No dead ends: education in Finland

KENT — ​No dead ends. That is the takeaway from Elizabeth Radday’s talk, “What We Can Learn From Finland,” given at the Marvelwood School on Saturday, Sept. 24. 

Radday, a Marvelwood teacher and a Fulbright scholar, ​recently returned from six months in Jyvaskla, Finland, researching the Finnish education system. During that time, she visited more than 23 schools, talking to students and teachers alike, gaining a​n appreciation and understanding of the Finnish approach to education from kindergarten to university.​ ​

 Most attendees in the cross-generational crowd on Saturday were surprised to learn that education in Finland is free for all children and adults​ — even adults who are changing careers or wish to further their knowledge in a particular area.  Since all ​the ​schools have the same high standards​ and curriculum, there is no feeding frenzy for admittance to a better school. This allows children to go to school in the​ir​ own neighborhoods​, which is good, since they are largely responsible for getting themselves there, by walking, skiing, skating or riding bikes in all weather. 

There are virtually ​no private schools to further muddy the waters. 

​Finland has two native languages, Finnish and Swedish.​ When they begin second grade, the children start learning English, which is why most Finnish adults, although they are modest about it, are fluent English speakers. 

 The students (and no doubt some teachers) in the audience seemed envious when they heard about the distribution of time in the school day. From primary school through secondary, each class session is 45 minutes, followed by a 15-minute break for play or personal time before the next class begins. And, astonishing in this age of “helicopter parenting,” ​​there is little supervision during playtime​; children ​as young as 6 ​are encouraged to solve problems on their own.

 By the time ​Finnish ​students reach the seventh grade, they are already thinking about a career path. By ninth grade they choose whether to enter vocational school or attend an upper secondary school, equivalent to our high schools. ​There is no hierarchy; both paths are respectable. Vocational schools range from circus arts to plumbing, horticultural to watch-making. ​There are 120 different vocational schools and they are highly competitive. Academics are geared to each field of endeavor, and students learn by doing. In addition, vocational students are allowed to start their own businesses while in school.​ 

Students in the vocational schools and students in the secondary schools are equally eligible for college, their admission judged solely on grades​ and tests. 

Unlike American universities, “undecided” is not an option as a major. No Finnish student can begin at a university without a goal in place​. ​​The range of subjects to which they are exposed, including art and music all the way through school, has prepared the majority of students to make this big decision, and they are expected to make it for themselves. ​Parents, Radday learned to her surprise, rarely participate in the decision.​

The three keys

​According to Radday, the three keys to Finnish educational success are trust, choice and responsibility. Finnish parents trust the teachers to do their job, and students are trusted to do their work. Choices are plentiful, and children are encouraged to explore different options, giving them the motivation to choose a course of study when they reach 15. And as noted, children and young adults are taught to be responsible from a very young age. 

 Is the Finnish education system perfect? No. ​For instance, ​​Radday saw many areas where they could improve on special needs education. But​ overall, her research left her with a very positive view, and ideas about some changes that would improve the American system. For example, on a student level, that 15 minutes between classes can be an important tool for refreshing and preparing for the next class. On a cultural level, the respect Finns show to technical and vocational education, if encouraged in the U.S., could be vital to the U.S. economy.