09 The best school system in the world
The best school system in the world?
Recently the results of the international PISA survey were published. Again Finland was number one. The survey is carried out every three years. In 2007 the focus was on scientific knowledge and skills. 400,000 15-year-olds in 57 countries took part in the testing. In previous years Finland was ranked number one in reading and number two in mathematics. What is it about Finnish schools that enables them to produce such good results? Our reporter, Sam Hodges visited the Finnish school in Fuengirola, Spain.
Reporter: So, principal Lahtinen, congratulations on Finland’s fantastic results in the PISA survey once again!
Principal: Thank you. And welcome to Escuela Finlandesa in Costa del Sol. (1)
Reporter: Thank you. Well, a Finnish school in Spain… How is that possible?
Principal: Ah, yes. There are several Finnish schools in different countries. We are all privately funded but we receive part of our funding from the Finnish government. We operate under Finnish school laws but we also have official status and a permit in Spain. That way our pupils are able to continue their schooling in Finland or in Spain. Last year the Finnish Ministry of Education granted us the permission to give general upper secondary education which means that we can now provide the Finnish families in the area with a wider range of Finnish education from comprehensive school to upper secondary school. At the moment we have about 180 pupils. (2)
Reporter: You said you follow Finnish school laws. Do you also study the same subjects as in Finland?
Principal: Absolutely, yes. The only difference to Finnish schools is that all our pupils study Spanish two hours a week, for obvious reasons. I would also say that our school probably also offers more foreign languages than average Finnish schools. In addition to the compulsory English and Swedish, our pupils can choose German, French or Russian as optional subjects. Back in Finland most schools only offer one or two optional foreign languages and, of course they don’t have compulsory Spanish. (3)
Reporter: I thought I saw some pupils cooking in a classroom. Do you have a cooking club or a party coming up? I mean, the pupils weren’t cooking lunch for the whole school, were they?
Principal: No, lunch is served in the school canteen and cooked by our kitchen staff. What you saw was our home economics lesson where they acquire the basic skills in cooking and other household chores needed in the future when they leave home. It also develops their social skills because they have to work in groups and everyone is responsible for their own tasks. (4, 5)
Reporter: That sounds useful, really combining theory and practice. To return to the results of the PISA survey… Principal Lahtinen, in your opinion, what is the reason for Finland’s success?
Principal: Well, I’d say there are many reasons. First of all, all the schools must follow the national curriculum, that is, not only the same subjects but the same topics in each subject must be taught, for example, during years seven to nine. That guarantees equal study opportunities for children regardless of where they live in Finland. As you probably know, there are no school fees in Finland, so it doesn’t matter how rich or poor your parents are, you will get a proper education. Secondly, the teachers are qualified professionals. If you want to apply for a teacher’s job, you should have a university degree whether you’re teaching year one in comprehensive school or the final year in upper secondary school. In addition, there are high-quality teaching materials. Publishers usually employ teachers to make school books and additional materials. (6)
Reporter: Uhuh, very convincing points but aren’t there any problems in Finnish schools?
Principal: Nothing is perfect. Our school here in Costa del Sol is no exception, but I doubt that our problems are similar. I keep in touch with colleagues in Finland so I have an idea of the challenges they face in their work. There seem to be more pupils who find it difficult to concentrate in classes or have psychological problems such as depression. Some teachers have very large classes, up to forty students in upper secondary school. It is sometimes difficult to find teachers for certain subjects. On the one hand, there simply aren’t enough qualified people available. On the other hand, there are teachers who realise that teaching isn’t their cup of tea after all and they find a job in some other field, often a better paid one too. Most of the problems have to do with money, one way or the other.
Reporter: I would imagine a lack of money is a familiar issue in schools in many countries. Still, all problems can’t be solved with money.
Principal: No, I agree. That’s why I think international surveys like PISA are important. We can learn from each other’s strengths and find out what we have in common. There’s always room for improvement.
Reporter: Well, in Spain there definitely is. Thank you for the interview and letting us visit your school. Back to the studio. (7)
Recently the results of the international PISA survey were published. Again Finland was number one. The survey is carried out every three years. In 2007 the focus was on scientific knowledge and skills. 400,000 15-year-olds in 57 countries took part in the testing. In previous years Finland was ranked number one in reading and number two in mathematics. What is it about Finnish schools that enables them to produce such good results? Our reporter, Sam Hodges visited the Finnish school in Fuengirola, Spain.
Reporter: So, principal Lahtinen, congratulations on Finland’s fantastic results in the PISA survey once again!
Principal: Thank you. And welcome to Escuela Finlandesa in Costa del Sol. (1)
Reporter: Thank you. Well, a Finnish school in Spain… How is that possible?
Principal: Ah, yes. There are several Finnish schools in different countries. We are all privately funded but we receive part of our funding from the Finnish government. We operate under Finnish school laws but we also have official status and a permit in Spain. That way our pupils are able to continue their schooling in Finland or in Spain. Last year the Finnish Ministry of Education granted us the permission to give general upper secondary education which means that we can now provide the Finnish families in the area with a wider range of Finnish education from comprehensive school to upper secondary school. At the moment we have about 180 pupils. (2)
Reporter: You said you follow Finnish school laws. Do you also study the same subjects as in Finland?
Principal: Absolutely, yes. The only difference to Finnish schools is that all our pupils study Spanish two hours a week, for obvious reasons. I would also say that our school probably also offers more foreign languages than average Finnish schools. In addition to the compulsory English and Swedish, our pupils can choose German, French or Russian as optional subjects. Back in Finland most schools only offer one or two optional foreign languages and, of course they don’t have compulsory Spanish. (3)
Reporter: I thought I saw some pupils cooking in a classroom. Do you have a cooking club or a party coming up? I mean, the pupils weren’t cooking lunch for the whole school, were they?
Principal: No, lunch is served in the school canteen and cooked by our kitchen staff. What you saw was our home economics lesson where they acquire the basic skills in cooking and other household chores needed in the future when they leave home. It also develops their social skills because they have to work in groups and everyone is responsible for their own tasks. (4, 5)
Reporter: That sounds useful, really combining theory and practice. To return to the results of the PISA survey… Principal Lahtinen, in your opinion, what is the reason for Finland’s success?
Principal: Well, I’d say there are many reasons. First of all, all the schools must follow the national curriculum, that is, not only the same subjects but the same topics in each subject must be taught, for example, during years seven to nine. That guarantees equal study opportunities for children regardless of where they live in Finland. As you probably know, there are no school fees in Finland, so it doesn’t matter how rich or poor your parents are, you will get a proper education. Secondly, the teachers are qualified professionals. If you want to apply for a teacher’s job, you should have a university degree whether you’re teaching year one in comprehensive school or the final year in upper secondary school. In addition, there are high-quality teaching materials. Publishers usually employ teachers to make school books and additional materials. (6)
Reporter: Uhuh, very convincing points but aren’t there any problems in Finnish schools?
Principal: Nothing is perfect. Our school here in Costa del Sol is no exception, but I doubt that our problems are similar. I keep in touch with colleagues in Finland so I have an idea of the challenges they face in their work. There seem to be more pupils who find it difficult to concentrate in classes or have psychological problems such as depression. Some teachers have very large classes, up to forty students in upper secondary school. It is sometimes difficult to find teachers for certain subjects. On the one hand, there simply aren’t enough qualified people available. On the other hand, there are teachers who realise that teaching isn’t their cup of tea after all and they find a job in some other field, often a better paid one too. Most of the problems have to do with money, one way or the other.
Reporter: I would imagine a lack of money is a familiar issue in schools in many countries. Still, all problems can’t be solved with money.
Principal: No, I agree. That’s why I think international surveys like PISA are important. We can learn from each other’s strengths and find out what we have in common. There’s always room for improvement.
Reporter: Well, in Spain there definitely is. Thank you for the interview and letting us visit your school. Back to the studio. (7)
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