Education in Finland

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(February 2010)

Education in
Finland

Ministry
of Education

Minister of Education
Minister
of Culture

Henna
Virkkunen
Stefan Wallin

National education budget
(2003)

Budget:

€ 5.9 billion (1100 € per capita)

General Details

Primary Languages:

Finnish and Swedish

System Type:

National

Current system

since 1970s

Literacy (2000)

Total:

100

Male:

100

Female:

100

Enrollment

Total:

n/a

Primary:

99.7% (graduating)

Secondary:

n/a

Post Secondary:

n/a

Attainment

Secondary
diploma

60% ac., 45% voc.

Post-secondary
diploma

25% (of pop.)

Secondary and
tertiary education divided in academic and vocational systems

v • d • e

The Finnish education system is an egalitarian Nordic
system, with no tuition fees for full-time
students. Attendance is compulsory for nine years starting at age seven, and
free meals are served to pupils at primary and secondary levels (called lukio in
Finnish), where the pupils go to their local school. Education after primary
school is divided into vocational and academic systems.

As the trade school is considered a secondary school, the term "tertiary
education" refers to institutes of higher learning, or what is generally
considered university level elsewhere. Therefore, plain figures for tertiary
level enrollment are not internationally comparable. The tertiary level is
divided into university and higher
vocational school (ammattikorkeakoulu)
systems, whose diplomas are not mutually interchangeable. Only universities
award licentiates and doctorates.
Traditionally only university graduates may obtain higher (postgraduate)
degrees. The Bologna process has
resulted in some restructuring, where vocational degree holders can qualify for
further studies by doing additional courses. There are 20 universities and 30
polytechnics in the country.

The Education Index,
published with the UN's Human Development
Index in 2008, based on data from 2006, lists Finland as 0.993, amongst the
highest in the world, tied for first with Denmark, Australia and New
Zealand.[1]

Contents

1 Primary
education

2 Secondary
education

3 Tertiary
education

4 Adult
education

5 Future prospects

5.1 Higher Education system
restructuring

6 See also

7 References

8 External
links

[edit]
Primary education

Education in Finland

Academic degrees

Vocational degrees

Age

doctor

employment

licentiate

master

Polytechnic(new)

+2-3

bachelor

Polytechnic

+3-4

upper secondary
school

vocational
school

18-19

17

16

comprehensive
school

15

14

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

pre-school

6

The educational system in Finland is based
on a nine-year comprehensive
school (Finnish
peruskoulu, Swedish
grundskola, 'basic school'), with mandatory attendance (homeschooling is
allowed, but rare). It begins at the age of seven (occasionally six) and ends at
the age of 15 or 16.

There are few private schools. The founding of a new private comprehensive
school requires a political decision by the Council of State.
When founded, private schools are given a state grant comparable to that given
to a municipal school of the same size. However, even in private schools, the
use of tuition fees is strictly prohibited, and any private school must admit
all its pupils on the same basis as the corresponding municipal school. In
addition, private schools are required to give their students all the social
entitlements that are offered to the students of municipal schools. Because of
this, existing private comprehensive schools are mostly faith-based or Steiner schools.

During the first years of primary school, grading may be limited to verbal
assessments rather than formal grades. The start of numerical grading is decided
locally. Most commonly, comprehensive school pupils are issued a report card
twice a year: at the ends of the autumn and spring terms.

Grades are given on scale from 4 to 10. In individual exams, but not on
school year report or basic education certificate, it is also possible to divide
the scale further with '½', which represents a half grade, and '+' and '–',
which represent one-fourth a grade better or inferior. For example, the order is
"9 < 9+ < 9½ < 10– < 10". The grade '10+' can also be awarded for a
perfect performance with extra effort by the student.

If a comprehensive school pupil receives the grade 4 in one subject at the
end of the spring term, they must show by a separate examination at the end of
summer term that they have improved in the subject. If the pupil receives
multiple failing grades, they may have to retake the year. This, nonetheless, is
rare and non-automatic. The decision to have a pupil retake a year is made by
the teachers and the headmaster after interviewing the pupil and the
parents.

Compherensive school students enjoy a number of social entitlements, such as
school health care and a free lunch everyday that covers about a third of the
daily nutritional need.[2]
In addition, pupils are entitled to receive free books and materials and free
school trips in the event that they have a long or arduous trip to school.

[edit]
Secondary education

Secondary education consists of a dual system, which has separate schools for
occupational training and preparing students for tertiary education. Vocational
schools prepare students for employment and develop vocational competence. Upper
secondary schools aim to give students all around education, which prepares
students for tertiary education. The system is not rigid: vocational school
graduates are formally qualified for tertiary education and upper secondary
school graduates may enroll into a vocational education program. It is also
possible to attend both vocational and upper secondary school at the same
time.

Vocational school graduates receive a vocational school certificate. Upper
secondary school graduates receive both upper secondary school certification and
matriculation examination. Those in special programmes may receive a vocational
school certificate and matriculation examination (kaksoistutkinto) or all
of the three certifications (kolmoistutkinto). Upper secondary and
vocational school certifications are more important in polytechnic admissions
and the matriculation examination is more important in university admissions.
However, there are exceptions and many tertiary education programmes have their
own admission examinations.

Upper secondary school concludes with a nationally graded matriculation
examination. The examination was originally the entrance examination to the
University of
Helsinki, and its high prestige survives to this day.

Secondary school students are entitled to school health care and a free lunch
everyday. However, they must buy their own books and materials.

[edit]
Tertiary education

There are two sectors in the tertiary education: universities
(yliopisto, universitet) and polytechnics
(ammattikorkeakoulu, yrkeshögskola, or AMK/YH for
short). When recruiting new students, the national matriculation examination and
entrance examinations are used as criteria for student selection. The focus for
universities is research, and they give a more theoretical education. The
polytechnics focus on practical skills and seldom pursue research, but they do
engage in industry development projects. For example, physicians are university
graduates, whereas basic nurses are polytechnic graduates.
(However, universities do award advanced degrees in Nursing Science.) The
vocational schools and polytechnics are governed by municipalities,
or, in special cases, by private entities. (As an exception to the rule, Police
College is governed by the Ministry of the Interior.) All Finnish universities,
on the other hand, are owned by the state. A bachelor's degree takes about
three–four years. Depending on the programme, this may be the point of
graduation, but it is usually only an intermediate step towards the master's
degree. A polytechnic degree, on the other hand, takes about 3.5–4.5 years. A
degree from a polytechnic is not, however, considered legally equivalent to a
lower university degree in the Finnish system. Outside of Finland, polytechnic
degrees are generally accepted as lower university degrees.

Polytechnic-graduated Bachelors are able to continue their studies by
applying to Master's degree programmes in universities. These take two years in
general, but the polytechnic graduates are often required to undertake perhaps a
year's worth of additional studies to bring them up to the level of university
graduates. The Bologna process has
progressively lowered the amount of required additional studies and in some
cases no additional studies are required. After polytechnic graduates have
completed three year's work experience in their field, they are also qualified
to apply for polytechnic master's degree-programmes (lower university degree
graduates are qualified also, but with additional studies) which are
work-oriented — not academic. The polytechnic Master's degree programme
takes two years and can be undertaken in conjunction with regular work. Unlike
the bachelor's, a master's degree graduate from a polytechnic is considered
equivalent to an academic master's graduate in a related field. After the
master's, the remaining degrees (Licentiate and Doctor) are available only in
universities. The polytechnic master's degree does not qualify its recipient for
graduate studies at doctoral level.[citation
needed]

The equivalence discussed above is only relevant when applying for public
sector jobs.

Attendance is compulsory in primary, but voluntary in universities and
polytechnics. No tuition fees are collected.
However, there are plans (in the current government platform)
to introduce tuition fees to students from outside the European Union/EEA. In
universities, membership in the students' union is compulsory. Students' unions
of polytechnics are similarly recognized in the legislation, but membership is
voluntary and does not include special university student health care. Finnish
students are entitled to a student benefit, which may be revoked if there is a
persistent lack of progress in the studies. The benefit is often insufficient
and thus students usually work to help fund their studies. State-guaranteed
student loans are also available.

Some universities provide professional degrees in such fields as engineering
and medicine. They have additional requirements in addition to merely completing
the studies, such as demonstrations of competence in practice.

Examples:

Lääketieteen lisensiaatti, medicine licentiat, Licentiate of
Medicine. A Bachelor of Medicine (lääketieteen kandidaatti, medicine
kandidat) is allowed to conduct clinical work under the supervision of
senior medical staff. There is no Master's degree, and the licentiate degree
does not require a full doctoral dissertation. The equivalent of a Medical Doctor in the
U.S. sense is therefore not called "doctor", but licentiate. The research or
"professor's degree", including a full dissertation, is called "Doctor of
Medicine" (lääketieteen tohtori, medicine doktorsexamen).

Diplomi-insinööri,
diplomingenjör, is a six-year programme of 300 ECTS, which is
comparable to an Anglo-Saxon Master of Science with the Bachelor in the same
field. However, included in this is a 30 ECTS "diploma project", which is a
real-life engineering project taking about six months to a year. Its
completion demonstrates professional competence in addition to the necessary
amount of education. Notice: this programme, in practice, does not
interoperate with the polytechnic insinööri
(amk) (ingenjör (YH)) programme.

After the master's degree, there are two further post-graduate degrees - an
intermediate postgraduate degree, called Licentiate, and the Doctoral
(Doctorate)
degree. A Licenciate programme has the same amount of theoretical education as a
Doctor, but its dissertation work has fewer requirements. On the other hand, the
requirements for a doctoral dissertation are a little bit higher than in other
countries.

The most typical Finnish doctoral degree is Doctor of Philosophy
(filosofian tohtori, filosofie doktorsexamen). However,
universities of technology award the title Doctor of Science, tekniikan
tohtori, teknologie doktorsexamen and there are several
branch-specific titles, e.g., in medicine lääketieteen tohtori,
medicine doktorsexamen, in art taiteen tohtori, and in social
sciences valtiotieteen tohtori, politices doktorsexamen.

[edit]
Adult education

Completing secondary school on a vocational programme with full classes on a
three-year curriculum provides a formal qualification for further studies.
However, it may prove necessary to obtain post-secondary
education before being admitted to a university, as the entrance
examinations require a relatively high level of knowledge. Post-secondary
education is provided by municipal
schools or independent 'adult education centres', which can give either
vocational education or teaching at comprehensive or upper secondary school
levels. It is possible to obtain the matriculation diploma, or to better the
comprehensive school grades, in these programmes. A new trade can also be
learned by an adult at an adult education centre (aikuiskoulutuskeskus,
vuxenutbildningscenter), for example, if structural change of
the economy has made the old trade redundant.

In universities, the "Open University" (Finnish: Avoin yliopisto, Swedish: öppet universitet) programme enables people without
student status to enroll in individual university courses. There are no
requirements, but there is a modest tuition fee (e.g., 60 euros per course).
Polytechnics have their own similar programme (Finnish: Avoin ammattikorkeakoulu, Swedish: öppen högskola). While "Open University" students
cannot pursue studies towards a degree, they may, after passing a sufficient
number of separately determined courses with a sufficiently high grade point
average, be eligible for transfer into an undergraduate degree program.

A third branch of adult education is formed by the so called vapaa
sivistystyö, the "Free Education". This is formed by the partially
state-funded, independent educational institutes offering diverse courses
varying in length and academic level. The purpose of the "Free Education" is not
to provide professional or degree-oriented education but to "support the
multi-faceted development of personality, the ability to act in the community
and to pursue the fulfilment of democracy, equality and diversity in the
society."[3]
Historically, the "Free education" stems from the late 19th century efforts to
educate the general populace with little previous academic experience.

The "Free Education" is offered by[4]

206 kansalaisopisto or työväenopisto (Citizens' or Workers'
Institutes)

88 kansanopisto (People's Institutes)

14 Sports' training centres (Finnish: liikunnan koulutuskeskus)

20 Summer universities (Finnish: kesäyliopisto)

11 Study Centres (Finnish: opintokeskus)

The most common type of "Free Education" is a kansalaisopisto,
sometimes called työväenopisto for historical reasons. These are mostly
evening-type municipal institutions offering language, handicraft and humanities
courses. The academic level varies strongly, and many courses do not require any
requisite knowledge. The kansanopistos, on the other hand, are
boarding-schools, often maintained by associations with either a strong
ideological or religious mission. Also here, the academic level varies strongly.
In all these institutions, the courses carry a modest tuition. The Sports'
training centres are institutions for the professional or semi-professional
sportsmen's training, while Summer universities and study centres are auxiliary
bodies for the organization of Free Education.

[edit]
Future prospects

The ongoing Bologna Process blurs
the distinction between vocational and academic qualifications. In some fields,
new postgraduate degrees have been introduced. Co-operation between the
different systems is rising and some integration will occur (although not
without a substantial amount of pressure). This results from not only the
Bologna Process but also the goal of Finnish politicians — to educate the vast
majority of Finns to a higher degree (ca. 60–70% of each annual cohort enter higher
education).[5]

In recent years, a cut in the number of new student places has often been
called for by the economic sphere, as well as trade and student unions, because
of an ongoing trend of rising academic unemployment, which is interpreted as a
result of the steep increase in student places in higher education in the 1990s.
In particular, some polytechnic (AMK/YH) degrees have suffered
inflation. In a reflection of this current belief, the Ministry of Education has
recently decreed a nationwide cut of 10% in new student places in polytechnics
to be applied starting from 2007 and 2008. It is still largely undecided whether
(and when) some of those cuts could be redistributed to areas in need of a more
highly educated work force. In 2001 and 2002, university graduates had a 3.7%
unemployment rate, and polytechnic graduates had 8%, which is on a par with the
general unemployment rate (see the OECD report).

An increase in vocational school
student places might be preferred, as a shortage of basic workforce such as
plumbers and construction workers is widely acknowledged in Finland. It should
also be noted that retiring age groups are bigger than the ones entering higher
education in Finland at present and for quite some time into the foreseeable
future. If the current number of student places were kept unchanged to the year
2020, for example, Eastern Finland would have enough student places for 103% of
the estimated size of the age group 19-21.

[edit]
Higher
Education system restructuring

Due to globalization and increasing competition for diminishing younger age
groups, system-wide restructuring has been called for by the Ministry of
Education. Since 2006 all institutions of higher education have been shar
methods of cooperation. The total number of institutions is expected to drop
significantly within 10–15 years.

The process within universities is led by the University of
Kuopio and the University of
Joensuu, which will form a new University of
Eastern Finland in 2010[6].
In Helsinki,
three local universities, namely Helsinki
University of Technology, Helsinki School
of Economics and University
of Art and Design Helsinki, merged to a new Aalto University on
August 1, 2009. Also several polytechnics have announced mergers (such as Haaga
and Helia, which merged into Haaga-Helia
in 2007).

New methods of cooperation such as consortia and federations have been
introduced within universities (e.g., University of Turku
and Turku School of
Economics Consortium[7]).
Partnerships between universities and polytechnics are also developing (e.g.,
the University of
Kuopio and Savonia
University of Applied Sciences formed the Northern Savonia Higher
Education Consortium[8]).
In general, such system-wide change closely follows the pattern established in
Central Europe and the United States and Spain and Hungary.

[edit]
See also

European
Credit Transfer and Accumulation System

Finnish
National Agency for Education

List of
universities in Finland

Programme
for International Student Assessment (PISA)

University
Admissions Finland

[edit]
References

^
"Human
development indices". Human Development Reports. 2008-12-18. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDI_2008_EN_Tables.pdf. Retrieved 2010-02-16.

^
Nutrition in Finland

^
Vapaa sivistystyö. Kunnat.net. 2007-05-04. Retrieved
2009-07-18.(Finnish)

^
Vapaan sivistystyön kehittämisohjelma 2009-2012
Opetusministeriö. 2009-3-10. Retrieved 2010-8-16. (Finnish)

^
http://www.intstudy.com/articles/nfineduc02.htm "Higher
Education in Finland". The International Education Site.

^
University of
Eastern Finland (Uef.fi)

^
Turusta tieteen huippukeskittymä. University of Turku. (Finnish)

^
Pohjois-Savon korkeakoulukonsortio (Northern Savonia Higher
Education Consortium). (Finnish)

[edit]
External links

Ministry of Education

Admissions.fi

Finnish school system

PISA 2000 and PISA 2003 in Finland

PISA 2006 and the Finnish school system

Wall Street Journal: What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart? Feb. 29,
2008.

World Economic Forum report

OECD
report on education in Finland

Public
School Insights interview with Reijo Laukkanen, a 34-year veteran of Finland's
National Board of Education Posted September 29, 2008

BBC News - 'Why do Finland's schools get the best
results?'

Innovative Business Services Studies

My Crush on Finland: A Country That Values Its Teachers by
Lesley Chilcott - Producer of the film Waiting for
"Superman"

v • d • e

Education in
Europe

Sovereign
states

Albania ·
Andorra ·
Armenia1 ·
Austria ·
Azerbaijan1 ·
Belarus ·
Belgium ·
Bosnia
and Herzegovina · Bulgaria ·
Croatia ·
Cyprus1 ·
Czech
Republic · Denmark ·
Estonia ·
Finland · France ·
Georgia1 ·
Germany ·
Greece ·
Hungary ·
Iceland ·
Ireland ·
Italy ·
Kazakhstan2 ·
Latvia ·
Liechtenstein ·
Lithuania ·
Luxembourg ·
Macedonia ·
Malta ·
Moldova ·
Monaco ·
Montenegro ·
Netherlands ·
Norway ·
Poland ·
Portugal ·
Romania ·
Russia2 ·
San
Marino · Serbia ·
Slovakia ·
Slovenia ·
Spain ·
Sweden ·
Switzerland ·
Turkey2 ·
Ukraine ·
United
Kingdom (England •
Northern
Ireland • Scotland •
Wales)

States
with limited
recognition

Abkhazia1 ·
Kosovo ·
Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic1 · Northern
Cyprus1 · South
Ossetia1 · Transnistria

Other entities

European
Union

Dependencies,
other
territories

Adjara ·
Akrotiri
and Dhekelia1 ·
Åland ·
Azores ·
Faroe
Islands · Gagauzia ·
Gibraltar ·
Guernsey ·
Jan
Mayen · Jersey ·
Madeira ·
Isle
of Man · Nakhchivan1 ·
Svalbard ·
Vojvodina

1 Partially
or entirely in Asia, depending on the border
definitions. 2 Transcontinental
country.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Finland"

Categories: Education in
Finland

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