Visit to the Lauttasaari School

My day started with a visit to the Lauttasaari Comprehensive and Upper Secondary School, which is considered a “private” or independent school but compares in structure to a charter or pilot school in Massachusetts.

In Finland, preschool begins at age 6 and is optional, with about 80% or more of eligible students attending. Preschool teachers must meet the same requirements as teachers of any grade – five years of university education.

When we entered the school, we approached a group of students and talked to them about their experience. In response to a question about what they did before they reached age 6 and entered preschool, their answer was, “we played”. This is consistent with the articles I read for the trip which emphasized the value that Finns put on the lessons learned through play.

Our visit was a great introduction to the structure of the Finnish system. There is compulsory attendance for students from age 7 through 16. After grade 9, students who need remedial help or have certain special needs can go to a 10th grade program located at selected schools. All others go to either an upper secondary school (usually a gateway to higher education) or a professional institute which may lead to further study at the college level or to entry into a trade or vocation. Students compete for seats in these schools based on an exam. They also take exams after three years in one of these types of school for entry to a university program (4-5 years) or a polytechnic program.

There were no obvious signs of what makes the Finnish system successful by PISA standards, but our guide, language teacher in charge of “international relations” Heikki Kotilainen, explained a few things about what he thinks makes teaching successful in Finland:

1. Tradition – this might translate in to school culture in American education-speak. It is basically a professional standard of pride and expectation that teachers can help each other solve any pedagogical or curriculum problem to help all students learn.

2. Respect – Schools and teachers are highly respected and respect each other. In fact, teaching is a top choice as a profession – in part, Heikki explained, because it is one where people can enjoy a good quality of life.

3. Good pay – Although salaries are not terribly high (he said they don’t compare with law or medicine), they are considered good ones. According to Heikki, a principal earns as much as “a member of Parliament” but doesn’t get the same perks or benefits as a legislator.

We’re off now for some sightseeing and I’m anxious to see more of Helsinki!