Finland: Education for the edu-Nation

This is part three of a seven part article series with Professor Jari Lavonen, professor of physics and chemistry education and Head of the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Helsinki in Finland. In this particular segment he will discuss the skills children should learn and when they should learn them.

Read part one here: How is it that the Finnish education system is the best in the world? (Opens New Window)

Read part two here: What are the opportunities for support and development for teachers in Finland, once they've completed their master's degree in teaching? (Opens New Window)

Children working with computers at school in Finland

There are skills that all children should learn – when do you think these skills should be taught?  What is the reasoning behind that? In Australia, kids start school as young as the age of four and there have been discussions about Tasmania lowering the school starting age. The legislation passed through the Tasmanian Lower House in 2016 and faced a community consultation period in 2017, although the Tasmanian Government has now abandoned the plan.

There is a long tradition in Finland that children start their schooling when they are 7 years old. This was introduced in legislation in 1866 when the state took over the school system. At that time, a school network was established. The law of compulsory education in 1921 continues the same tradition. The reasons for late school entry were due to practicalities and a common understanding of the appropriate age for children to start their schooling.

In 1866 Finland was a poor agrarian society. Often, both parents would be working on the farm and their children either have to walk or ski to school alone or in a group. It was agreed that a 7 year old child would be old enough to make the school trip alone. This tradition has remained in place to the present day. It is still not common for parents to take their children to school by car; they usually go to school alone or in small groups.

Finland also has pre-primary education for 6 year olds. Finnish students’ education achievements are high even though children enter formal education later than in most other EU countries and tend to follow fewer centre based early childhood education and care (ECEC). The reasons for late transfer to formal education are argued by practical reasons and research outcomes.

Finnish day-care and pre-primary education are based on an integrated approach to care, education and teaching, also known as the educare model. Learning through play is essential and is advocated by psychological and brain research (Brotherus, Hytönen & Krokfors, 2002)[1]. A place in pre-primary education is offered free of charge for all children by the municipalities in Finland. Pre-primary education is based on a local curriculum drawn up within the framework of the National Core Curriculum for Pre-primary Education (NCPPE) (2010)^[2]. It is systematic education and provides instruction in the year preceding the start of compulsory education.

Linnilä (2006)[3] describes the long time status quo in Finland about the school readiness age. The age of seven years has been argued to be an appropriate transition age from day care to school a long time. This has been argued by positive experiences and supported by development psychology research outcomes. However, the research conducted about the appropriate school entry age does vary to some extent. Some studies, like the study of Mc Evans and Shapirow (2007)[4], suggest that delaying school enrolment increases test scores later in life, while others suggest that any perceived benefits actually decline over time. Michela Ponzo and Vincenzo Scoppa (2011)[5] used data from 9, 13 and 15-year-old students from three different datasets (PIRLS-2006, TIMSS-2007 and PISA-2009), and investigated whether the school entry age affects children's school performance at the fourth, eighth and tenth grade levels. They find that younger children score substantially lower than older peers these grades and that the advantage of older students does not dissipate as they grow older.

There is also evidence about entry that is too early and low performance in further education and in working life. For example Swedish  researchers Peter Fredriksson and Björn Öckert[6] used several data sets in order to clarify the correlation between the school entry age and the performance. Individuals born around the new year have about the same date of birth but enter school at different ages. Using data for the entire native population born 1935-55, they find that school entry age raises educational attainment. They find that on average, school starting age affects the allocation of labor supply over the lifecycle. Especially, for individuals with low-educated parents, and to some extent women, they found that prime-age earnings increase in response to age at school start.[7]

The Finnish curriculum has always emphasised the learning of competences needed in future while planning the framework curriculum. This thinking is close what Binkley, Erstad, Herman, Raizen, Ripley, Miller-Ricci and Rumble, (2012)[8] emphasise what individuals need to learn. They need both critical and creative thinking and should learn to use and be able to use a wide range of tools, like socio-cultural (language) and technological tools (ICT) for interacting effectively with the environment; to engage and interact in a heterogeneous group; to take responsibility for managing their own lives and acting autonomously. The national level curriculum and the process behind it have been one of the key issues in developing educational sector in Finland.

Keep an eye out for next week's piece about the question on everyone's minds: Could Australia learn anything from Finland? (Opens New Window)