The main objective of Finnish education policy is to offer all citizens equal opportunities to receive education, regardless of age, domicile, financial situation, sex or mother tongue. Education is considered to be one of the fundamental rights of all citizens. Firstly, provisions concerning fundamental educational rights guarantee everyone (not just Finnish citizens) the right to free basic education; the provisions also specify compulsory education. Secondly, the public authorities are also obligated to guarantee everyone an equal opportunity to obtain other education besides basic education according to their abilities and special needs, and to develop themselves without being prevented by economic hardship.
A major objective of Finnish education policy is to achieve as high a level of education and competence as possible for the whole population. One of the basic principles behind this has been to offer post-compulsory education to whole age groups. A high percentage of each age group goes on to upper secondary education when they leave comprehensive school: more than 90 per cent of those completing basic education continue their studies in general upper secondary schools or vocational upper secondary education and training.
The Finnish National Board of Education is responsible for both general education and vocational education and training, with the exception of higher education. The Ministry of Education is the responsible body for the higher education institutions.
The State Provincial Offices and local authorities has a strong steering of the implementation of legislation
Year 2010 new laws of education are to made. We do still have general education and special education. The new thing is that we are changing our point of wiew from medical to pedagogical. The idea is to offer every pupil the support he/she needs as soon as possible. We talk general support, efficient and intensify support and specific support. It is also in the law that every pupils who gets specific support has to draw up an Individual Education Plan. The Individual Education Plan is made with parents, as a multiprofessional work.
According to the Basic Education Act (628/1998), all children permanently residing in Finland are subject to compulsory education. Compulsory education starts in the year when a child becomes seven years of age and ends when the syllabus of basic education has been completed or 10 years after the beginning of compulsory education. The parents or guardians of children of compulsory school age are required to ensure that children comply with this obligation. The local authorities are obligated to organise basic education free of charge for school-aged children living within their respective areas.
| Basic education in a nutshell |
| ✓ a nine-year comprehensive curriculum for the whole age group |
| ✓ teaching is provided by schools near the home |
| ✓ no degree; a final certificate will be given for completing the syllabus |
| ✓ teaching, text books and teaching materials, school transport and school meals are free |
| ✓ basic education includes a one-year long voluntary pre-primary education in a school or day-care centre |
| ✓ local authorities can also provide voluntary morning and afternoon activities for pupils in basic education |
| ✓ provides the necessary prerequisites for all upper secondary education |
To promote the learners' healthy growth and development, education is provided according to their age and capabilities. Learning and social well-being are promoted through safe school environment, social and psychological support and health care. Early identification of learning difficulties and sufficient support are cornerstones of education.
General educational support for all pupils includes guidance and counselling, social welfare services, cooperation between home and school, the use of the learning plan, and remedial teaching. General support for studies is provided equally to all pupils, but schools must be prepared to focus support flexibly to address the special needs of individuals. Co-operation between pre-primary education and basic education and between basic education and upper secondary education is an important part of the work that supports education. Issues concerning the provision of guidance and counselling services, studying, pupil welfare services, and support services are to be explained to pupils and their parents or guardians.
In addition to organising instruction, each local authority is generally responsible for social welfare services for pupils and students. A local authority must, in certain circumstances, organise such services as transportation for pupils who need it. Pupils in basic education living some distance from school (more than 5 km) or the journey is considered dangerous are entitled to free transport. Welfare services also include free school meals, school health care, dental care as well as the services of student welfare officers and school psychologists.
The national core curriculum is determined by the Finnish National Board of Education. It includes, besides the objectives, core contents of different subjects and the principles of pupil assessment, provisions on special needs education, pupil welfare and educational guidance.
Each pupil of compulsory school age has the right to receive remedial instruction and special needs education, where necessary. Special needs education is provided primarily through inclusion into mainstream education. If learning difficulties are minor, special needs education is provided as part-time special needs education in conjunction with mainstream instruction.
If a child cannot cope in mainstream education due to disability, illness, delayed development, emotional disorder or some other similar reason, she/he may be admitted to special education during pre-primary education and upon commencement of compulsory education or s/he may also be transferred to special education later during comprehensive school. In such cases, special needs education may also be provided in a special group, class or school. The study curriculum can be either by subjects or by sphere of activities (communication, motorskills, cognitive skills, social skills and everyday skills and readiness of learning).
The Finnish approach to special needs education has undergone four phases;
· instruction for pupils with sensory disabilities, as a result of which many disabled children were excluded from school
· care for the disabled, medical care and rehabilitation, which led to segregation of children into homogenous groups
· the principle of normalisation and integration; and
· educational equality and equal educational services.
Pupils are given various forms of help, the nature of which is determined according to the special need. A key factor is the early recognition of learning difficulties and problems. Support should be provided immediately if educational or student welfare professionals, or the pupil’s parents, identify risks in the pupil’s development and ability to learn. Disabilities, illnesses or handicaps can cause obstacles to learning, as they impair the child’s growth, development and ability to learn. Social or emotional problems can also result in the need for special needs education.
A psychological, medical or social examination of a pupil and his/her growth environment may be conducted as early as during early childhood education and care and also, where necessary, later during pre-primary and basic education. In addition it is possible to obtain statements from different therapists (such as occupational therapists, speech therapists or physiotherapists), other experts (psychologists, doctors) and the child’s teachers (such as a special needs teacher specialising in speech, reading and writing).
|
Special Educational Services • SEN students total 28 %
– 6,7 % full time – meaning IEP instead of · regular curriculum • 2,8 % integrated • 3,9 % segregated in special classes or schools • The trend is inclusive: more specialeducation in regular settings, and less special schools • The number of SE students has increased rapidly in last 10 years
|
|
SEN pupils |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
|
10-years compulsory education |
22012 |
24813 |
27224 |
29794 |
32339 |
33877 |
34987 |
35987 |
|
11-years compulsory education |
7686 |
8012 |
8311 |
8841 |
9199 |
9509 |
9816 |
10007 |
|
11-years compulsory education |
1124 |
1192 |
1304 |
1163 |
1180 |
1313 |
1282 |
1263 |
|
|
30822 |
34017 |
36839 |
39798 |
42778 |
44699 |
46085 |
47257 |
|
% |
5,2 |
5,7 |
6,2 |
6,7 |
7,3 |
7,7 |
8,1 |
8,4 |
Source : Tilastokeskus- Opetushallituksen WERA-webraportointipalvelu ja raportointitietokanta ROPTI
8,4 % of the students receive Special Educational tuition (out of total population of all pupils) and only 1,4% of them are in Special schools (16% of SEN pupils). But we need to remember that our weakest performing quarter of students are still succeeding as well as an average student in the EU (Pisa) Source: Lakkala Opike päivillä / Petu
The objective of special needs education is to help and support pupils in such a way as to give them equal opportunities to complete compulsory schooling in accordance with their abilities and alongside their peers.
The first alternative for providing special needs education is to include pupils with special education needs in mainstream classes and, when necessary, provide special needs education in small teaching groups.
Students may receive part-time special needs education by a special needs education teacher if they have minor difficulties in learning or adjustment. The student may have an individual education plan if required. The individual study plan includes a plan on arranging education, whether it is integrated, partly integrated or a special class, the goals, contents, support and principles of assessment. The student may complete his or her studies following the general or an adjusted syllabus, in one or more subjects. Consequently pupil assessment will be based on the criteria of the general syllabus or an individual education plan.
Only when this is not feasible is the second alternative considered: the provision of special needs education in a special group, class or school. The reason for the transfer can be one or more learning disabilities, handicap, illness, delayed development, emotional disorder or other comparable reasons.
An official decision needs to be made if a student is transferred to special needs education. The decision is based on a statement by a psychological, medical or social welfare professional, with the mandatory hearing of the parents/guardians. The statement is required to take into account the possible retransfer to general instruction.
The decision on the transfer to special needs education is made by the school board of the pupil’s municipality of residence. According to the Basic Education Act, admission or transfer of pupils to special needs education always require consultation with the parents or other guardians. Where the decision on transfers to special needs education is made against the consent of a parent or guardian, the parent or guardian may appeal against the decision to the Provincial State Office.
Each pupil admitted or transferred to special education is to be provided with an individual education plan (IEP), which is based on the curriculum and enables individualisation of the general syllabus.
Students in need of special support may apply to ordinary vocational institutions within the national joint application system or through the related flexible application procedure. They may also apply to educational institutions with special educational tasks directly or, in some cases, through the joint application system. Pupil counsellors in basic education and student counsellors in vocational education and training aim to find a suitable place for each student according to the student’s wishes.
In vocational education and training, students with special educational needs are integrated in the mainstream education if possible, or in special needs groups or both. In the case of students with severe disabilities, vocational special education institutions provide training and rehabilitative instruction and guidance. Vocational special needs education can be also provided through apprenticeship training
In vocational education and training, students in need of special educational or student welfare services are provided with instruction in the form of special needs education and training. An individual education plan (IEP) is to be drawn up for each student receiving special needs education and training. This plan must set out details of the qualification to be completed, the national core curriculum or the requirements of the competence-based qualification observed in education and training, the scope of the qualification, the individual curriculum drawn up for the student, grounds for providing special needs education and training, special educational and student welfare services required for studying as well as other services and support measures provided for the student.
Each education provider is responsible for organising special needs education and training and services for students in special needs education and training.
Year 2009 all small Vocational Education provides united. Now we have six main providers in Finland: Aitoon koulutuskeskus, Ammattiopisto Luovi, Bovallius-ammattiopisto, Invalidiliiton Järvepään koulutuskeskus, Keskuspuiston ammattiopisto and Kiipulan ammattiopisto. They all offer training and rehabilitation education and vocational training (warehouse work, gardening and…)
The number of SEN Vocational students in Finland (red= vocational schools, blue= vocational special scools)
The number of students in special vocational schools has increased. Year 2000 in Finland 8,2 % of every student in vocational schools has SEN and year 2004 the number was 10,5%.
Pupil welfare services include attending to the child's or young person's basic learning prerequisites and physical, psychological, and social well-being. Pupil welfare services consist of both community and individual support.
With respect to pupil welfare, the curriculum is to be prepared in collaboration with those charged with tasks that are part of the implementation of the local authority's social and health services. For the curriculum, a plan is to be drafted that depicts the objectives and key principles of pupil welfare services. Pupil welfare is the concern of all persons working in the school community, as well as those authorities responsible for pupil welfare services. It is implemented in close cooperation with the home. In planning the necessary pupil welfare support functions for an individual pupil, the child or young person and the parent or other guardian are to be consulted. Confidentiality, respect for the child or young person and parents or other guardians, and statutes on secrecy and the parties' access to information guide pupil welfare work. The work can be coordinated and developed by a multidisciplinary pupil welfare team.
By definition, welfare services refer to the promotion and maintenance of good learning, good mental and physical health as well as social well-being of the pupils and students, and conditions conducive to these. Well-being, security and interaction of the school community are key concerns and prevention and taking care of different problems (observing absences; bullying, violence and harassment; mental health issues; abuse of intoxicating substances; accidents, misfortunes and deaths) cardinal.
Guidance and counselling activities form an important as a support for studies,
and arrangements for an introduction to working life. Guidance and counselling
activities are to constitute a continuum lasting the duration of basic
education. The fact, that teachers participating in the guidance work together
with study counsellors guarantees that pupils get guidance and counselling
services during their studies and in transition phases of the study path.
It is the task of all teachers to guide pupils in their study, to help them
develop learning skills and capabilities, and to prevent the emergence of
study-related problems. It is the task of every teacher to support the pupils'
personal growth, development, and participation.
In addition to preventive activities, guidance and counselling implemented at
the school should especially support those pupils who have difficulties with
studying or who are in danger of dropping out.
At all school levels, teachers are highly qualified and committed. A Master’s degree is a requirement, and teacher education includes teaching practice. As the teaching profession is very popular in Finland, universities can select the most motivated and talented applicants. Teachers work independently and enjoy full autonomy in the classroom.
In the spring term of 2005, there were 44,300 teachers and principals in total within basic education and 12,000 in vocational upper secondary education and training.
At general educational institutions, instruction may be given by
Teaching staff at vocational institutions may include:
The principal is also considered a member of the teaching staff. Polytechnics have official teaching posts and other teaching positions for principal lecturers and senior lecturers. In addition, polytechnics may have lecturers and visiting lecturers. Education staff includes e.g. student counsellors, special needs assistants, school psychologists, school public health nurses, school doctors, librarians and administrative staff.
Teachers enjoy pedagogical autonomy in the classroom. Teachers are considered pedagogical experts, and are entrusted with considerable independence in the classroom, and also have decision-making authority as concerns school policy and management. They are deeply involved in drafting the local curricula and in development work. Furthermore, they have almost exclusive responsibility for the choice of textbooks and teaching methods.
Teachers are recruited by the municipalities.
The education of teachers varies according to the level and type of education or institution they want to be qualified for. In general education class teachers have a Master’s degree with a major in pedagogy, whereas subject teachers major in the subject that they teach. Teachers in vocational education and training in turn take pedagogical studies after first having completed a degree in the relevant vocational field. Special needs teachers as well as guidance and student counsellors specialise after having completed their teacher education. In higher education, in polytechnics and universities teachers are generally required to have a post-graduate research degree.
Most teachers in special education work in years 1–9 and, alongside the regular teaching, give extensive special education to pupils in need of it. They work either separately from or in the same room with the primary or secondary school teachers. Special needs primary school teachers teach small groups of learners transferred to special education. Special education teachers need a Master’s degree, majoring in special education, at a faculty/ department of education. Their education includes studies giving them the professional competence needed to be a special needs teacher, and the pedagogical study programme. Those aiming to become special education primary school teachers also take a course in the subjects taught in primary school. They often do their studies in special education after having completed their degree in primary teaching. It is also possible to have any Master’s degree and then qualify as a special education teacher after completing the required study programme in special education. Those teachers who are working with pupils with intellectual disability need an appropriate university or polytechnic degree, complemented with studies conferring professional competence for the tasks of a special education teacher.
Core subject and other teachers at the vocational level completing a 60-credit study programme for teachers in special education qualify as special education teachers.
Last 5 year national Board of Education has organize by other authoroties training for major educational staff. The national Board of Education has yearly given about 4 mlj. E for training. The idea is to support teachers, assistants in their work and promote The Finnish National Stategy of Education. ICT and special education is one object among others.
Finland’s success in three consecutive assessments of learning outcomes within the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) shows the rest of the world that the Finnish education system is of high quality while also being equal. It takes care of the whole age group. This may, furthermore, increase interest in research, development activities and industry in our country. Adaptation of highly educated people to social changes may also succeed because the conversion training of educated people does not take as much money as training people from the beginning.
The education system has been developed systematically, and the results can now be seen clearly. Nevertheless, one must be on the alert when decisions on the education system and resources are made. Teachers’ professional skills must be maintained and they must be updated by continuous in-service training. Special attention must be paid to its being within teachers' reach. Developing new teaching methods and their introduction in schools must be supported. Schools must be guaranteed sufficient resources for obtaining teaching materials and equipment and also for training teachers to use them. Benchmarking best practices coming from the learning results must be studied. An important task for the 21st century is to attend to pupils’ well-being.
New Education Law - Inclusive Education
The new Elementary School Law of Finland (2014) has a new approach, which is a good example of taking inclusion further. The decision of giving special support for a pupil should be mostly made by the pedagogical point of view, not just based on the medical science! The SEN teacher/school knows better what kind of total support the pupil really needs
Student’s with any learning difficulties must be provided support as early as
possible. There are three support steps:
1. general support done by the own teacher.
2. intensive support given by teachers and special teachers
3. special support can be given, if there recorded supports weren’t enough.
An individual education plan (IEL) is needed if a pupil receives special
support. IEL is going to be more like a pedagogical document than an
administrative document. The decision for providing special support for the
pupil is no longer going to be permanent! The pupils learning difficulties will
be re-evaluated after certain period of time during his/her school life. If the
learning disability and the need for special support are permanent, the decision
for special support can also be made before hand. At the same time the length of
the compulsory education can be decided to be lengthened.
We will no longer be talking about special education students or students with special needs, instead will be talking about individual needs. This includes not only those who need extra support, but also gifted students. Special education will be a service, not a place to go to. The need is no longer based on a Medical examination; it’s based on a pedagogical need with three steps of support and possibility to lengthen the education).
Finnish school system will continue to give teachers’ an enormous amount of freedom, but also lots of responsibilities. There is no annual testing nor any key stage examinations being planned in the schools, expect the matriculation test at the stage of finishing of the High School / The Sixth Form. Nor there will be any plans of returning the inspectors to inspect the tuition or school. It’s in the principals hands to elect qualified staff members and to follow up the quality of the tuition.
