Thoughts on Finland's Education System

Another in the series of occasional guest posts - this time by Elaine Hirsch commenting on the Finland's education system. (Elaine Hirsch is kind of a jack-of-all-interests, from education to technology to public policy, so she is currently working as a writer for various education-related sites and writing about all these things instead. She currently writes for an online school resource.)

Imagine school with shorter and fewer days in class, no bells, and teachers who go by their first names. Imagine reading in warm slippers by the fireplace between classes, and doing no more than half an hour of homework every night. This is the education experience Finish students experience from K-12 to master's degree programs, a fact which is validated through Finland scoring the highest among international school systems.

Year after year, Finland's K-12 education has been at the top of PISA's international survey results for students' academic skills, and unlike the similarly high ranking South Korea, has done so without a cram school in sight. Sadly, this is in contrast to the United States, whose position continues to fall and consistently lags behind countries such as Slovakia and Barbados in several subjects, despite higher government spending on education.

If Finland's educational success is not due to rigorous schedules, scoring scrutiny and intense competition, what is its secret?

The results are surprising. Finland spends almost $1000 less per year per student than the United States, and many Finnish schools do not boast a great variety of extra-curricular activities or employment of the latest technology. Instead, Finland's schools differentiate themselves through more fundamental and very basic differences.

Finnish teachers are very well regarded in society, and share equal social status to doctors. 25% of young Finns select it as their vocation, but only 10-13% are admitted to teacher training programs, due to the high volume of applicants and the caliber of those seeking to join the ranks. In the United States, the bottom third of graduates enter the teaching profession.

Money is also not the answer. Finnish graduates are drawn to teaching because it offers great job security, a respectful and comfortable environment, and a very high degree of autonomy. Teachers are encouraged to be creative and self-sufficient in their teaching, and tailor the needs to their students. Successfully following this model is easier when the country's brightest graduates are the nation's teachers.

Parents and teachers teach children from a young age the benefits of being resourceful, and those new to Finnish society are often surprised by see young children walking through the woods to school alone, and carrying their own bags. Finnish parents show a keen interest in their children's education, and collaborate with teachers regularly.

Finnish schools emphasize comfort and respect in every aspect. Schools mimic a home environment, with comfortable furniture and wholesome free lunches. Finnish schools are not ranked against each other, and students are not streamed into special programs according to ability, but struggling students do receive extra tutoring. As there is little difference in standards from one school to the next, no schools are disadvantaged or have to cope with the issues that many urban US schools struggle with daily.

Finland's 96% graduation rate, compared to 75% in the US, means that far more students are prepared for higher education. Economic disadvantage not does prohibit college attendance, as college is free and grants are readily available. After ninth grade, Finnish students choose either an academic or vocational track, meaning they are allowed to specialize to their strengths from an early age.

Any teacher will explain that it is inaccurate to compare two countries' education systems and conclude that the systems alone are the reasons for differences. Finland enjoys a far lower crime rate, and while the country may face challenges, few countries in the developed world compare in cultural, racial and religious complexity to the United States. That being said, the United States can still learn from the Finnish experience. Respect for teachers and for learning can't be bought with money alone, and often state curriculum and bureaucracy yields poor results as a substitute for a fundamental respect and enjoyment for learning.

For comments to Elaine - please post them below and I will ensure she receives them.. Thanks.

BETTer

Although rather late - a few words about the annual BETT show this year. It seems to have been bigger and certainly more people attended than last year. Interestingly there was a much greater representation from foreign countries, including Singapore, Brazil, Sweden and the UAE amongst others.

This is the last year for BETT at Olympia - next year it moves to the Excel Centre. It maybe a bit further away for some but at least the technology should be more robust. Nothing can be more frustrating for those exhibitors at the worlds largest ICT show than having a variable (and often out) ICT capability.

Apart from the increasingly large and dramatic structures from suppliers there seemed to be a much greater emphasis on software and peripherals rather the more expensive kit. I did think that some of the presentations were particularly interesting this year. Inevitably Professor Stephen Heppell's stand was amongst the most visited with a rolling programme of presentations and Skype links to students from all over the world.

I was also pleased to listen to Ollie Bray, National Advisor on Emerging Technologies in Learning for Education Scotland talk about the virtues of using gaming as a key resource to aid learning. As ever, he was engaging and motivating with several examples of students and schools doing great things.... simply because they were given the chance!
And of course, Stephen Heppell was surrounded the inevitable television crews all show... no change there - people all over the world want to hear what he says, it's always motivating!

Seeking Solutions to Problems

Spotted the other day near a local school, a very nice new brick wall outside a house, with an old car (all be it a Trabant) trapped in behind it.

What's really great is that a local primary school seized the opportunity to use it to set a problem solving exercise. Students were asked how they could get the car out of the front yard without demolishing the wall. Research, (the weight of the car etc) and lots of creative thinking came out from the students - would any of them work... unlikely but it created lots of interest using maths and science skills.

The real reason I like this though is the demonstration of teachers being flexible, seizing real situations and incorporating it it into existing curriculum work. It created interest, excitement and context. Great!

Not Motivating Students

A rather unfortunate piece of video surfaced last week showing Secretary of State for Education Mr Michael Gove addressing students at Haberdashers Aske school. What ever the purpose of the speech, it clearly was not aimed at the young people having to endure it. It looks rather more as though it was aimed at the media who were present filming him.

Teachers take assemblies every day in schools - to plan them effectively and capture the interest of students takes care and skill.

I'm not saying that Mr Gove can't relate to young people, but this is a very unfortunate piece of footage. To view it the video, click here.

cefpi Article - Students Designing their Learning

Talking at conferences in the United States last year, (the cefpi Annual Conference in Nashville and NSSEA Conference in San Antonio), about the power of engaging with students in their own learning seemed to strike a chord with many delegates. There really was a surprising acceptance from many that we really must start approaching learning differently in the Third Millennium and involving young people not only in the planning and delivery of it, but also in the design of the spaces that they are expected to learn in.

I say surprising because at other events I have attended in the USA the delivery method has frequently come across as fixed. As for creating appropriate learning environments, Facility Managers seem to have made more decisions based on bulk purchase of vinyl flooring and chairs etc than ensuring spaces were an appropriate response to the appropriate pedagogy required. Add to that the thought of consulting students about designing their own learning......... and some have thought it was a crazy idea. But why wouldn't you?

This led to me writing another article for the latest cefpi magazine 'Education Facility Planner' entitled "Students Designing their Learning" The feedback has been excellent and very generous. I am humbled but pleased that people enjoyed it. To read the article in full, please click here. All comments welcomed - as usual!

Happy New Year!!

A very HAPPY NEW YEAR for all readers of the blog and I hope that 2012 is good for all of you.

My blog is read by many thousands of people from well over a hundred countries. I do know that posts have got fewer recently - I will do my best to resume 'normal service' during the year.

Thanks for reading and best wishes for 2012

Thanks for reading - as always.

Red

Red was the colour surrounding me as I toured a new elementary school in America recently. Not just any red but really scarlet - the photographs are deceiving in appearing rather orange. The colour identified a learning hub, a group of classrooms round a central flexible learning area.

Entering into the hub, past the well designed 'open' bathrooms, the walls, ceiling and further in the floor were all dominated by this vibrant, bold colour. I have to say that many of the visiting professionals I was with didn't like it - they thought it was just too much and unlike the other areas of different hubs.

There is considerable research and psychology around colours for learning, varying by age and purpose of area - the choices here were an interesting and brave decision. The Principal assured us that the students and staff really liked it, as did the architects (but they would, wouldn't they.)

However, I do have to agree with my friend, massively respected education architect and planner; Randall Fielding of FNI in his article 'Learning, Lighting and Colour - Lighting Design for - Schools and Universities in the 21st Century' when he comments on the use of primary colours for young students.

"Often the the strategy is expressed that brightly lit, primary colours are the best environments for young children. This is not born out by any reputable research. In fact, experience has sown that children are wonderfully sensitive and responsive to nuances in both lighting and colour. For example, children are particularly attuned to the colours of nature and human skin tones, and yet these are completely out of the primary range. Primary colours can be harsh..."

I am not against the colour red being used but, to quote Randy again, "All colours have a place for learners of all ages, when used thoughtfully".

I have to admit though, when seeing the great slab of red as we entered the learning hub, to not being convinced about the way it is used here, but.... what do you think?

NSSEA in San Antonio

I was fortunate to be asked to speak at the The Equipment Show in San Antonio, Texas in the last few days. This is my first time at this particular event, which I learnt is really a market place for dealers and distributors.

Although very successful I was really quite surprised at the range of equipment there - lots and lots of furniture (much very traditional), scoreboards, sound systems etc, but very very little in the way of technology. I think I only saw one interactive plasma screen and two or three interactive white boards. Whilst talking about this I was told that ICT is really dominant in another show during the year. This is unusual when thinking about what is happening in places like the UK, Germany etc.

What many people have learnt however, that is when designing new spaces and reconfiguring existing ones, it is the integrated approach to design and planning that is so important. You can't select the furniture if you don't know what pedagogy and ICT the spaces are intended for now and in the predictable future. It was obvious in the minds of many non educators I met in Texas, totally charming that they were, is that the total integrated approach to planning spaces has not yet been achieved. It needs to be!

ICT - Mr Gove speaks

Whilst in the States I've been catching up with the latest thoughts of Michael Gove regarding ICT by watching his speech to the The Schools Network.

There seems to have been a bit of a rethink of his thoughts, with some really quite positive views about the value of technology in education - he could have said more, but anything positive is good. Once he started about ICT he acknowledged "how little classrooms have changed and given how much technology has transformed work places, the DfEe has been behind the curve in appreciating what needed to be done". Agreed!

He confirmed that there were no tensions between the use of technology and the expectation of high standards –he went on to note the need to reflect on how technology can enhance access to the UK's rich inheritance of literature, scientific thinking and mathematical skills. He also seemed surprised by just how much high quality content was accessible by everyone. Many people have been saying this for years.

His confirmation of the previous focus on hardware, especially on machines that have rapidly become obsolete would be agreed by many, and at last he has acknowledged that the focus should have been in training so that staff were as adept and ICT literate as they can be. He advocated an increasingly need to refocus investment and thinking in human capital.

He noted that many students have access to all the technology, iphones, tablets, computers etc. We all know this, but wouldn't it have been even better if he had acknowledged the role that students could bring to enhancing well planned lessons, especially in modelling how the technology they use could help them all. Mosts teachers will never be better in using the technology than their students - why not use these skills!

In America last week I spoke about how I expected more and more schools to get 3D printers - 'because they could'. Mr Gove bizarrely also spoke about them last week, saying how they give new levels of sophistication and innovation to design. But, to use them effectively, and give real relevant purpose to their use, there also needs to be curriculum revision and training for staff and students. The capabilities are so great - the students will get it, but they will have to be allowed to really explore the real sophistication and uniqueness that can be achieved rather than be forced to undertake a simple potentially 'dumbed down' project which could almost be done in other ways.

Although Mr Gove did not go far enough, what is really positive though is that the Government are beginning to 'go public' about the role ICT should play in education to support high standards and encourage innovation.

To watch the speech in full click here. (Please note that the section to ICT is about a third of the way through the video)

Students using Construction to Learn

As I work with a number of schools developing their new buildings, a few are really heeding my suggestion and using every opportunity to learn from each stage of their building programme - it'll only happen once!

One such school is St Saviour's and St Olave's School in Southwark, London. A complete staff panel is developing resources to enhance the curriculum, and student groups are developing their own learning by working closely with the construction project manager and sharing it with not only the school community, but also online for everyone to follow. Although still in it's early days, the promise is exciting.

One of the students is recording photographically every activity on their construction site. Year 13 student April Gurney, who is studying photography, has take some amazing photographs, including the one above - possibly the best photograph of demolition I have seen for a long time.

Excitingly, so inspiring is this photograph that it has inspired the English Department to create a whole project on science fiction writing. To develop this further collaboration with the Art Department has allowed students to use 'Photoshop' to manipulate the image to create their ideas.

It's all about learning being flexible and taking opportunities. This is no lightweight stuff, mathematics, engineering, languages, arts, modern languages, environmental sciences, geography, citizenship are all involved - it could be fab with students using their learning in context! Pythagoras, forces, calculation are all becoming real, rather than just a paper exercise - it could be really fantastic!

I will be writing much more about this project soon - but the start has been very promising indeed.

The Bloodhound Project

I was very pleased recently to spend some time alone talking with Richard Noble, former land speed record holder during WISE2012 in Doha. He was enthusing about the fantastically ambitious and exciting new 'Bloodhound' land speed record project.

It is ambitious, and as it aims for speeds over one thousand miles an hour frankly, it sounds a bit scary to a lay person like me.

The 1,000 mph Bloodhound car is now into build and the Bloodhound website is now being followed in 211 countries. Bloodhound will be running in 2013 and 2014 in South Africa (thousands of tons of stones are currently being moved from the desert right now).

The REAL beauty is the real emphasis given to education throughout the project. The UK school operation is being run through 4,729 schools. The Bloodhound website already shows how some schools are interacting with this project.

What is really exciting and a real live learning opportunity for schools everywhere is that ALL the operational data from the car will streamed live to the web so that they can follow the programme. The Project Team are also developing an on line educational academy which will provide sufficient education for the web followers to interpret and understand the data. All this goes on the website www.bloodhoundssc.com

This is a really exciting opportunity for schools - it is a cutting edge 'real' project in every way - I just hope that as many as possible get involved.

Learners Voice AT WISE 2011 - The girls from Haiti

With over twelve hundred delegates at the World Education Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha, a crucial component of the conference is the focus on young people and 'Learners Voice. This year, thirty students from all over the world underwent a rigorous selection process to attend and represent their peers. Not only are they attending, they are also running sessions, running workshops, interviewing delegates and reporting on the conference. a tall order for a group that had never met before. To prepare for this they had a two day pre-conference of their own, it was obvious to see how well they have 'gelled' as a team. The workshop I attended was the best of the day - delegates had not had to work and contribute so much before - brilliant!! (It was also good to see evidence of Gavin Dykes (Education Impact, UK) and his guiding hand behind the scenes to help it have maximum impact).

Despite all this activity and the focus on young people, there will be many delegates that will really miss out by not actually speaking to them. How can this be right in an education conference? This is a real pity, the students I spoke to and who ran the sessions are scarily bright, ambitious and articulate. (Maybe this aspiration is scares off some delegates). Some of the young learners I spoke to have amazing stories to tell.

I was fortunate to talk to Augustin (studying Electrical Engineering) and Daphnee (studying Agro-economics), both of whom had come from Haiti. For one it was their first ever trip out of Haiti - and to come all the way to Doha via Miami and New York was a real, daunting, experience! What a first trip!

They spoke enthusiastically abut Haiti and with real honesty about the significant issues of all forms post earthquake: poverty, high unemployment (50%), incredibly low take up of higher education especially by students who lived out of Port-au Prince. (Only one from Augustin's former school this year went to higher education). They talked about low aspiration and young people's resignation about having to live by scraping together a living by selling water etc. It was truly humbling to hear them talk about it.

Both girls had only managed to secure university places with the assistance of an organisation called HELP. This great organisation offers scholarships for students to go to university in Haiti and is now helping over one hundred students to attend university. Without this assistance they were not sure what they would be doing. It was a depressing thought that these two girls may have been a vastly resource if they had not had the chances given to them. It made me wonder just how many more potential resources were being wasted. The significant social issues are not helped however as both girls mentioned that those who graduated with degrees nearly always then emigrated - an effective brain drain of bright young citizens. The real challenge is to try and retain them and allow them to contribute to their society. They both mentioned that whilst lots of people and organisations are helping in Haiti, so much more help was needed for their education system.

What had the conference done for them? Well they both admitted to being even more aspirational than they had previously been and also determined to contribute back to their society. This is a great outcome for them from WISE 2011.

Augustin, when asked about her impression of the conference in it's stunning surroundings and it's amazing delegates, talked not about these but instead focused on the amazing technology available. There is no doubt that a fabulous infrastructure in Haiti would be a significant factor is raising the education opportunities and aspirations.

It was a real privilege to talk to Augustin and Daphnee. I probably won't ever see or talk to them again, but ladies, it was a humbling experience and I wish you all the best for the future!! To those delegates that don't speak to these young delegates - you really don't know what you missed!!

WISE 2011

I am delighted to have been invited to the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) for the second year running. Launched in 2009 by the Qatar Foundation, under the inspirational leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser WISE is now in it's third year.

WISE is an international multi sector forum for creative thinking debate and purposeful action. It seeks to mobilise decision makers and practitioners to seek innovative solutions to todays educational challenges and to share best practice. With 1,200 delegates from 120 countries, it truly is the leading international education conference in the world. It is unique and the underlying premis is built on the belief that building on and implementing best practices in education is the best way to secure a prosperous future for individuals and societies in all parts of the world.

The conference consists of a series of plenary sessions, seminars, panel discussions and interviews as well as numerous networking opportunities. With over 120 speakers from all around the world the range of experiences here is just phenomenal. The conference days are long, finishing at past six o'clock, but with this many people in the same place everyone has to make the most of this amazing conference.

One development I am really pleased to see is the greater participation of students. Thirty students, carefully selected from numerous countries have already had a two day mini conference and are spending the days interviewing delegates, reporting on sessions and running their own presentation. This is a great response to comments last year - and I am sure their participation will continue to grow, along with the conference.

Several more posts will follow about this years WISE Conference over the next few days, but thank you for allowing me to be here again.

Her Highness Sheikha Moza Nasser Al Missned, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation

Stephen Heppell talks...

Regular readers will know that I am a friend and colleague of Professor Stephen Heppell. We have done a number of projects together. There are many videos around of him talking, including on YouTube. However, the latest one, recorded in the past few days in New Zealand, is worth watching.

In this ULearn11 EDtalk Stephen explains why he believes that the 'structures and strictures of education will be swept aside by the engagement, seduction, delight, passion and astonishment of a new learning world'. Stephen shares his conviction that if we want to know what education will look like in the future, we only need to look at what is happening in the online world now.

As ever he makes great deal of sense, but will the key policy makers agree?

To watch the video click here.

Who Owns Community Noticeboards?

Community noticeboards - who 'owns' them?

More and more schools are keen to be central parts of the community, and several schemes I have worked on have talked about having community noticeboards.

Community noticeboards are great and many people love reading the things on them. BUT they only work if someone takes ongoing responsibility for them. If no one does they can be truly dreadful things, such as the one above. The problem is that poorly maintained noticeboards create problems. I am a true believer that graffiti breeds graffiti, equally creating really low expectations encourages low expectations. These noticeboards are often the first impression of any institution. What does they tell you about it?

Well maintained community notice boards can really work well in schools but only if part of a co-ordinated strategy. If schools can't be bothered to really look after them then it is better not to have them at all than just celebrate a public display of low expectations!

Puppet fun

I've been working a lot with a fab Special Needs school recently as we plan their new building. Whilst moving around the school this week I came across some just fabulous puppets created by the students, many of whom have really complex needs.

The collaboration by subject staff and students have produced really colourful puppets displaying a good range of skills. Quite rightly they are being displayed to celebrate the really good students work.

They are some of the best puppets made by students I have seen for ages. I hope you like them.