FACTORS AFFECTING THE SUCCESS OF THE FINNISH EDUCATION SYSTEM

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to identify the factors affecting the success of the Finnish education system. Document analysis method was used in the research. Due to the success of students in international examinations in the last two decades, the Finnish education system has attracted the attention of academics, politicians and experts from different countries of the world. The factors behind the success of the education system have started to be wondered. As a result of the research, it was understood that the country's perspective on education, stable education policies and comprehensive school project were effective in the success of the Finnish education system.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Цель данной статьи – выявить факторы, влияющие на успех финской системы образования. В исследовании использовался метод анализа документов. Благодаря успехам студентов на международных экзаменах за последние двадцать лет финская система образования привлекла к этой стране внимание ученых, политиков и экспертов из разных стран мира. Начали задаваться вопросом о факторах, лежащих в основе успеха системы образования. В результате исследования стало понятно, что взгляды страны на образование, стабильная образовательная политика и разработанный проект общеобразовательной школы оказались эффективными для успеха финской системы образования.

Keywords: Finland, education, PISA, cooperation, comprehensive school

Ключевые слова: Финляндия, образование, PISA, сотрудничество, общеобразовательная школа

Introduction

Finland is a Scandinavian country that has suffered greatly from wars and economic crises in the last century. The country gained its freedom in 1917 after a struggle for independence from the Soviet Union, but had to cede some of its territory to the same country during World War II (1944) [1].  In the 1950s, the education system in the country was based on inequalities and only certain segments of the society had access to education [2].

Due to the belief that getting rid of this negative picture, building a sustainable future and competing with developed countries can only be possible by providing equal and quality education opportunities to all citizens, education policies based on equal opportunities in education have been implemented in the country since the 1960s [3]. Although the old education system, which was based on inequalities, continued to exist until 1970, it was replaced by a new school system called (Peruskoula) (Simola, 2014).  The effects of the old system have been completely eliminated since 1985 [4]. The new school system is based on the understanding that all students can learn in all schools in the country if they are provided with equal quality educational opportunities and the necessary support [5]. To this end, all children were provided with equal, free education at the basic level [6]. This policy change in education has ensured that parents today do not need to allocate a separate budget for their children's education, nor do they need to pay for private tutoring [7]. The comprehensive school project played an important role in the success of the country's change and transformation, ensuring the establishment of an equitable education system. The system consisted of efforts to reshape the entire society through education and to bring all individuals up to high standards [6]. This fair approach in the education system has facilitated access to quality education for different ethnic groups [4]. Finns have benefited from countries such as Sweden, the USA, Canada, Israel, the UK and the United States in creating their new education system. By utilizing the education systems of developed countries in many areas such as curriculum development, alternative assessment methods and collaborative learning, they have succeeded in creating an education system that is unique to their society [7]. Thanks to the investments made in education, the country has become one of the most developed and enriched societies in the world in approximately 40 years (1960-2000) [8]. The aim of this article is to identify the factors that increase the success of the Finnish education system.

Finnish Education System

The education system, coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Culture, consists of pre-school, primary school (6 years), secondary school, high school, higher education and non-formal education [9]. Compulsory education in Finland, including pre-school education, lasts until the age of 18 [10]. Since the education system consists of short school days, apart from providing childcare for children of working parents, artistic and sporting activities in schools are encouraged through state-funded budgets. The education system is largely managed by local entities such as municipalities [9]. Early identification of problems, early intervention, individual, encouraging approach, autonomy, creativity, shared learning and a culture of trust are recognized as important elements in the education system [11]. Education is designed to ensure that all citizens can develop themselves [7]. All students are provided with equal educational opportunities, health and social support [8].

Characteristics of the Finnish Education System

As in every society, Finnish society has its own characteristics. The education system is influenced by the way people in the society view the world and their lifestyles. The “small is beautiful” mentality of the people in the country has shaped every aspect of life [12]. The understanding of education is also structured with this perspective. Since less and smaller is considered valuable, schools have less teaching time, less homework, less student assessments, less class-based teaching, less education budgets. Achieving more with less has become the basic philosophy of the education system [3]. It is also possible to see traces of Sugata Mitra's “minimally invasive” education approach in the Finnish education system. The essence of the concept is based on the understanding that children can learn with their peers or alone through free play in areas where there is no adult support [3]. Since supporting children's learning through games is important in the education system, school architectures, curricula and school days are structured accordingly [13]. In addition, due to the short school days, the system is supported by extracurricular activities that allow students to learn while having fun at school all day [14].

Finland has one of the shortest school days in the world [4]. The average number of class hours is around twenty. Finnish teachers teach on average four hours a day. This is quite low compared to other countries in the world. The small number of classes enables teachers to improve themselves and to have opportunities for joint learning [15]. Play is an important part of school life [9]. Compared to other countries in the world, Finnish students are given very little homework [21].  

The Finnish education system does not have the classical practices such as strict school inspections, compulsory curricula, competition between students or schools, standardized tests, which are present in many countries in the world today [15].  The system is based on the autonomy of teachers, administrators and local authorities, and teacher skills [8]. The collaboration between education stakeholders enables them to support each other's learning. Problems faced by students are diagnosed early and interventions are made. Thanks to the equal educational opportunities provided to all students in the country regardless of their ethnic identity and socio-economic status, learning differences between schools are very low [12]. All students have access to social activities and are provided with free lunches. As the education provided in schools is of approximately the same quality across the country, parents prefer schools closest to their homes for their children [9].

Factors Affecting the Success of the Finnish Education System

The educational reforms in the Finnish education system since the 1960s have contributed significantly to the increase in the competitiveness of the Finnish economy in the international arena [16]. This success of the country, whose economy was based on agriculture between 1950-1960, is due to many factors. Many factors such as Finnish society's perspective on education, education policies, comprehensive school project, teacher factor, school starting age, extracurricular activities, cooperation, country's background, support services, school and teacher autonomy have influenced the development of the education system.

1.Finnish Society's Perspective on Education

The culture and love of reading in Finnish society dates back to ancient times.  Religious beliefs have been effective in the society's emphasis on education. The fact that the church required everyone in the society to be able to read and write at a level that would enable them to read the texts belonging to the Lutheran faith, [17] and that illiterate people were not allowed to marry had an effect on the increase in the literacy rate in the society. Alexis Kiwi's novel Seven Brothers (1870) also played an important role in increasing the level of literacy in society. The novel emphasized the importance of education in building the future and achieving happiness [4]. The history and religious teachings of Finnish society have contributed to their emphasis on reading and education.

2. Education Policies

Education is seen as one of the ways of development and protection against the negative effects of globalization. In the Finnish education system, education policy is positioned on justice. Education is used to realize social justice in society [18]. The concept of education for all at all ages is adopted [19]. Providing education to all citizens in line with their abilities and interests is at the core of education policies [6].

Education policies are based on equity, flexibility, creativity, autonomy, collaboration, early intervention, sustainable leadership and quality trained teachers [20]. Standardized tests, strict controls, competition and mandatory unchangeable curricula are not considered appropriate in the education system [20]. Even though governments have changed, there has been no deviation in education policies within the framework of equal opportunity in education since 1968 [19]. The education policies pursued since the 1960s have continued in line with the policies determined in this period, even if governments change [20]. Major changes in education curricula are made approximately every ten years.

3. Comprehensive School Project

One of the most important factors that played a role in the success of the education system was the comprehensive school project between 1960 and 1970, which ensured that all students started their education free of charge, under equal conditions, in the same classes, regardless of their individual differences and the socio-economic status of their families [20]. The new system improved the quality of education, created an inclusive education system and ensured equal opportunities in education [22].

4. John Dewey's Impact on the Development of the Education System

The success of the Finnish education system is attributed to the integration of John Dewey's views on education into the education system. The education system is structured in a way to ensure individual development of students, collaboration, hands-on learning and research-based teacher training [23]. By collaborating with educational stakeholders, local institutions, and people with different areas of expertise (music, sports), the development of different learning strategies was encouraged and the quality of education was improved [24].

5. Teacher Factor

Another factor affecting success in education is undoubtedly teacher quality, as many researchers have stated in their studies [15, 25, 26]. Teacher quality is considered as a reflection of the adequacy of an education system. A country's success in the exam called PISA is explained by the quality education service teachers receive, their competence in their profession and their moral responsibility [27, 28,25].

Conclusion

According to the findings of the research, there are many factors affecting the success of the Finnish education system. These factors include the country's perspective on education, John Dewey's ideas on education, the comprehensive school project, teacher quality, school starting age, extracurricular activities, local governance, autonomy of educational institutions, and consistent educational policies that have been followed despite government changes for nearly 40 years [2,14,8,20].

Although many factors play an important role in the success of the Finnish education system, it can be said that the most important factor is the value given to people.  In a country where people are seen as the most valuable asset of the country, the desire and efforts to provide all citizens with the highest level of educational opportunities within the possibilities and to contribute to their development in line with their interests and talents can be considered as the main factor behind the success [6]. Ensuring the equality of opportunity for all individuals in society through education and supporting them with practices has facilitated the establishment of a fair education system.

References:

1. Kirby, D. (2006). A concise history of Finland. Cambridge University Press.
2. Sahlberg, 2012). Finland. A non-competitive education for competitive economy. Strong performers and successful reformers—Lessons from PISA for Japan, 93-111.
3. Sahlberg, P. (2014). Finnish lessons 2.0: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland?. Teachers College Press.
4. Sahlgren, G. H. (2015). Real Finnish Lessons. The true story of an education superpower. London: Centre for Policy Studies.
5. Kauko, J. (2019). The Finnish comprehensive school: Conflicts, compromises, and institutional robustness. In Great policy successes (pp. 122-142). Oxford University Press.
6. Korpela, S. (2017). Education in Finland: Key to the nation’s success.
7. Stoner, M., Rautiainen, M., Moisio, O. P., & Green, C. (2014, May). The" Finnish Miracle" in Education: Pedagogy, Policy, or Something Else? (part two). In National Teaching & Learning Forum (Vol. 23, No. 4).
8. Ustun, U., & Eryilmaz, A. (2018). Analysis of Finnish Education System to Question the Reasons behind Finnish Success in PISA. Online Submission, 2(2), 93-114.
9. Ministry of National Education, 2024). https://okm.fi/en
10. (OECD, 2023).
11. Kilpi-Jakonen, E., Erola, J., & Karhula, A. (2016). Inequalities in the haven of equality? Upper secondary education and entry into tertiary education in Finland. In Models of Secondary Education and Social Inequality (pp. 181-196). Edward Elgar Publishing.
12. Burg, C. A. (2018). Finnish Education in the 21st Century: Paradoxes and Visions. ie: inquiry in education, 10(1), 8.
13. Koskimies, H., Berden, I., & Harju, E. (2019). New art and culture ‒ inspired pedagogy to Finnish schools. A child-centred approach to organising extracurricular activities. International Journal for Research on Extended Education, 6(2–2018), 205–212. https://doi.org/10.3224/ijree.v6i2.10
14. Pulkkinen, L., & Berden, I. (2017). A new child-centered approach to the organization of extra-curricular activities in Finnish schools. International Forum on After School, 1(1), 131–136. https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/66125
15. Tarhan, H., Karaman, A., Lauri, K., & Aerila, J. A. (2019). Understanding teacher evaluation in Finland: A professional development framework. Australian Journal of Teacher Education (Online), 44(4), 33-50.
16. Oinas, P. (2005). Finland: a success story?. European Planning Studies, 13(8), 1227-1244.
17. Niemi, H., & Sinnemäki, K. (2019). The role of lutheran values in the success of the Finnish educational system. On the Legacy of Lutheranism in Finland, 113.
18. Paananen, M., Kauko, J., & Volmari, S. (2023). Education Policy in Finland: Varying Approaches for Addressing Injustices. In Finnish Public Administration: Nordic Public Space and Agency (pp. 231-248). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
19. Sahlberg, P. (2007). Education policies for raising student learning: The Finnish approach. Journal of education policy, 22(2), 147-171.
20. Simola, H. (2014). The Finnish education mystery: Historical and sociological essays on schooling in Finland. Routledge.
21. Sahlberg, P. (2010). The secret to Finland’s success: Educating teachers. Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education, 2, 1-8.
22. Ylonen, A. (2008). Reinventing the Finnish comprehensive school system through specialisation—reasons, rationales and outcomes for equity and equality of opportunity. London School of Economics and Political Science (United Kingdom).
23. Bender, M. T. (2005). John Dewey’nin Eğitime Bakışı Üzerine Yeni Bir Yorum. Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Kırşehir Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 6(1), 13-19.
24. Kelly, K., Merry, J., & Gonzalez, M. (2018). Trust, collaboration and well-being: Lessons learned from Finland. SRATE journal, 27(2), 34-39.
25. Andere, E. (2015). Are Teachers Crucial for Academic Achievement? Finland Educational Success in a Comparative Perspective. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 23(39), n39.
26. Simola, H. (2005). The Finnish miracle of PISA: Historical and sociological remarks on teaching and teacher education. Comparative education, 41(4), 455-470.
27. Kansanen, P. (2010). HORRIBILE DICTU: The success story of the Finnish school system. Surgeon, 1, 380.
28.  Niemi, H. (2016). The societal factors contributing to education and schooling in Finland: The Finnish education: Equity and quality as its main objectives. In Miracle of education (pp. 23-40).