Michael Lawrence and Dr. Fabio D'Agostin | Creating Schools…

I recently commented on a blog suggesting that the ease with which the Finnish language can be learnt is a reason behind their education achievements. This ignored the fact that all Finnish students learn their native language, Swedish and English to the extent where the younger ones (English was not always taught) are proficient in all three.

The blog writer also tried to analyze some of the techniques mentioned in Pasi Sahlberg’s Finnish Lessons (first edition- there are now three) and suggested that if the Finns are changing these then they mustn’t be working. The Finnish system encourages teachers to be innovative, with the understanding that if there is no innovation how can there be any improvement? The real world is constantly changing (Covid has been a sobering reminder of this) and no one educational practice will be ideal for very long.

One of the issues I discovered when looking into our standardized practices was that I assumed there was a wealth of evidence to support them. I was astonished (and embarrassed to realize that I had been a part of it) to find that this was not the case. Surely, if we are to mandate that teachers all teach the same material- as many of our schools do- the same way, then we must be certain that we have as close to the best practice as humanly possible?

If I were to tell all smart phone manufacturers to stop all research and innovation immediately, I would have to be sure that the model we are all stuck with is as good as possible. Even then, one could argue, “What about improvements that you cannot foresee?”

The other point that struck me in this blog was the idea that there is something radical about Finnish schools. The dozen or so schools that I visited were among the most conservative I have been to. By conservative, I mean that the students were polite and focused on their studies, dressed quite unremarkably (though there was not a uniform in sight) and the school just appeared to be a hive of learning (I am aware that sometimes ‘conservative’ is used to reference ‘old fashioned’, but I am not using this meaning). What was remarkable was the ownership the students showed for their learning; in some cases the teachers played the role of coaches, providing guidance if needed.

I was struck by the history teacher who told me that they were studying the period “from creation to now”, with students negotiating the specific period or aspect of history with him. “We want to ensure that they have a love for history as for many of them this could be the last time they get to study it.”

Coming from Australia, where all educational decisions seem to revolve around the grades needed for university, and the rankings and marks on tests, this was quite a shock. But, the more I thought about it, the more obvious it became that this was the secret of the Finnish education system:

 Let’s make sure that the students enjoy learning.