Reform of the Finnish Education System

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the main phases of Finland ́s Education System reform since early 1970 ́s until today. Finland has become known as a small Nordic country with one of the world's best education systems. Awareness is based in particular on the high-level Pisa (Programme for International Student Assessment) -results. The large and far-reaching reform in education has begun in Finland already in the 1970's including reforms of all levels of education. The main stages of reform are: 1. Implementation of the comprehensive school system in the 1970's, 2. Reform of secondary level education in the 1980s, 3. Reform of government ́s education administration - from centralization to decentralization in the late 1980s, 4. Reform of higher education since 1991, 5. Reform of children day-care and kinder garden system to pre-school system in 2013 and transfer it under the auspices of Ministry of Education and Culture. Side this, the development of continuing education in adult education and 6. Reform of second level vocational education in 2018. Common features are highlighting equality and accessibility of education, high level teacher education and all education paths without leading to higher education. The government ́s purpose in Finland is the highest success in Pisa. The competence assessment in Pisa 2018 is designed to elicit students’ capacities to critically examine global issues. The higher education system is seen as an essential element of Finland’s national and regional innovation systems, and there is a link between higher education and economic policies. The higher education reform has been one part to carry out Finland ́s purpose to be the most competitive country in the whole world in 2020. The Ministry of Education and Culture has confirmed in 2017 the new Vision 2030 for higher education.