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Joining forces to create great schools
This past May, I was fortunate to be part of a delegation sent to Finland to solidify a partnership between Alberta and Finnish teachers.
I am excited about the partnership because it offers a valuable opportunity for Alberta and Finnish teachers to learn from each other and to exchange good teaching practices. Through this partnership, we can study the transformation of teaching, learning and the management of change in schools. But just as the partnership offers great potential, it’s also tenuous—to make it work, we have to work at it and manage it wisely.
During the visit, we toured two Finnish schools. The first was for students with special needs, where 45 staff worked with only 87 students. School staff included teachers, physical therapists, and speech and occupational therapists. The school works with the university and has a resident doctor. The school’s programs are highly individualized and intense. Although many of the students are integrated back into their neighbourhood schools, some remain longer in the special school because of their health and learning needs. The Finns do what is in the best interests of students.
Our second visit was to a junior high school in a small suburban town near Helsinki. I was impressed that the school teaches good manners. More impressive was that the school has no more than 17 students to a class. In fact, one classroom for children with behavioural problems had only six students. When these students attend a regular class, they are accompanied by a full-time teacher’s assistant. Students’ behaviour is monitored closely, as they can earn the right to be part of a regular class.
We had occasion to visit a woodworking class, where students were engaged in individual projects. I was surprised, however, at the lax safety precautions—students were working with saws and files but weren’t wearing safety glasses. The school’s cafeteria provided us with a nice lunch. The lunch program, which is free for all students, offers two healthy choices daily.
Because Finland is a popular destination for education tourism, I wondered if the schools we were visiting were flagship schools. We were told they were not. Every year, 50 schools are chosen at random for visitors to tour.
Many practices in the Finnish school system impressed me. Assistance for children begins early so that potential problems are identified and possible negative influences on students’ self-confidence are mitigated. Simple tests to identify at-risk children are administered at ages one, two, three and five. Children who are identified as at-risk receive assistance immediately. Our hosts cited a case in which a five-year-old child was identified as having a deficiency in mathematics. He was placed in a program with four other children who were experiencing similar difficulties. The program ran for up to four weeks and was taught by a special support teacher.
Finland’s early childhood programs are based on play. Although Alberta is recognized worldwide as a leader in education, I believe that children in our province are rushed into academics and are not provided with enough time to play.
Although Finland does not yet have the immigrant population that Alberta and Canada have, it does have some immigrants and helps them by preparing students for transition to school—the first year in school is a preparation year. Children are not dumped in classrooms with little or no support, as happens in Alberta’s classrooms.
As a teacher of young children, I had many questions about primary education. In Finland, systematic studying (for example, learning to read and write) begins at age seven, which provides students with the best possible starting point for learning in school. Finnish educators base this practice on extensive research on learning and the brain. The country’s preschool and kindergarten programs are based on learning through play. Children spend a lot of time outdoors and regularly visit playgrounds, parks, senior citizens’ homes and museums.
Finland does not have high-stakes tests, although random sample testing is conducted. Teachers do not rely on data spun from endless testing programs. Instead, Finland believes that the most important element of the core curriculum is the relationship between the teacher and the student. Thus, relational trust and equality are priorities. Finnish teachers are trusted and appreciated.
I look forward to working with Finnish teachers. Alberta and Finland want to improve and transform their respective education systems to create great schools for all their students. Alberta has much to learn from this important partnership.
