Trends in Finnish Education and Science Policy
Finnish education and science policy emphasises quality,
efficiency, equality and the international nature of science
and promotes the competitiveness of the Finnish
welfare society. Sustainable economic development
will continue to be the best way to ensure the nation’s
cultural, social and economic welfare in the years to
come. The basic principles of Finnish education and
science policy are in line with the European Union’s
Lisbon strategy.
Fundamental educational rights are enshrined in the
Constitution of Finland. Every Finnish resident is
guaranteed an equal opportunity to obtain education
and develop themselves, according to their abilities
and needs and irrespective of their financial means.
General compulsory schooling and the right to receive
pre-primary and basic education free of charge are
provided by law, but also tuition in other education
and training leading to an educational qualification is
free, including university postgraduate education.
Parliament passes legislation governing education and
science and determines the basic principles underpinning
education and science policy. The Government
and the Ministry of Education, as part of it, are responsible
for preparing and implementing education
and science policy. The Ministry of Education is responsible
for education and training funded from the
state budget. The Government adopts a development
plan for education and research every four years.
Objectives
The priorities in educational development are to enhance
competence and raise the level of education
among the population and in the labour force; to improve
the efficiency of the education and training system;
to prevent social exclusion among children and young people; and to enlarge adults’ opportunities for
education and training. Special attention is paid to internationalisation
and the quality and effectiveness of
education, training and research.
Lifelong learning is a viewpoint permeating all policies
related to learning with a view to ensuring equal
opportunity in education and a high level of education
among the population as a whole. This policy
entails that everyone has sufficient learning skills and
opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills at
all ages and in different environments.
To this end, qualification-oriented education and
training is offered to the whole youth age group (16–
21) and measures are taken to upgrade and update
adults’ competencies. As the population grows older,
it is essential to accelerate young people’s transition
to further and higher education and, subsequently, to
the labour market by streamlining student selection
procedures, speeding up graduation and enhancing
recognition of prior learning.
The starting point in the development of general
education is to guarantee basic educational security
for everyone, irrespective of their place of residence,
language and financial status. Two of the foremost reforms
geared to improve children’s and young people’s
well-being have been to institute the right to pre-primary
education and morning and a system of afternoon activities
for schoolchildren.
The objective of general upper secondary education is
to provide a good all-round education and to build a
foundation for further studies. In the past ten years,
the upper secondary school has been developed towards
greater flexibility and a larger freedom of choice
for students, thereby improving their motivation. The
current focus in development is on content renewal.The objective of vocational education and training is to
guarantee access to skilled labour force and to support
industry-driven innovations. Special attention is paid
to improving the quality and effectiveness of training
and its relevance to working life and to increasing
appreciation of vocational skills. New challenges
to development arise from European co-operation in
vocational education and training, notably the Copenhagen
process. Greater mobility among students
and qualification-holders calls for the development of
credit transfer systems and quality assurance in education
and training.
In recent years, higher education policy has focused
on the implementation of reforms required by the
Bologna process in particular. The degree structures
and scopes of studies at both universities and polytechnics
are based on common European principles.
Universities and polytechnics have developed quality
assurance systems in line with European standards
and practices.
The development of polytechnic education focuses on
internationalisation and the quality of provision. To
this end, measures have been taken to reform degree
structures, step up study processes and facilitate international
student and teacher mobility. In addition,
polytechnics have enhanced their research and development
activities which serve regional business and
industry. One aim has been to reduce drop-out rates
and shorten the duration of studies.
The main focus in the reform of university education
and degrees has been to step up internationalisation
and improve the quality of instruction and student
counselling with the aim of shortening study times
and speeding up graduation and entry to the labour
market. The degree structure reform and the introduction
of individual study plans have made university
studies more flexible and promoted lifelong learning.The role of adult education and training is to provide
working-age and other adults with knowledge and
skills they need for continuous development of their
competencies and for other self-development which
enhances equality and active citizenship. The provision
of qualifying and continuing education and training
geared to the working-age adult population has been
expanded at all levels of education. The enlarged supply
of open polytechnic and university education and
online instruction has been supported by the development
of information and counselling services and mature
students’ financial aid. Special efforts have been
made both in vocational and liberal adult education
to increase educational opportunities for groups that
are under-represented in adult learning.
Science policy seeks to raise the standard of research
and improve the effectiveness and international visibility
of Finnish scientific research. The aim is to maintain
the level of Finnish R&D funding on a par with
the world top countries. Input is focused on enhancing
the quality of scientific research and strengthening
researcher training and research infrastructures. Recent
development targets include the professionalisation
of research careers, commercialisation of research
findings, and co-operation between higher education
institutions and business and industry. Cutting-edge
research requires both national and international networking
and close co-operation at all levels.
Results
According to international surveys, Finland is one of
the most competitive countries in the world. This success
can be attributed to an efficient and open public
sector and an egalitarian, high-quality education and
research system.
Education and Science 7
According to the OECD PISA survey, young Finns’
knowledge and skills rank among the best in the
OECD countries in mathematics, science and reading
literacy. The proportion of poorly performing pupils
is small compared with other OECD countries, and
regional and inter-school differences are comparatively
small.
In adult education and training, the number of participants
has grown by 200,000 people over the past
ten years to the extent that the participation rate is
now 54% of the working-age population. However,
participation is less evenly distributed among different
population groups than in other Nordic countries.
A research career has attraction in Finland, and there
has been no shortage of gifted doctoral students. More
and more publications by Finnish researchers are appearing
in international publication series and cited
frequently in research. The number of mathematics,
engineering and science students in Finland is high in
international terms.
Future challenges
A future challenge for Finnish education policy will
be to further strengthen the prerequisites of the public
education system. We must pay constant attention
to enhancing competitiveness and innovativeness by
means of education and science policy. The aim is to
create clusters of expertise of the highest international
standard in fields of major relevance to the national
economy and welfare.
Our network of schools and higher education institutions
covers the country well, but there are some
inevitable reforms we must make in response to the
substantial demographic changes and internal migration,
which is expected to continue to be strong. By
rationalising the school network we also make savings,
which can be channelled back to education and research.
Internationalisation is a precondition for the success
and renewal of the Finnish economy. International
co-operation and interaction is especially important
in education and research. This is something that we
are ready to invest in. Finland welcomes international
students, researchers and teachers!
Trends in Finnish Education and Science PolicyFinnish education and science policy emphasises quality,efficiency, equality and the international nature of scienceand promotes the competitiveness of the Finnishwelfare society. Sustainable economic developmentwill continue to be the best way to ensure the nation’scultural, social and economic welfare in the years tocome. The basic principles of Finnish education andscience policy are in line with the European Union’sLisbon strategy.Fundamental educational rights are enshrined in theConstitution of Finland. Every Finnish resident isguaranteed an equal opportunity to obtain educationand develop themselves, according to their abilitiesand needs and irrespective of their financial means.General compulsory schooling and the right to receivepre-primary and basic education free of charge areprovided by law, but also tuition in other educationand training leading to an educational qualification isfree, including university postgraduate education.Parliament passes legislation governing education andscience and determines the basic principles underpinningeducation and science policy. The Governmentand the Ministry of Education, as part of it, are responsiblefor preparing and implementing educationand science policy. The Ministry of Education is responsiblefor education and training funded from thestate budget. The Government adopts a developmentplan for education and research every four years.ObjectivesThe priorities in educational development are to enhancecompetence and raise the level of educationamong the population and in the labour force; to improvethe efficiency of the education and training system;to prevent social exclusion among children and young people; and to enlarge adults’ opportunities foreducation and training. Special attention is paid to internationalisationand the quality and effectiveness ofeducation, training and research.Lifelong learning is a viewpoint permeating all policiesrelated to learning with a view to ensuring equalopportunity in education and a high level of educationamong the population as a whole. This policyentails that everyone has sufficient learning skills andopportunities to develop their knowledge and skills atall ages and in different environments.To this end, qualification-oriented education andtraining is offered to the whole youth age group (16–21) and measures are taken to upgrade and updateadults’ competencies. As the population grows older,it is essential to accelerate young people’s transitionto further and higher education and, subsequently, tothe labour market by streamlining student selectionprocedures, speeding up graduation and enhancingrecognition of prior learning.The starting point in the development of generaleducation is to guarantee basic educational securityfor everyone, irrespective of their place of residence,language and financial status. Two of the foremost reformsgeared to improve children’s and young people’swell-being have been to institute the right to pre-primaryeducation and morning and a system of afternoon activitiesfor schoolchildren.The objective of general upper secondary education isto provide a good all-round education and to build afoundation for further studies. In the past ten years,the upper secondary school has been developed towardsgreater flexibility and a larger freedom of choicefor students, thereby improving their motivation. Thecurrent focus in development is on content renewal.The objective of vocational education and training is toguarantee access to skilled labour force and to supportindustry-driven innovations. Special attention is paidto improving the quality and effectiveness of trainingand its relevance to working life and to increasingappreciation of vocational skills. New challengesto development arise from European co-operation invocational education and training, notably the Copenhagenprocess. Greater mobility among studentsand qualification-holders calls for the development ofcredit transfer systems and quality assurance in educationand training.In recent years, higher education policy has focusedon the implementation of reforms required by theBologna process in particular. The degree structuresand scopes of studies at both universities and polytechnicsare based on common European principles.Universities and polytechnics have developed qualityassurance systems in line with European standardsand practices.The development of polytechnic education focuses oninternationalisation and the quality of provision. Tothis end, measures have been taken to reform degreestructures, step up study processes and facilitate internationalstudent and teacher mobility. In addition,polytechnics have enhanced their research and developmentactivities which serve regional business andindustry. One aim has been to reduce drop-out ratesand shorten the duration of studies.The main focus in the reform of university educationand degrees has been to step up internationalisationand improve the quality of instruction and studentcounselling with the aim of shortening study timesand speeding up graduation and entry to the labourmarket. The degree structure reform and the introductionof individual study plans have made universitystudies more flexible and promoted lifelong learning.The role of adult education and training is to provideworking-age and other adults with knowledge andskills they need for continuous development of theircompetencies and for other self-development whichenhances equality and active citizenship. The provisionof qualifying and continuing education and traininggeared to the working-age adult population has beenexpanded at all levels of education. The enlarged supplyof open polytechnic and university education andonline instruction has been supported by the developmentof information and counselling services and maturestudents’ financial aid. Special efforts have beenmade both in vocational and liberal adult educationto increase educational opportunities for groups thatare under-represented in adult learning.Science policy seeks to raise the standard of researchand improve the effectiveness and international visibilityof Finnish scientific research. The aim is to maintainthe level of Finnish R&D funding on a par withthe world top countries. Input is focused on enhancingthe quality of scientific research and strengtheningresearcher training and research infrastructures. Recentdevelopment targets include the professionalisationof research careers, commercialisation of researchfindings, and co-operation between higher educationinstitutions and business and industry. Cutting-edgeresearch requires both national and international networkingand close co-operation at all levels.ResultsAccording to international surveys, Finland is one ofthe most competitive countries in the world. This successcan be attributed to an efficient and open publicsector and an egalitarian, high-quality education andresearch system.Education and Science 7According to the OECD PISA survey, young Finns’knowledge and skills rank among the best in theOECD countries in mathematics, science and reading
literacy. The proportion of poorly performing pupils
is small compared with other OECD countries, and
regional and inter-school differences are comparatively
small.
In adult education and training, the number of participants
has grown by 200,000 people over the past
ten years to the extent that the participation rate is
now 54% of the working-age population. However,
participation is less evenly distributed among different
population groups than in other Nordic countries.
A research career has attraction in Finland, and there
has been no shortage of gifted doctoral students. More
and more publications by Finnish researchers are appearing
in international publication series and cited
frequently in research. The number of mathematics,
engineering and science students in Finland is high in
international terms.
Future challenges
A future challenge for Finnish education policy will
be to further strengthen the prerequisites of the public
education system. We must pay constant attention
to enhancing competitiveness and innovativeness by
means of education and science policy. The aim is to
create clusters of expertise of the highest international
standard in fields of major relevance to the national
economy and welfare.
Our network of schools and higher education institutions
covers the country well, but there are some
inevitable reforms we must make in response to the
substantial demographic changes and internal migration,
which is expected to continue to be strong. By
rationalising the school network we also make savings,
which can be channelled back to education and research.
Internationalisation is a precondition for the success
and renewal of the Finnish economy. International
co-operation and interaction is especially important
in education and research. This is something that we
are ready to invest in. Finland welcomes international
students, researchers and teachers!
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