areas and was widely presented as the “test winner”. The Finnish public was less happy with the results: they were shocked by the large difference in reading performance between girls and boys and by the finding that Finnish students are comparatively reluctant to go to school. Nevertheless, at least in the German-speaking world, the opinion prevailed that the Finnish education system was the best in the world. The main reasons given for this success were the homogeneity of Finnish society, a reading tradition, non-dubbed television films with subtitles, the excellent staff and financial resources of the schools, individual support measures, the autonomy of the schools and the effective quality controls.

Critics pointed out that a large part of Finland's success can be explained by the fact that there is little immigration in Finland compared to most European countries. Incidentally, Swedish-speaking Finns systematically score slightly worse than Finnish-speaking students, and sometimes even worse than Swedish students, which could indicate that the linguistic design of the Finnish test items could also have a positive effect.

University rankings

In international university rankings , which, unlike PISA, are less about relative quality than absolute numbers (number of publications, number of Nobel Prize winners, etc.), Finland's top positions have so far been unattainable. The best ranked Finnish university is regularly the University of Helsinki . In the Shanghai ranking of the 500 best universities in the world in 2008, it was 68.3 with 28.3 points (for comparison: the best German university was the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich with 30.8 points in 55th place; 1st place the Harvard University with 100 points). Of the 20 Finnish universities and colleges at the time, 6 made the list of the 500 best universities in the world (Germany: 40 out of 139). Thus there are 1.13 top 500 universities per 1 million population in Finland (Germany: 0.49).

Focus

A central goal is to ensure educational opportunities for all citizens, regardless of age, place of residence, economic situation, gender or mother tongue. The lessons are just as free as social services, hot school lunches, teaching material, textbooks for teaching in preschool and integrated school ( no learning materials ). School transport is also guaranteed by the educational institution. The Finnish Ministry of Education lists, among other things, the following current development priorities of the education system on its website: information society, teaching mathematics and natural sciences, language teaching and internationalization.

In November 2016, the media reported on a plan by the education authority and other education experts to abolish the previous canon of subjects by 2020 and to replace it with phenomena-oriented, interdisciplinary lessons. Initially, the new system is to be tested primarily with schoolchildren over the age of 16, and also with younger ones on a project-by-project basis.

Data on the Finnish education system

According to an OECD study from 2001, Finland spent 5.8% of gross domestic product (GDP) on education. In 2005 it was 6.4%. The Finns invest almost US $ 5,000 per year and pupil in primary education . By comparison, around 4.6% of GDP in Germany is invested in education. In contrast to Germany, Finland spends more money on primary education. In Finland, a primary school class has an average class size of 19.8 and a secondary school class has an average class size of 20.1 students. In the rural areas in the north and northeast there are often classes with fewer than 10 students.

There are around 4,000 schools in Finland with a total of around 580,000 students. Around 150,000 students ( proportion of foreigners : 2.5%) study at Finnish universities with the aim of obtaining a degree. There are around 114,000 students at Finnish universities of applied sciences. (Status: 2000)

structure

Education system Finland

Academic	Vocational		Age
Doctor Tohtori / Doctor	Working life
Licentiate Lisensiaatti / Licentiat
Master Maisteri / Magister
Bachelor Kandidaatti / candidate	Ammattikorkeakoulu / Yrkeshögskola University of Applied Sciences	Working life
Abitur Ylioppilastutkinto / student exam	Vocational school Ammattikoulu / Yrkesskola		18-19
High School Lukio / Gymnasium			17th
			16
Unit school Peruskoulu / Grundskola			15th
			14th
			13
			12
			11
			10
			9
			8th
			7-8
Preschool Esikoulu / Förskola			6-7

After pre-school education, the education system in Finland is divided into three levels:

• Lower Level ( unit school )
• Intermediate level of education ( Abitur and technical schools)
• Upper education level ( university and colleges)

Pre-school education and compulsory schooling

Every Finnish child is entitled to a daycare place up to the age of three . The claim is voluntary. Parents who look after their children at home are financially rewarded for this. Day care centers are available for children from birth to 6 years of age . Although around 90 percent of six-year-olds attended a one-year preschool in 2001, the municipalities were obliged to give all children a place in the same year. General compulsory schooling begins in the year in which the child has reached the age of 7 and ends after nine years with the single school.

Unit school

Since 1999, the unit school is no longer divided into six lower and three upper grades. Instead, classes are taught by class teachers for the first six years (around 3,000 schools) and by subject teachers (around 600 schools) for the last three years . There are mandatory educational goals and assessment criteria set by the Finnish National Board of Education. The communities and schools then draw up a curriculum on this basis. Teachers have the freedom to use their own teaching materials and organize lessons according to their own teaching methods. There is no assessment in the form of grades from first to fourth grades. Grading is allowed from the fifth, and grades must only be given from the seventh. Each student receives a report at least once a year. A passed final examination of the unit school is the prerequisite for any further education. The Finnish Harvard professor Pasi Sahlberg describes the Finnish school with the words that it teaches fewer hours, offers more holidays, requires less homework, only examines at high school and is based on the saying "The whole village raises the child". After nine years, a 10th school year can optionally be attended. Great emphasis is placed on foreign languages ​​and special lessons.

After the end of compulsory schooling, there are essentially two educational paths. Transitions in both directions are possible.

Further training

Training at the general upper secondary level

In the general upper secondary level , the pupils are taught three more years after an entrance examination and are guided in a course system up to the Abitur. However, it can also take between two and four years to complete it. Over 90 percent of all young people in Finland (in Germany 43.1% see Abitur rate ) receive the Abitur certificate (Ylioppilastutkinto) , whereby the proportion of girls is 60 percent. If you fail, there is the possibility of a repeat examination (Uusinta) . The Baccalaureate examinations are organized centrally in Finland and the respective subject examinations are held simultaneously in all grammar schools. The Abitur examination compulsorily comprises the mother tongue , a foreign language , mathematics or a subject from the humanities or natural sciences .

Training at the vocational upper secondary level

The vocational upper secondary level can be completed as part of vocational training or an apprenticeship . Professional qualifications are offered in seven different sectors. These include: technology and traffic, trade and administration, natural resources, nutrition and economy, social affairs and health, culture and leisure / sport.

Each vocational training includes at least 20 study weeks of on-the-job training as well as courses in core subjects and electives. Vocational training is provided by 55 municipalities , 70 associations , 95 private companies and foundations, and five special vocational schools. In Finland the trainees are also called students and after three years of basic vocational training they can qualify for subsequent studies at a university. The vocational training qualification includes a major thesis.

In addition to theoretical training, the Finnish vocational training system is characterized by sections in the company's own workshops and an internship.

University and college

The Finnish higher education system consists of two parallel sectors: universities and technical colleges . The duration of a course is around four to five years. Universities of applied sciences are more practice-oriented; in universities, the focus is on scientific research and teaching. Both lower bachelor 's and higher master's exams as well as licensed and doctoral examinations can be taken at the university .

Main building of the Aalto University in Espoo . The building was designed by Alvar Aalto .

The university system is the oldest tradition in Finland's educational history. The first Finnish university was the Royal Academy of Turku ; it was founded in 1640. Universities are based on the freedom of science and autonomy . This includes extensive decision-making powers in matters of examination regulations, curriculum and the number of new students to be admitted. Of the 15 Finnish universities, 13 are funded by the Finnish state and two ( Aalto University and Tampere University of Technology ) are funded. The universities are largely publicly funded. Tuition fees are not charged. Entrance exams with strong selection are common, e.g. B. at the University of Helsinki with a rejection rate of up to 90%.

Universities are spread across the country to ensure equal study opportunities. There may be universities of their own or branches of other universities. a. in Espoo , Helsinki , Joensuu , Jyväskylä , Kuopio , Oulu , Rovaniemi , Savonlinna , Tampere , Turku and Vaasa . Of the 15 universities, 10 are multidisciplinary universities, two technical universities, one business university and one art university. In Helsinki there is also a military college (Finnish: Maanpuolustuskorkeakoulu ). There is also a state distance university , Avoin yliopisto - Open University of Finland .

See also: List of universities in Finland

The technical college system is relatively young in Finland. It wasn't created until the 1990s. A prerequisite for studying at a university of applied sciences is a high school diploma or completed professional training. In contrast to the universities, the universities of applied sciences are not owned by the state, but are funded by the municipalities or private institutions. However, the basic funding of 57% is also provided by the Finnish state. The job-oriented courses last between 3.5 and 4 years.
At the universities of applied sciences, teaching is given in the fields of technology and transport , administration and trade , the social and health sector , tourism , food and housekeeping sectors , resource management and the humanities teaching sector .

At universities and technical colleges, 65% of the members of a year have beginner study places. The goal of educational policy is for an ever-increasing proportion of the population to complete a higher education qualification. At the same time, more and more training courses are being declared as studies, e.g. B. the nurse or the firefighter.

Adult education

As the education level of the older population is lower than that of the younger population, adult education has played an important role in Finnish education policy over the past twenty years . In addition to the possibility of completing the upper school level with the Abitur as an adult, universities, technical colleges, vocational schools, adult education centers and centers for professional adult education offer around 10 million teaching hours per year.

There is great interest in this offer. Every year around one million people take part in the organized courses for adults on their own initiative.

literature

• Annette Frühwacht: Educational standards in primary school. Educational standards and comparative work from the point of view of German and Finnish teachers . Klinkhardt, 2012, ISBN 978-3-7815-1876-6 .
• Aila-Leena Matthies / Ehrenhard Skiera (ed.): The education system in Finland. Verlag Julius Klinkhardt, 2009, ISBN 978-3-7815-1678-6 .
• Jukka Sarjala (Ed.): Beyond PISA: Finland's School System and Its Latest Developments. Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag 2008, [= series of publications by the Finland Institute in Germany 10], ISBN 978-3-8305-1251-6 .
• Johann C. Fuhrmann, Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes: Finland's PISA Successes: Myth and Transferability . (PDF) In: KAS Auslandsinformationen , 07/2011, pp. 6–22.

Web links

• Education statistics for Finland
• Education in Finland - German Education Server (Education Worldwide)
• Information network on education in Europe
• Finland & PISA study
• The Finnish Abitur exam

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Paavo Malinen: Foreign influences in the design of the Finnish primary school. In: Aila-Leena Matthies, Ehrenhard Skiera: Studies on the education system and school system in Finland. Flensburg 2008, pp. 81-88; See also Ralf Schuler: Der Mythos Ostschule, FAZ, August 20, 2010
2. ↑ V. Brunell: Utmärkta PISA results-också i Svenskfinland. ( Memento of the original from December 15, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF) Press release by the Pedagogiska Forskningsinstitutet, Jyväskylä Universitet, 2004. 
3. ↑ arwu.org ( Memento of the original dated November 7, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ oph.fi
5. ↑ Reform of teaching Finland is abolishing school subjects. Spiegel online, November 14, 2016, accessed on November 14, 2016 . 
6. ↑ Education expenditure according to ADAC-Länderlexikon 2005 p. 191
7. ^ Johann C. Fuhrmann, Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes: Finland's PISA Successes: Myth and Transferability In: KAS Auslandsinformationen 07/2011 , Berlin 2011, pp. 6–22, here: p. 11.
8. ↑ bpv.de  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
9. ^ Eckhardt Fuhr: What Germany can learn from Finland. welt.de, October 7, 2014, accessed October 8, 2014
10. ↑ oph.fi