Recipes for Systemic Change - Helsinki Design Lab

Finnish Core ValuesIn Finland, equality lies at the heart of government policies and socialprograms. In keeping with certain core values shared by its Nordic neighbours,every individual in Finland has a fundamental and universal right togovernment assistance in the form of universal health care, housing assistance,parental work-leave benefits, free education, disability and unemploymentinsurance, and retirement pensions. Seen from this perspective, eachperson, at every stage in life, is provided equal access to a reasonable anddecent standard of living.Education is the cornerstone to this promise in the Finnish welfaremodel, the principle means by which all young people, over an extendedperiod of time, are prepared for life and work. School is where they developthe skills required to enter the labour market and become active and competitiveparticipants in a changing society. Education—and equal accessto it—also forms the basis of Finnish identity and culture. For this reason,education is an essential and equalizing institution. It is free and availableto all young people, regardless of economic background, race, religion orgender.The number of non-native speakers has increased in Finnish schools in the past several years.Year 2005 2006 2007 2008In Finland, alongside the principle of equality stands the equallyimportant notion of equity. At its most basic, Finland has embraced theprinciples of inclusion, supporting the rights and needs of minorities forthe betterment of society. For education, this is evident in various policies.A national core curriculum establishes uniform standards for all studentsnationwide. Instruction in one’s mother tongue is guaranteed in Finnishor Swedish, the two national languages. Other minorities in Finland,including the Sami, the Roma, and new immigrant arrivals have rights foreducational instruction in their native languages as well. Special educationis offered to students needing additional support and with an emphasison early intervention. Most often, this takes place in the classroom, withthe help of special assistants, as means to preserve the cohesive class unit.School health clinics, counsellors, and government aid ensure that students’physical, emotional and financial needs are also met.Finland embraced a more international outlook when it joined theEurope Union in 1995. Suddenly, Finland’s borders with its Europeanneighbours disappeared as a larger pool of immigrant workers were able toenter the country and its labour market. The advantages of attracting new148students students students students sharecomprehensive level 15,737 16,279 16,398 17,156 3.10%upper secondary level 12,655 13,849 14,926 16,633 4.30%tertiary level 10,647 12,154 13,836 15,576 5.30%SourceNational Board ofEducation, Informationand EvaluationServices