Formal Sector Visit to Finland

liz in arctic circleThere are many opportunities to get involved in cross border work throughout Europe. Liz Thomas has just completed a job shadowing visit to the Department of Education in the City of Oulu, Finland. Working with the Director of the Centre for Learning and Resources, and colleagues from Norway and France, Liz had the opportunity to see how Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship is approached in Finland, how it fits into the main education system and what training is available for teachers interested in this area of work. The visit was made possible by a grant received under the British Council Comenius In Service training scheme.

frozen seaUsing the British Council’s Comenius In Service Training Programme Liz was able to obtain funding enabling her to visit Finland and job shadow Päivi. Borghild was also able to access funding for this purpose and she and Liz joined with a head teacher and two officials from the French Government’s Education Department in a visit to the Department of Education in Oulu where they were able to visit a number of schools, attend training sessions and learn about the Finnish education system, how teachers are trained and their approach to learning and to education for sustainable development.

Like Wales the Finnish government is committed to ESD and there is a requirement in the curriculum that pupils learn about sustainable development. The Ministry of Education has set a target that all schools and educational establishments should have a sustainable development action plan in place by 2010 and that 15% of them should have an external certificate on their work in SD by 2014. By 2009 the certificate had been awarded to 24 schools or educational establishments. The Finnish government (Foreign Ministry) also supports the Global School project, which aims to introduce ESDGC into schools, it uses a ‘suitcase’ system to lend resources and lesson plans to schools, for more information see www.maailmankoulu.fi.

A ‘youth house’ in Oulu provides information and resources to young people outside the formal education system and enables them to play an active part in the life of the city. Alongside the practical examples related to the Finnish education system there were presentations on the current systems in Wales, Norway and France as well as previews of the innovative Microsoft School of the Future that is being developed in Oulu.

The visit also provided an opportunity to experience something of the life and culture of Northern Europe. The group was taken to the Arctic Circle and met Father Christmas (!), saw frozen rivers and sea, swam in the rivers following a traditional smoke sauna and witnessed the Vappu (1st May) celebrations where thousands of students gathered in the city for the traditional week of drinking which culminated in a ‘baptism’ ceremony in the river! The visit provided an opportunity to learn about education systems throughout Europe, to find out why Finland excels on the PISA tests and what can learn from each other. It also provided a chance to experience another way of life, to share unique experiences and to find out about a culture that is very different from our own.