Another excellent posting from Kalam!

Warm regards and many thanks,

Sarah

Dr. Sarah Fletcher

Editor-in-chief; International Journal for Mentoring and Coaching in Education; http://www.emeraldinsight.com/ijmce.htm

--- On Thu, 5/24/12, Abul Kalam Azad <[log in to unmask]> wrote:


World class education system of Finland: Secrets behind it
Dr Abul Kalam Azad (PhD in Education)
As an education-practitioner and educationalist I have been overwhelmed by the extraordinary success scored by Finnish education system in recent years.
This morning (24-5-2012) I was browsing a British educational weekly SecEd, mainly for secondary education, that made it cover story on ‘Five lessons that we can learn from Finland’. It reports that during a talk in the House of Commons, the Director General of Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation in Helsinki, Dr Pasi Sahlberg highlighted the following key points behind their world achievements:
1.    More collaboration, less competition;
2.    More personalisation, less standardisation;
3.    More responsibility and trust, less accountability and control;
4.    More pedagogy, less technology;
5.    More professionalism, less bureaucracy.
Once I read these, I said, Aww!! that’s like five pillars of educational management.
I have witnessed these propositions to be true in a Muslim independent secondary school in East London, called Jamiatul Ummah School, where I happened to be the lead teacher for religious studies and modern foreign languages since 2002. This school with limited resources and self-funding has become the only Muslim secondary school to be awarded ‘outstanding’ grade by British Education Inspectorate Ofsted in 2011.
Many wondered as to how this school was able to grab such a prestigious recognition from the British government. In fact, those five key philosophies manifested in Finland were too the secrets of Jamiatul Ummah School. Additionally, Jamiatul Ummah as a school has created a very friendly atmosphere where everyone, teachers, students and parents, takes pride in their sacrifice and dedication. Teachers work with considerable independence and pay it back in endogenous dedication. 
The Guardian, a leading British newspaper, has provided very useful insights to Finish education system as follows:   
“The reasons behind Finland's success are complex, not because they have one particularly incomprehensible approach to education, but instead, the evolved working parts within their system, framed within their cultural backdrop complement each other tremendously. Therefore an explanation, in my view, cannot be plucked out of their model in isolation, as each element is interdependent and inherently contingent on various other tacit and inconspicuous aspects that ultimate play a significant role within the mechanics of the model. It is this complexity that has perhaps been the source of difficulties experienced by authorities attempting to directly emulate their system.
In Finland teaching is a prestigious career. Children aspire to be doctors, lawyers, scientists and in the same breath teachers. They are respected and appreciated; they are highly qualified (requiring a Masters degree for full time employment) and job selection is a tough process with only best candidates gaining the posts.
The Finnish curriculum is far less 'academic' than you would expect of such a high achieving nation. Finnish students do the least number of class hours per week in the developed world, yet get the best results in the long term. Students in Finland sit no mandatory exams until the age of 17-19. Teacher based assessments are used by schools to monitor progress and these are not graded, scored or compared; but instead are descriptive and utilised in a formative manner to inform feedback and assessment for learning.
Great emphasis is put on pupil and teacher trust and well-being. Outdoor, practical learning opportunities and healthy related physical activity sessions are a regular feature in the curriculum: helping to maintain a healthy body and mind.
Finnish schools receive full autonomy, with head teachers and teachers experiencing considerable independence when developing and delivering their own individual curricula: suited to their setting. Combinations of alternative pedagogic approaches, rather than mere instructional methods are utilised by the teachers. The pedagogical freedom experienced facilitates greater creativity, pro-activity and innovation.
This naturally allows a greater degree of individual emotional well being, that no doubt plays a role in fostering positive learning role models and environments: positively shaping the minds of teachers and pupils alike.
Finland's Ministry of Education's philosophy has been to trust the professionals, parents and communities to guide their own policy: and it would appear that their investment has paid off.
From this secure base, in which high quality teachers are appreciated and trusted to do their job effectively as they see fit and political agendas are deflected, there emerges an impressive education system to be proud of that serves its students, communities and country very well.
All students in Finland receive a free education from when they start at seven years of age until they complete their university studies. During their educational journey all pupils receive free school meals, resources and materials, transport and support services.
Professional Learning Communities are integral to sharing and spreading good practice in a collaborative manner. The systematic introduction of languages is also striking and very effective. Pupils will often begin learning a third language by 11 years of age and some a fourth at 13.
A no child is left behind approach means that all classes contain a mixture of ability level pupils, with most classes containing two or more teachers who focus on those needing additional support. By having professionals working in conjunction, the needs of the pupils can be better met within a happy and familiar environment. Many teachers also stay with a single class for many years, moving with them through the school.
Many institutions are combined primary and secondary schools with no major unsettling transition stages; this also allows a consistent ethos and common language to pervade. Students address teachers by their Christian names, do not wear uniforms, and are encouraged to relax in their surroundings.
As with any system there are of course strengths, areas for development and ideological conflict. The Finnish system is aware of this and prides itself on positively evolving with the pupils' needs and interests at the heart of all decisions.
The Finnish system's success is built on the idea that: "less can be more". This may appear counter-intuitive to many within other educational systems in which standards and effectiveness are measured in standardised data and evidence trails. The absence of corrosive competition and an egalitarian ethos inherent in the Finnish culture has surely played a role in shaping this very impressive system”.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2012/apr/09/finish-school-system