Born and raised in Brisbane, Australia, Saana Kallioinen permanently moved to Finland in 2009 after what was supposed to be only a short holiday visiting her Finnish relatives and travelling in Europe. One thing led to another and at the moment Saana is enrolled as an English Philology student at the University of Helsinki, with a minor in a range of different subjects from Intercultural Encounters, Comparative Literature to Pedagogical Studies. Having worked as an English teacher and language tutor both in Finland and in Australia, I asked Saana about her experience of the Finnish education system, which has been lauded for its equity-based approach and has consistently achieved high rankings in the annual Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) survey.
Tell us about your current Pedagogical Studies at the university and your experience with teaching.
I have previously worked as an English language teacher at a private afternoon/evening school in Australia for three and a half years, teaching from children as young as 4 years old to adults, in both class and individual settings. I have also worked as a private English language tutor in both Australia and Finland for several years.
Right now I’m taking the minor subject aimed at international students at the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences called ‘Finnish Education and Pedagogical Studies’, which in itself is an introduction and overview of the Finnish education system. I have already taught a class at the International School of Vantaa as part of a summer course in 2012, as well as observed classes there and in ‘Norssi’ (Viikin normaalikoulu). Next I plan on taking the Subject Teacher Education Programme (STEP) taught in English after I’ve written my MA thesis, so probably in 2016-2017 if I’m admitted. I’d like to have a teaching qualification so that I can work as a teacher in Finland or elsewhere in the future.
What are some of the differences you’ve noticed between the education systems in Australia and Finland?
It’s been very interesting to learn that pedagogical practices and points of view between Australia and Finland differ quite extensively. In Australia teachers are, for example, more strictly monitored and observed by their school’s principals and department of education, as well as the Teachers Registration Board, whereas in Finland, teachers are much more autonomous.
Also, the power distance between students and teachers is much further than in Finland, for example in Australia you call teachers Mr Jones and Mrs Smith, not by their first names as in Finland. Also, teachers in general have more authority in Australia, for example, they can confiscate a student’s phone or other electronic devices in class if they are being misused. In Finland this isn’t usually allowed as it goes against the student’s freedom and contravenes their civil liberties. I guess my own views and teaching styles are very Australian in many ways, so I’ve had to adapt my teaching practices and ideas accordingly.
What are your views on the Finnish education system itself?
I think that the Finnish education system has many positive aspects: it, for example, allows children to be children for much longer, as their preschool education is very play-based and they begin school much later, at 7 years old, compared to Australia, where children begin at 4, 5 or 6 years old depending on the state they live in. I believe that one important factor that has influenced the success and high quality of the Finnish education system is that historically Finland and Finnish people have been relatively homogenous, with similar cultural and ethnic backgrounds and only two official national languages. A popular immigration country such as Australia, on the other hand, is a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures, and naturally the linguistic backgrounds of students at school are much, much more diverse. On top of all this are the huge differences in socio-economic backgrounds of students, which can have a profound effect on their school success.
Finally, what do you think are the areas of improvement for the Finnish education system?
I think that there needs to be more money invested in primary and secondary education by the Finnish government, so that the high standards that have been set can keep on being attained. I think currently Finland is at risk of falling behind in basic education, as they aren’t keeping up with the times i.e. putting enough thought, planning and funding into the new digital age, or taking into account the now broader range of students with diverse needs resulting from immigration and multiculturalism. There needs to be possibilities for kids to be ‘extended’, not just with a one-size-fit-all approach, so that those children who need harder or more challenging school work to promote their love of learning can do so. I think overall Finland does a good job of supporting Finnish students with special needs, like disabilities etc., but more needs to be done for children/young adults who move to Finland as children and then don’t learn enough Finnish or quickly enough to achieve the required grades for getting into high schools. These students then often drop out of education and out of society, which would cause even more problems in the long run.
Note fromt the Editor: The Finnish welfare system has indeed made it possible for all children to have access to the same free mandatory education, and the Finnish minister of education, Krista Kiuru, has especially emphasised the significance of equality in Finland’s school system: “[r]egardless of a person’s gender, background, or social welfare status, everyone should have an equal chance to make the most of their skills”. Right now Finland is testing the waters in Helsinki for a new education approach, where traditional school subjects are abandoned in order to cooperate more ‘real world’ knowledge, and inspire children and young adults to engage more with their school work and learning processes.