## Finnish Lessons ### Finnish Lessons  #### Metadata * Author: [[Sahlberg, Pasi]] * Full Title: Finnish Lessons * Category: #books #### Highlights * In the Finnish context, teaching is a high-status profession, akin to being a doctor. Those who enter not only stay in teaching, but many continue their studies, not to leave, but to learn more and contribute more to their profession. (Location 154) * failed theory that teacher quality can be increased by a system of competitive rewards, and it rests on a badly flawed model of management where everyone manages their own unit, is accountable for results, and competes with their peers—creating fiefdoms, silos, and lack of capacity or incentives for professionals to help each other. (Location 176) * China, the leading economic competitor of the United States, is actually decentralizing its curriculum, diversifying assessment, and encouraging local autonomy and innovation. (Location 185) * These include curriculum models from England, California, and Ontario; cooperative learning from the United States and Israel; portfolio assessment from the United States; teaching of science and mathematics from England, the United States, and Australia; and peer-assisted leadership from Canada, to mention a few. At the same time, the Finnish Dream of education is "made in Finland" and therefore also owned by Finns rather than rented. (Location 441) * And Finland pays its teachers well. But the true Finnish difference is that teachers in Finland may exercise their professional knowledge and judgment both widely and freely in their schools. They control curriculum, student assessment, school improvement, and community involvement. Much as teachers around the world enter the profession with a mission to build community and transmit culture, Finnish teachers, in contrast to their peers in so many countries, have the latitude and power to follow through. (Location 448) * One point of view is that academic achievement tests, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) focus on areas too narrow to capture the whole spectrum of school education, and thus ignore social skills, moral development, creativity, or digital literacy as important outcomes of public education for all (Location 482) * The central idea of peruskoulu, as shown in Figure 1.2, was to merge existing grammar schools, civic schools, and primary schools into a comprehensive 9-year municipal school. This meant that the placement of students after 4 years of primary education into grammar and civic streams would come to an end. All students, regardless of their domicile, socioeconomic background, or interests would enroll in the same 9-year basic schools governed by local education authorities. This (Location 746) * education (discussed in detail in Chapter 3). Another concrete consequence of the emergence of peruskoulu was a rapid expansion of upper-secondary education. Parents expected their children to study further, and young Finns themselves also hoped to reach higher in their self-development. Let us now take a look at how upper-secondary education provided pathways to improving human capital in Finland. (Location 786) # Finnish Lessons  ## Metadata - Author: [[Sahlberg, Pasi]] - Full Title: Finnish Lessons - Category: #books ## Highlights - In the Finnish context, teaching is a high-status profession, akin to being a doctor. Those who enter not only stay in teaching, but many continue their studies, not to leave, but to learn more and contribute more to their profession. (Location 154) - failed theory that teacher quality can be increased by a system of competitive rewards, and it rests on a badly flawed model of management where everyone manages their own unit, is accountable for results, and competes with their peers—creating fiefdoms, silos, and lack of capacity or incentives for professionals to help each other. (Location 176) - China, the leading economic competitor of the United States, is actually decentralizing its curriculum, diversifying assessment, and encouraging local autonomy and innovation. (Location 185) - These include curriculum models from England, California, and Ontario; cooperative learning from the United States and Israel; portfolio assessment from the United States; teaching of science and mathematics from England, the United States, and Australia; and peer-assisted leadership from Canada, to mention a few. At the same time, the Finnish Dream of education is “made in Finland” and therefore also owned by Finns rather than rented. (Location 441) - And Finland pays its teachers well. But the true Finnish difference is that teachers in Finland may exercise their professional knowledge and judgment both widely and freely in their schools. They control curriculum, student assessment, school improvement, and community involvement. Much as teachers around the world enter the profession with a mission to build community and transmit culture, Finnish teachers, in contrast to their peers in so many countries, have the latitude and power to follow through. (Location 448) - One point of view is that academic achievement tests, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) focus on areas too narrow to capture the whole spectrum of school education, and thus ignore social skills, moral development, creativity, or digital literacy as important outcomes of public education for all (Location 482) - The central idea of peruskoulu, as shown in Figure 1.2, was to merge existing grammar schools, civic schools, and primary schools into a comprehensive 9-year municipal school. This meant that the placement of students after 4 years of primary education into grammar and civic streams would come to an end. All students, regardless of their domicile, socioeconomic background, or interests would enroll in the same 9-year basic schools governed by local education authorities. This (Location 746) - education (discussed in detail in Chapter 3). Another concrete consequence of the emergence of peruskoulu was a rapid expansion of upper-secondary education. Parents expected their children to study further, and young Finns themselves also hoped to reach higher in their self-development. Let us now take a look at how upper-secondary education provided pathways to improving human capital in Finland. (Location 786)