EDUCATION IN FINLAND

For education and learning

EDUCATION IN FINLAND

For the Greek Delegation 18 June 2013

Aapo KoukkuCounsellor of Education

Information and Financial Serviceswww.oph.fi/english

2

Finland in brief• Independent since 1917• Member of the European Union 1995• Land area 338 145 km2 • 188 000 lakes, 76 000 islands • Population 5.4 million (17 inhabitants /

km2)• Two official languages: Finnish (91.2%),

Swedish (5.5%)• Sámi is the language of about 1 800

people (official status in 3 municipalities)• Religion: Lutheran (81.8%), orthodox

(1.1%), others (1.2%), no religious affiliation (15.9%)

• Immigrants: 3,6 % of population• GDP (PPP) per capita $ 37,990 (World

Bank)• Main exports: electronics, forest

industry, metal and engineering


Underlying educational understanding

“The objective of Finnish education and cultural policy is to guarantee all people - irrespective of their ethnic origin, background or wealth - equal opportunities and rights to culture, free quality education, and prerequisites for full citizenship. (---) All people must have equal access to services of consistent quality. “ (Government Programme, 2011)

The goal for the Government is to make Finland the most competent country in the world by 2020. (Education and Research 2011-2016, A development plan. MoEC 2011)


Government’s five-year development plan, Education and Research 2011-2016 aims to promote equality and quality in education and support life-long learning, for example

• ECEC – administrative and legislative reform• Reform of national time allocation and core

curricula in general education• Efforts to reduce group size in basic education• Cooperation and flexibility in upper secondary

education• Educational guarantee as part of the cross-

administrative Youth Guarantee


Specificities of the Finnish education system

EvolutionCulture of education

Co-operationDecentralised Central

steeringLocal decisionsFree education Public fundingTrust

Compulsory education starts at 7, same for all, inclusive, flexible and takes into account pupils’

individual needs, no streaming nor ability grouping

No inspections, no high-stakes testing or national examinations in basic education

High-quality teachers, high status, professional respect, autonomy in the class room

Culture supportive of learning / support to teaching and learning


Finnish system is holistic and based on trustComparison between the Finnish and general western models

GENERAL WESTERN MODEL THE FINNISH SYSTEM

StandardisationStrict standards for schools, teachers and students to

guarantee the quality of outcomes.

Flexibility and diversitySchool-based curriculum development, steering by

information and support.

Emphasis on literacy and numeracyBasic skills in reading, writing, mathematics and

science as prime targets of education reform.

Emphasis on broad knowledgeEqual value to all aspects of individual growth and

learning: personality, morality, creativity, knowledge and skills.

Consequential accountabilityEvaluation by inspection.

Trust through professionalismA culture of trust on teachers’ and headmasters’

professionalism in judging what is best for students and in reporting of progress.

Source: Kupiainen, Hautamäki, Karjalainen: The FI education system and PISA, 2010.


EARLY YEARS EDUCATION AND CARE

Apprenticeship

Finn

ish

Educ

atio

n Sy

stem

, no

dead

-end

s in

the

syst

em


IMMEDIATE CONTINUATION OF STUDIES 2011

SCHOOL LEAVERS(BASIC EDUCATION) 63 200 in total

GENERAL UPPER SECONDARY49,6% (2005: 53,3%)

VOCATIONAL UPPER SECONDARY 41,2% (2005: 39,4%)

DID NOT CONTINUE IN STUDIES LEADING TO A QUALIFICATION OR DEGREE 9,1% (2005: 7,4%)


Administration and steering

Ministry of Education and Culture

Municipalities or Federations of Municipalities

(Education providers)

Regional:Centres for Economic

Development, Transport

and the Environment

Regional State

Administrative Agencies

Government

Parliament

FNBE

Educational institutions


Central steering vs local decisions

Centralo Educational prioritieso Min. time allocationo National core curriculao Size of state subsidies

Localo Educational

prioritieso Local curriculao Alloc. of

subsidieso Class sizeo Recruitmento Teacher

”evaluation”o Quality

assurance


A STEERING SYSTEM BUILT ON THE PRINCIPLE OF TRUST

Flexible and decentralised educational decision-making, guiding principles being

1. common values, goals and high expectations2. central monitoring of the whole system and support 3. local implementation and responsibility Far-reaching financial autonomy of local authorities No inspection, national tests or ranking lists in basic

education Focus on self-evaluation and cooperation, self-

evaluation supported by national sample-based evaluations that are used for the development of education


Quality assurance based on steering, not control

Mandatory self-evaluation: Education providers have a statutory duty to evaluate their own activities.National evaluations of learning outcomes based on samples, used for development.National evaluation bodies and activities to be merged into the Finnish Centre for Evaluation of Education in 2014Quality criteria a tool for local actorsStatistics, national and international evaluations as tools for evidence-informed policy-makingNo inspectorate or standardised tests prior to the Matriculation Examination


IMPORTANT QUALITY INDICATORS High academic achievement, equal learning

outcomes PISA 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009

Small between and within school differences Low drop-out (0.3% in basic education, 2-3% in

general education and 9% in vocational upper secondary education)

Highly educated and motivated teachers Effective use of resources

Around 6 % of GDP goes to education 190 school days per year, 4 - 7 hours per day in

compulsory education Moderate amount of homework, no need for private

lessons after school Class repetition only 2 % in basic education


Compulsory instruction time is low

NetherlandsItaly

SpainIreland

LuxembourgEngland

FranceIceland

Belgium (Fr.)Portugal

OECD averageEU21 average

DenmarkAustriaGreece

GermanyNorway

Slovak RepublicSwedenTurkey

SloveniaCzech Republic

EstoniaPolandFinland

Hungary

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500

Compulsory instruction time (hrs) in public institutions

Ages 7-8Ages 9-11Ages 12-14

OECD Education at a Glance 2012


Possible reasons behind the success

The Finnish comprehensive school system that is based on the principle of equity

Supporting individual pupils (student-centred instruction, counselling, remedial teaching, SNE)

High quality university level teacher education and high attraction of teaching profession

Curricular flexibility and pedagogical freedom

Source: Välijärvi & al. 2002 and 2007; Hautamäki & al. 2008


Financing of Education• Education is publicly funded and free at all levels from pre-

primary to higher education• Adult education the only form of education that requires

modest payments• Private expenditure 2.4 % of all expenditure on the official

education system• In pre-primary and basic education the textbooks, daily meal

and transportation for students living further away from the school are free

• At secondary level and in HE the books are paid by students• At secondary level free meal for students, in HE meals are

subsidised by the state• Well-developed system of study grants and loans exists (for

full-time study in an upper secondary school, VET institution or HEI)


FUNDING Majority of education is publicly funded Two-tiered public funding

- The State- The local authorities or other education providers

The State subsidy for operating costs (cover 31,42% in pre-primary and basic education; 41.89% in upper secondary and polytechnics)

Per capita funding system without earmarking The funding criteria are the same irrespective of

ownership Basic education – completely free of charges for the

pupils Higher levels – payment for study materials, meals,

transport Financial aid for full-time studies


Financing of VET

VET is financed from the budget of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Financing is based on calculatory unit prices and granted directly to authorised VET providers. The funding criteria are the same irrespective of the form of ownership. The annual funding is based on the number of students and the calculated unit price. The unit prices are determined on the basis of training costs within different fields and calculated for each provider separately. Unit price is affected by different factors e.g. actual current expenditure of education at national level (national average) and the education fields of the education provider.VET providers are independent in their financial decisions.Vocational upper secondary education and training is co-financed by the State and municipalities (state 42 % and municipalities 58 %).Performance based funding forms 3 % of the total funding of all VET providers 2011 the amount of PBF is some 50 M€

.


The performance-based financing system of VET

FINANCING OF VET

STATUATORY CORE FUNDING

BASED ON OPERATIONAL OUTCOME- outcome- teacher

competence- staff

development-

OUTCOME BASED FUNDS

PERFORMANCE-BASEDFINANCING

BASED ON UNIT COSTS

(€/STUDENT/YEAR)

BASED ON QUALITY ASSESMENT(EFQM)- SPECIAL THEMES(qualitative)

QUALITY AWARD


Educational funding

Operative costs per pupil/student/year in 2011

basic education 6 710 € (5 341-20 2531)

general upper secondary 7 138 € (6 231-9 4611)

vocational upper secondary 11 315 € (7 936-16 5522)

polytechnics 8 005 € (6 786- 11 070)1difference between regions2 difference between fields of VET

Source: FNBE Statistical yearbook 2012


EDUCATIONAL EXPENDITUREPublic spending in 2009 (incl. public subsidies

such as scholarships and grants to students), all levels of education

of GDP Finland 6.8% Japan 3.8% Korea 5.0% OECD average 5.8% EU 21 average 5.8%

of public expenditure Finland 12.2% Japan 8.9% Korea 15.3% OECD average 13.0% EU 21 average 11.5%

Source: Education at a Glance 2012, OECD


The Youth Guarantee in FinlandBackground: among 20-29 year olds 120 000 have completed only basic education; 55 000 young unemployed jobseekers.The youth guarantee will offer everyone under the age of 25, as well as recent graduates under age 30 an employment, a study place, a place in on-the-job training or in a rehabilitation within 3 months after becoming unemployed.3 Ministries are responsible: Education and Culture, Employment and the Economy, Social Affairs and Health.• More study places in VET• New selection criteria into VET: priority to graduates

from basic education and those without upper level vocational qualification

• Local authorities responsible for counselling services• Support to language learning for young immigrants• Employers will receive higher compensation for

apprenticeship training• Young adults´ skills programme• Workshop activities and outreach youth work as means

of supportFunding: appr 350 M€ for the period 2013-16


Youth guarantee

More study places in VET

A place in further

education guaranteed to all who have

just completed basic education

Workshop activities and

outreach youth work as means

of support

Support to youth

employment

New selection criteria

Counselling services for

basic education graduates

Support to language

learning of young

immigrants

Employers to receive higher compensation

for apprenticeship

training

Young Adults’ Skills

Programme

Youth Guarantee will offer everyone under 25, as well as recent graduates under 30, a place in employment, education, on-the-job training or rehabilitation within 3 months after becoming unemployed.

FUNDING

PPPP


General objectives of Finnish VET

knowledge and skills necessary for vocational competence and (self-)employment

support for personal growth and citizenship knowledge and skills needed in further

studies and in life-long learning close co-operation with the world of work when

planning and implementing vocational education


PARLIAMENTLegislationState budgetGeneral lines of education policy

GOVERNMENTEducation development plans and policy programmesGeneral objectives of studies

MINISTRY OF EDUCATIONPlanning and implementing education policy Steering and financingQualifications

REGIONAL STATE OFFICIESSpecific administrative dutiesNATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMITTEES

NATIONAL BOARD OF EDUCATIONNational core curricula and requirements of qualificationsNational development operations and implementation of development programmes

QUALIFICATION COMITTEESContacts with working life

EDUCATION PROVIDERSLocal planning and organisation of VET Provision of VET

The

Nat

iona

l Edu

catio

n Ev

alua

tion

Cou

ncil

Administration of vocational education and training (VET)


Spotlight on VET in FinlandEducation philosophy is based on delegation of responsibility to local level.

relatively autonomous VET-providersVET provided by registered VET providers – licence from Ministry of Education

municipalities, joint municipal federations or private organisationsFinancing system based on national unit prices based on costs in different sectors of VET

lump sums without "earmarks" for the VET-providerFinancial contributions to VET providers from MoE

statutory division of costs at national levelin IVET: state 42 % - municipalities together 58 %in CVET mainly by state

National-level evaluations with no inspectorateIn 2011, total operating costs of vocational institutions amounted to 1.700 million €


Spotlight on VET in Finland• Mainly within institutions (work-based learning included)– apprenticeship training expanding

• Around 140 VET-providers, a nation-wide network of vocational institutions

– Instruction for Swedish-speakers either in Swedish-speaking or bilingual institutions

• On IVET about 165 000 students every year, 70 000 new students

– After basic education about 44 % of school-leavers continue in IVET (51 % in general upper secondary education)

– After initial vocational education about 68 % of students enter to the labour market and about 9 % students continue studies (placement rate about 77 %)

– Drop-out rate below 9 %– IVET: tuition and meals free of charge, CVET: small fees – An open pathway from upper secondary vocational qualifications

to polytechnics and universities – general eligibility to HE


Trends in VET in Finland• VET is an attractive choice – not a second

choice • Almost 50 % of comprehensive school

leavers continue in upper secondary vocational education

• Number of students in initial VET has increased (from 148 000 to 172 500 during 2004-2011)


VOCATIONAL EDUCATIONINITIAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Qualifications were reformed in 2008-2010 52 qualifications, 121 programmes can be completed in the form of school-based

training or apprenticeship training Scope 120 credits (3 years)

90 credits of professional studies min 20 credits of on-the-job-learning skills demonstrations final year project

FURTHER VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Further vocational qualifications (ca. 189) Specialist vocational qualifications (ca. 130)


National Requirements (3 years/120 credits) for each vocational qualificationat upper secondary level (2008)

Vocational units 90 credits(including at least 20 credits of on-the-job learning)- Basic and field-specific study units (compulsory)- specialising study units (partly optional)- other optional units (decided by VET provider) Core units (common to all) 20 creditssuch as languages, math, physics, chemistryFree-choice units 10 credits- individual choice


Education and Qualification Requirements for VET Teachers in Finland

Appropriate Master’s degree or polytechnic degree (or highest possible qualification in their own occupation)

Minimum of three years’ of working experience in their own field

Pedagogical studies with a scope of 60 ECTS

Vocational teacher education builds on degree and work experience


Being a VET teacher in Finland…

Teaching profession has high esteemVET teachers seen as their own specific group within the teaching professionStrong connection with working life


Design, assessment, validation and recognition of competences / learning outcomes in VET

Design

• National qualification requirements defined by the FNBE

• Qualifications divided into units• Units composed on basis of functions in working

life.• Preparation of VQs done in tripartite expert

groups.

Assessment

• Skills demonstrations or competence–based examinations

• Assessment of all units based on qualitative criteria and achieved learning outcome.

• Assessors: on-the-job-instructors, teachers and student’s self assessment.

• Assessment criteria of each unit at three levels.

Recognition

• Recognition of prior learning is regulated by VET Act and Degree since.2006

• Recognition is based on learning outcomes - not on learning time.

• VET provider decides on the recognition of (prior) learning – competent institutions!

• Theory and practice (KSC) are expressed, studied and assessed together within the same unit and there is a common (one) mark in the certificate.


Development of Finnish VET in European cooperation

European Qualification Framework (EQF) European Credit Transfer System for Vocational

Education and Training (ECVET) Common Quality Assurance Framework (CQAF) European guidelines for validation of non-formal

and informal


Finnish NQF levelsNQF level

Qualifications

Level 3 Completion of Basic Education syllabus

Level 4 Matriculation examination, completion of upper secondary syllabus Vocational upper secondary qualifications Further Vocational Qualifications Qualifications from other administrative sectors corresponding to

requirements of vocational upper secondary or further vocational qualifications

Level 5 Specialist vocational qualifications Qualifications from other administrative sectors corresponding to

requirements of specialist vocational qualifications

Level 6 University and polytechnic Bachelor’s Degrees

Level 7 University and polytechnic Master’s Degrees

Level 8 Scientific and artistic post-graduate degrees, such as licentiate and doctoral degrees


Education system in figures, 2011

Type of education

Ed. institutions

Applicants New students

Students Qualilfications, degrees

Basic education

2,870 - 59,076 541,931 64,435

Upper secondary general

433 39,219 36,784 109,046 32,807

Vocational education

247 141,405 116,017 279,266 70,596

Polytechnics 27 107,394 38,839 139,857 22,898

Universities 17 78,516 20,274 168,983 28,482

Statistics Finland: Oppilaitostilastot 2012


Most teachers are required a master’s degree

Kindergarten teachers 180 ECTS (3 years)Class teachers 300 ECTS (5 years)Subject teachers 300 ECTS (5-6 years)

Teachers of vocational studies: Master’s/Bachelor’s+work experinece+pedagogical studies of 60 ECTS)Principals:

teacher education + e.g. certificate in educational administration


TEACHER PROFESSION IN FINLAND

Popular profession among young people; only about 10-12 % of applicants can be admitted to teacher studies

Demanding profession; Master’s degree required Autonomous and creative profession

curriculum process of the school and municipality teachers are responsible for planning of the work

of their own school and autonomous in choosing their methods and materials

emphasis is in guiding the learning process of students and meeting the needs of all different learners

Teachers are trusted in the society and respected and supported in their work


Teacher training institutions can select heavily

Intake into teacher education 2012 (% of those who applied)

o Class teacher education 12 %o Subject teacher education 10

%-53 %o Vocational teacher education 30 %

Statistics Finland, universities


OECD: Education at a Glance 2012


Teacher and principal salaries in Finland(permanent contract, average gross salaries per

month 2011)

principal, general upper secondary 5,613 €

subject teacher, lower secondary 3,664 €

VET teacher 3,813 €

Average salary in the municipal sector in Finland 2011: 2,848 € (men 3,319 €, women 2,728 €)

subject teacher, general upper secondary 4,128 €

class teacher, primary education 3,357 €

kindergarten teacher2,452 €

principal, basic education4,894 €

Source: Satistics Finland


KEYS TO SUCCESS – HOW WE SEE IT

Professionalism of teachers high status and quality of teachers high quality of teacher education high quality of instruction

Supportive ethos minimizing low achievement early intervention individual support active role of student good student – teacher relationship

LEARNING CULTURE

Autonomy empowerment of

municipalities and schools spirit of trust and support interactive, cooperative way of working

COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION SYSTEMAttainable for all, flexible structure and curriculum strategy, non-selective, inclusive, central steering, local impelentation and responsibility

HIGH STANDARDS


Education in Finland

www.minedu.fiMinistry of Education and Cultureinformation in Finnish, Swedish and English

www.oph.fiFinnish National Board of Educationinformation in Finnish, Swedish and [email protected]

Date post:	16-Feb-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	bayle
View:	44 times
Download:	0 times

EDUCATION IN FINLAND

Documents