Eduardo Andere is a Mexican researcher who has studied educational systems around the world. He wrote a book about teaching in Finland.
He is in Finland now, and he reports here about the new Finnish curriculum.
He responds to claims that subjects are de-emphasized, a concern we (I) knew nothing about. Until now.
He writes:
“Instruction subjects do NOT disappear in the new FINNISH peruskoulu curriculum. What happens is that the new curriculum for compulsory school education (effective as of 2016 for grades 1 to 6, and as of 2017 for grades 7 to 9) reinforces “multidisciplinary learning modules” where “integrative instruction” is promoted during all school years. Good to excellent teachers have known for a long time that multidisciplinary teaching and learning helps to connect subjects to real life experiences, “phenomena” or “themes” as the Finnish curriculum calls them.
“Teachers then use projects based on themes or class teaching plans that promote not only the knowledge of curriculum subjects but also transversal competences, i.e., those abilities that students need to develop in order to solve new problems and propose innovative solutions. Cross-fertilization from different subjects can help indeed. But teachers need to know their subjects in depth, and nobody is proposing their elimination (for the list of subjects in the new Finnish curriculum please look HERE). It is more about pedagogy than getting rid of subjects.
“In my opinion the new curriculum stresses three basic ideas: 1) invite teachers to combine subjects simultaneously or sequentially with the help of themes or phenomena; 2) cooperation, communication and coordination among teachers; 3) connection between theory, teaching and learning and real life examples meaningful to students’ own reality and context. For example, a theme for a class or school year or school project may be “water” or “pollution.” Both themes include aspects studied by different subjects: chemistry, biology, natural resources, physics, mathematics, law, social sciences, etc. Another theme may be “Art in the twentieth century”, and the subjects could be: art, history, social sciences, humanities, civilization. Another one, with a lot of meaning in Suomi is “Finland 100” as the Finnish will celebrate 100 years of independence in 2017.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Sounds like the IB PYP and MYP to me!
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Sounds like the IB PYP and MYP. On the right track I believe!
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Go Finns!
This is how we learned in that one-room schoolhouse where I taught.
In fact, isolated information is just that…isolated and meaningless, but easy to bubble in on tests.
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It sounds great to me!
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We have to be wary of the story about the Finns and their educational system. See here: http://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/207376-finnish-fairy-stories-tim-oates.pdf
See also: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32302374
Finally, please note that the recent PISA tests administered after Finland switched to the new curriculum aren’t out just yet (they should be released by the end of this week).
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Oh, David, you are so wrong about Finland. I have visited schools in Finland. It is akin to stepping into a paradise of schooling.
The Cambridge assessment complains that Finnish schools have no standardized testing. Hallelujah!
The Cambridge assessment complains that teachers in Finnish schools have too much autonomy. Hallelujah!
The Cambridge assessment complains that there is no school choice in Finland. Why? Because every school is a good school with expert teachers. Hallelujah!
Wait for the next PISA scores. Baloney. The PISA scores can reflect test-prep taken to the nth degree, the degree at which children commit suicide.
Blank the PISA scores. I wish we could have schools like those in Finland. If only we were so wise. Recess after every class. Lots of arts and time for play. No standardized testing until the end of high school. Teaching as a highly esteemed profession. Tuition-free higher education. What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing. And I don’t give a hoot about PISA scores.
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Hi Diane,
Thanks for this. I would say though, that the only reason Finland came to be a model of schooling is due to its previous success rates on PISA scores. If it were just run-of-the-mill on those tests, it would have been ignored.
Also, notice what’s happening there–they are moving from a pretty successful (by most measures) model to one that emphasizes more student-centered, discovery learning stuff–exactly as the French schools did as ED HIrsch points out (in fact, Hirsch uses the French conversion as a vehicle for his new book).
Yes to having teachers beign treated as professionals, yes to less sports and more arts and yes to free tuition. No doubt, all things I would support. However, what we don’t want to do is take the wrong lessons from their system and its changes.
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I visited Finland and toured schools. They are similar to the elite private schools in this country. Small classes, beautiful facilities, expert teachers. Lots of emphasis on arts, play, and creativity. A full academic curriculum. Recess between every class.
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Dearest Dr. Ravitch:
I would like to ask for your permission to repeat your excellent paragraph as my answer to all reformers and vouchers’ supporters with an addition of “we” or “conscientious parents” together with “I” in the last sentence of this excellent paragraph.
[start excellent paragraph]
Blank the PISA scores. I wish we could have schools like those in Finland. If only we were so wise.
Recess after every class.
Lots of arts and time for play.
No standardized testing until the end of high school.
Teaching as a highly esteemed profession.
Tuition-free higher education.
What’s wrong with this picture? Nothing.
And I (and conscientious parents) don’t give a hoot about PISA scores.
[end excellent paragraph]
I hope that you will approve my request.
Very respectfully yours,
May King
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May, of course you may copy that paragraph or any other you read here.
Diane
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