The Finnish school system

1
The Finnish school system

• Possibly best in the world

2
Education policy in Finland

• Finnish education and science police stresses
  quality, efficiency, equity and internationalism.
• Geared to promote the competitveness of Finnish
  welfare society.
• The overall lines of Finnish education and
  science policy are in line with the EU Lisbon
  strategy
• Public authorities must secure equal
  opportunities for every resident in Finland to
  get aducation also after compulsory schooling and
  right to pre-primary and basic education.
• The Goverment and the Ministry of Education, as
  part of it, are responsible for preparing and
  implementing education financed from the state
  budget

3
The School System of Finland

• Levels of Education
• (Preschool)
• 1. Comprehensive school (9 years)
• 1. Primary school
• 2. Middle school
• 2. Upper secondary school (2 4 years)
• High school OR
• Vocational school
• 3. Tertiary level education (3 - 8)
• University OR
• Polytechnic

• Primary school begins at the age of seven
• Key words quality, efficiency, equity and
  internationalisation
• Finland has 20 universities and 28 polytechnics

4
General education in Finland

• Finnish children have a statutory right and
  obligation to complete the comprehensive school
  syllabus
• Normally children go to school at the age of
  seven
• The nine-year basic schooling is free for all
  pupils
• The school year has 190 working days and summer
  holidays are over 60 days

5
Vocational education and training in Finland

• The post-compulsory level is divided into general
  education and initial and further vocational
  education and training.
• After basic education, 95.5 of school-leavers
  continue in additional voluntary basic education
  (2.5), in upper secondary schools (54.5) or in
  initial vocational education and training
  (38.5).
• The aim of vocational education and training
  (VET) is to improve the skills of the work force,
  to respond to skills needs in the world of work
  and to support lifelong learning.
• A total of 146 000 students attend initial
  vocational training every year.
• The largest fields are Technology and Transport
  (c. 36), Business and Administration (19) and
  Health and Social Services (17). The other
  fields are Tourism, Catering and Home Economics
  (13), Culture (7), Natural Resources (6) and
  Leisure and Physical Education (2).

• There are 119 study programmes leading to 53
  different vocational qualifications confirmed by
  the Ministry of Education.
• VET is intended both for young people and for
  adults already active in working life. They can
  study for vocational qualifications and further
  and specialist qualifications, or study in
  further and continuing education without aiming
  at a qualification.
• The vocational qualification has been designed to
  respond to labour market needs.
• The qualification is 120 credits, which takes
  three years of full-time study, unless prior
  learning can be counted towards the
  qualification. It includes 20 credits of
  on-the-job learning.
• Prior learning acquired in training, working life
  or other learning environments can be counted
  towards the qualification.
• Matriculated students can also study in initial
  VET. Their prior studies are equivalent to some
  30 credits, which are counted towards the
  vocational qualification.

6
Polytechnic education in Finland

• ?the Finnish higher education system consists two
  sectors polytechnics and universities
• ? polythenic is more practical than an university
• ? there are 26 polytechnics in Finland
• ?they comprise core and professional studies,
  elective studies and a final project. All degree
  studies include practical on-the-job learning.
• ?education takes three or four years
• ? education is provided in the following fields
• -Humanities and Education
• -Culture
• -Social sciences, business and administration
• -Natural resources and the environment
• -Technology, communication and transport
• -Natural sciences
• -Social services, health and sport
• -Tourism, catering and domestic services

7
University Education in Finland

• You may apply to an university after graduating
  from upper secondary school.
• Universities confer Bachelor's and Master's
  degrees, and postgraduate licentiate and doctoral
  degrees.
• In the two-cycle degree system students first
  complete the Bachelor's degree, after which they
  may go for the higher, Master's degree.
• Studies are quantified as credits (ECTS).
• The extent of the Bachelor's level degree is 180
  credits and the Master's degree is 120 credits.
• Doctoral students prepare a dissertation, which
  they defend in public.
• Universities select their students independently
  and entrance examinations are an important part
  of the selection process.

8
Adult education

• Adult education policy is designed to provide a
  wide range of study opportunities for the adult
  population.
• Finland offers excellent conditions for lifelong
  learning
• Different institutions arrange a great variety
  of courses and programmes for adults at all
  levels of formal education, and the provision of
  liberal adult education is extensive.
• With the exception of further and
• specialist vocational qualifications,
• adult education and training
• leading to qualifications is
• provided free of charge.

9
Financial aid for students

• pension (other than survivors pension)
• rehabilitation allowance
• unemployment benefits
• training allowance
• job alternation compensation
• adult education subsidy (government guarantee
• for student loan is available)
• benefits accompanying apprenticeship training
• conscripts allowance and
• student benefits from another country

10
International schooling in Finland

• Since Finnish and Swedish arent spoken by many
  people outside the Nordic countries, Finns are
  aware of the need to learn other peoples
  languages
• International schools are very tolerant schools
  for example offer immersion classes in Finnish
  for immigrants to ease their integration into
  Finnish school life.
• International schools in Finland
• International School of Helsinki
• English School
• Deutsche Schule
• The Ecole francaise Jules Verne
• Finnish-Russian School
• Espoo International Upper Secondary School
• International School of Vantaa
• Postipuu Primary School in Espoo
• Turku International School
• International School Cygnaeus, Pori
• The Amuri School, Tampere
• Lycée franco-finlandais dHelsinki

11
The schoolday in Finnish highschool

• Normally the schooldays are between eight and
  three
• Considering students personal subject choices
  they can be from 2 to 8 hours
• Lessons last 45 or 75 minutes and breaks are
  from 5 to 20 minutes long
• Lunch break lasts normally half an hour and food
  is provided by school
• During the breaks students usually use the
  computers or go to the shop
• The students who come to school from a long
  distance travel by busses and the town provides
  the transportation for them

12
Finns success in PISA study

• Fifteen-year old finnish schoolchildren have been
  ranked highest in the world measured by combined
  learning results in science, mathematics and
  literacy.
• Finnish pupils were ranked 1st in science, 2nd in
  reading comprehension and 2nd in mathematics
• The countrys success in PISA study has generated
  international intrest
• Foreign politicians and teachers from all over
  Europe and further have visited Finnish schools
  to see them at work.