SYMPOSIUM ON MUSIC EDUCATION IN FINLAND Overview of the Finnish Music Education System

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SYMPOSIUM ON MUSIC EDUCATION IN FINLAND
Overview of the Finnish Music Education System

• New York University
• January 31, 2007

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Short History

• First music school founded in 1882 (Helsinki
  Music School, now the Sibelius Academy)
• During the process leading to political
  independence for Finland in 1917, culture and the
  arts were regarded as basic prerequisites for an
  autonomous nation
• National Romanticism, Jean Sibelius
• The Association of Finnish Music Schools founded
  in 1956
• In 1969, introduction of legislation on
  government aid for music schools.
• financial stability of the music schools
• competence of teachers

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Short History

• When the basic framework for Finnish music
  education was being constructed after the Second
  World War, there was a severe lack of music
  professionals.
• The primary objective was thus to produce
  competent professional musicians and teachers.
• Now that the professional music school objectives
  have been achieved, the focus in music education
  has shifted to developing the all-round
  personality of the child.

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Equality as a basic principle

• The right to music education is recognized as a
  basic human right
• Everyone with sufficient motivation should have
  the right and the ability to participate in music
  education
• Regional equality
• 5.25 million people spread over 338,000 km2
• Right to special instruction (disabled students
  etc.)
• To what extent should the government support
  music education arranged outside school, and what
  should individuals be ready to pay for pursuing
  music as a hobby?

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Objective and subjective rights

• Under Finnish law, the central government and
  local authorities have an objective
  responsibility to arrange cultural activities
• The law does not specify how they should arrange
  cultural services (i.e., there are no subjective
  rights)

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Music schools are guided by

• legislation (laws, statutes and recommendations)
• a national curriculum and examination system
• funding allocations
• the values and expectations of society
• traditions of art education
• teacher training
• assessment (internal and external evaluation)
• parents and students

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Legislation

• Law governing basic education in the arts
  introduced in 1999
• Funding and permissions to arrange education are
  issued by the Ministry of Education
• Examination and evaluation guidelines are set by
  the Finnish Music School Association
• National curriculum is established by the
  National Board of Education
• Extensive curriculum 2002
• General curriculum 2005

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Objectives of the Extensive Curriculum

• Instruction under the Extensive Curriculum of
  Basic Arts Education is aimed at laying the
  foundation for a rich personal relationship with
  music and for a lifelong interest in music, and
  at providing a stepping stone to the professional
  study of music.
• Instruction is aimed at supporting the students
  emotional growth, strengthening their
  personality, and fostering creativity and social
  skills. The goal is to guide students towards a
  focused, goal-driven and long-term involvement
  with music, and a constructive activity by
  themselves or as part of a group
• An additional objective is to uphold and promote
  national musical culture

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Extensive curriculum

• Acceptance through entrance examinations
• Studies structured around grade exams
• Extended length of the individual lesson (2.5
  hours of tuition a week on average)
• Preparatory studies for professional education
• Principles
• Education is goal-oriented
• Promotion of the national music life
• Continuity of the tradition of western music
• Equips students for further vocational study

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Average week of the music school student

• Personal tuition in main instrument 45-90 min
• Music theory, solfège and music history 60-90 min
• Ensemble playing (orchestras, chamber music,
  choir) 60-90 min
• Possibility for second instrument lesson
• Possibility for voluntary studies (music
  technology etc.)

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General curriculum (private music schools,
private associations etc.)

• Open to all
• Individual lessons are short
• Teaching in groups
• No examinations (student freedom)
• Goals
• Good relationship with music
• Lifelong interest in music
• Social values
• Prevention of social exclusion
• Integration into society
• Preventive health-care

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Funding

• Government covers 50
• Total government funding on basic training in
  music 50 million euros annually
• Municipality covers 33
• Fees cover 17
• Average tuition fee 400 euros per year

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Government guidance Positive and negative
enforcement

• Positive enforcement
• Government creates the conditions for music
  education
• Citizens have an equal opportunity to receive
  music education
• Negative enforcement
• Government oversees the activities of music
  schools and imposes limits on their freedom to
  organize instruction
• Individual wishes are not fulfilled

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Societys values

• Education and culture enjoy a high status in
  society
• Homogeneous cultural identity, shortage of
  multicultural influences
• Northern geographical location respect for
  nature
• Nordic welfare society ideology
• equality and democracy
• Strong regional politics
• national cultural policy

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Changes in society

• Fast economic development
• Baby-boom generations are retiring
• less tax revenue, more spending on health and
  welfare
• fewer publicly funded cultural services?
• Changes in the economy
• a bigger role for innovation and creativity
• New technology and media
• influence of art education

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Music schools are guided by

• traditions of art education
• music education was born at the juncture of west
  and east
• Kodaly and other music pedagogical systems
• teacher training
• early childhood music pedagogy
• assessment (internal and external evaluation)
• from achievement testing to support and
  motivation
• parents and students
• changing expectations

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Music education in Finland 2007

• 99 music schools and conservatories
• 60,000 pupils and 3,500 teachers
• 1,509,000 hours of instruction per year
• Gender distribution of students
• 33.8 boys
• 66.2 girls
• Intake 51.4 of total applicants
• Age distribution of students
• under 7 / 27.2
• 7-15 / 56.5
• 16-18 10.8

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Music education in Finland 2007

• Student-oriented standards adopted as the basis
  for educational objectives
• Music schools have been relieved from top-down
  external regulation
• More decisions are being made at local level
• Expanding the scope of instrumental tuition
• Keyboard harmony, improvization and composition
• Contemporary music and cooperation with composers
• Music theory is taught on the students own
  instruments and with a practical approach
• Online pedagogy

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Challenges

• As in other walks of society, these values
  witnessed a transition from an industrial to
  technology and information society.
• Right now the trend is towards an entertainment
  and creativity society. These changes will have a
  big influence on music education.
• The media and entertainment society makes
  traditional music teaching more and more
  challenging.

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Challenges

• Ideologies and financial realities
• music for all ideologies and goal oriented music
  education
• Students rights and freedoms
• Classical music (94) and rhythm music (6)
• Future of Symphony Orchestras
• Competition for students leisure time

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Five critical success factors that Finland has
demonstrated in music education

• Tradition of music education (influences from
  east and west) and high respect for music and
  arts
• Early childhood music pedagogy
• Teacher training (99.3 qualified teachers)
• Legislation on music schools, central and local
  government funding
• Network of music schools (widespread national
  best practices), nationwide curriculum standards
  and examination system.