‘Education policy in Britain seems to be a mess!’ It’s not me saying this but teachers I’m talking to in Finland during a visit to find out why their country is among the best in the world for children. So, I’m visiting a nursery and kindergarten in Helsinki and then a secondary school to see for myself what it’s like.
Immediately, I see life on a different planet to here. Colleagues there tell me that their success is due to ‘our attitude, Al’ to the importance of children, family stability, high quality education and local community responsibility for children. They tell me, too, that they are proud that their political policies are based on long-term consensus and common sense. Tellingly, they tell me that their high ranking in the PISA international league tables for education has not been sought actively but reflects their whole approach to education.
Their strategy begins with getting a great start in life.
I’m told that the nursery staff are graduates, many with master’s degrees in child development. I’m also told it’s highly competitive to work with early years – only 1 in 10 students is accepted, training being coterminous with general teacher training. They tell me they are well-paid and highly respected, for working with young children in a valued profession supported by the local community. ‘School readiness’ to them means that schools are ready to accept all children. Children do not start formal school until they are seven, being educated until then through the rigorous science of play.
In the secondary school, teachers were aghast to be told about the reach of Ofsted. There are no inspections or competitive league tables. ‘I trust my staff to do a great job’ said the head teacher, ‘our results reflect the high quality of teachers I’m able to recruit’. I’m taken aback to be told that 14 per cent of children have special needs – but to them a special need encompasses not only children with disabilities but those with a gift or aptitude for sport, the arts or music, with all pupils being given a personalised learning plan. There is also a special emphasis on technical qualifications required to meet the skills needed in a modern society.
How different to here, where we have been indoctrinated by zealous political ideology driven by ‘group think’ to get mothers back to work with accountability through a narrow curriculum, tests and league tables. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves, with plans to meet the shortfall in recruitment by accepting candidates with lower ‘GCSE’ and ‘A’ level grades needed for teacher training.