Here in the US, schools were closed for the better part of two months, and fewer than 30% of students actually kept up with schoolwork.
Finland closed from March 18 to May 13, and then re-opened elementary and middle schools for the final two weeks. In a survey of students, over 70% of students thought that everything worked out well with remote learning, and students did not fall behind. What is the difference?
Strengths of the Finnish Education System
Equity: There are no huge differences between good schools and bad schools in Finland. All schools are good.
Stability: There are no rapid changes of priorities in education. The Finnish Core Curriculum was publiched in 2014, put into practice in 2016, and is still followed.
Trust: teachers work with teachers, administrators and parents to figure out what works for every student.
The Finnish Core Curriculum
The change in 2016 was from curriculum that emphasized what to learn, to curriculum that focused on how to learn. The central tenet is developing children as human beings and citizens, and there are 7 broad, or transversal, competencies. Students learn through problem-based learning, collaborative work, with formative assessment that teaches them how to control their own learning and work.
Planned Digitilization
As an example, in the city of Kauniainen, for the past six years, the schools and teachers worked together to increase use of digital and online learning along 6 different axes: access and infrastructure, pedagogics, learning environments, teaching materials, structures and operating culture, competencies. Before COVID, there were an average of 1.7 devices per student.
COVID
Still, COVID triggered a sudden digital leap for Finnish school, but with hardware and networks in place, teachers prepared for digital, devices in students’ hands, and district systems already deployed, teachers could still follow customary curriculum, students could be assessed, and students and teachers could follow a pretty normal schedule.
There are still questions and areas that Finland wants to pursue. Because school is more than academics, schools also provide ways for children to socialize, engage in physical activity, and eat well. They want to understand
- why some students found remote learning better than learning at school
- how and when to use remote learning when a student cannot attend school
- how to refine ways for technology to enhance teaching and learning.
In Finland, digital leadership is long term work, and requires a culture of innovation and trust.
