EDUCATION AND EQUALITY AS BASIS OF COMPETITIVENESS IN FINLAND

Equality is considered to be part of every citizen’s life in Finland from the very beginning. Every child has access to early childhood care and education. This is considered important, not only to help children get an equal start and opportunities early in life, but also for both parents to have equal possibilities to participate in working life. Every child has the possibility to attend the nearest school to his/her home. All education in Finnish or Swedish languages, from preschool to universities, is free of charge. Grandparents may still work themselves or live faraway in a different city so they might not be available to help taking care of their grandchildren.

The success of Finland as a country is considered to be linked to equality between men and women. The share of female business leaders, politicians and decision makers is among the highest in the world. The present Finnish government has 11 female ministers (of total 19 ministers), including prime minister, In early childhood care and education, it is important to promote the joy of learning through play and social interaction. That way it is easier to keep that joy alive through all levels of education. Different kinds of indoor and outdoor physical activities are integrated into the school day and they often continue in the afternoon as after-school activities. That has increased the satisfaction of children in basic education.

Teachers play an important role in the learning process. Finnish teachers are highly educated, skilled, motivated and have professional autonomy. They are encouraged to create, experiment and mainstream new pedagogies and new learning environments. A Master’s degree is required for teachers on both primary and secondary levels, and teacher education includes teaching practice. That makes it possible for schools to focus on creating a motivating environment in the classroom, and to support those who need it.

In order all children to have equal opportunities, schools have the obligation to organize individually tailored support for special needs students, as soon as the need arises. This kind of teaching may be organized in small groups and as one-to-one guidance.

The basic philosophy of the Finnish system is that education provided should be of high quality taking into account the latest developments in each sector. Learning environments should encourage innovation, make room for creativity and allow every individual to flourish.

Since the world is changing rapidly, the role of education is more important than ever. There are certain skills, like problem solving, critical thinking and communication that we all need to develop from time to time. Finland is applying new learning environments and methods to meet those needs of its working force. Education is a vital cornerstone of economic competitiveness of a country in order to provide younger and more mature citizens the competencies and skills required in society and working life today. Since the world is changing continuously, the education system must be fit to respond to people’s lifelong need for upskilling and reskilling. Finland has made it possible to combine work and studies in order to make it easier to participate in lifelong learning programs.

Vocational education and training (VET)

is a dynamic part of continuous learning, and it is a popular and attractive pathway in Finland - chosen by roughly half of all upper secondary students. VET is developed and delivered in close cooperation with industries, private sector and other job providers. The Finnish VET emphasizes broad-based competences, flexible study paths, recognition of prior learning and work-based learning. Due to lifelong learning possibilities, the Finnish classes are a mixture of young and adult students and the system suits also those with academic background.

Finland has achieved excellent learning results by investing in education. This does not mean that further efforts would not be necessary. Finnish political parties made recently an important decision in the parliament to increase the financial resources available for research and development to 4 % of GDP by 2030. Purpose of this decision is to have enough well educated researchers and innovators in Finland in order to have business success stories also in the future. A multiannual plan will be drafted for this purpose so that it will implemented by different governments in the future.