43 Leadership development programs: Finnish schools often have leadership development programs in place to ensure that suitable candidates are present for the election of principals and vice-principals. These programs often include providing leadership training and opportunities to develop potential leaders. Career Development and Assessment: Leaders often require regular career development and assessment to ensure they are performing well in their leadership roles and continually improving their leadership skills. Education Policy Support: The Education Policy and Department provides guidance and support to ensure that the selection and training of school leaders is consistent with national and local education policies and standards. Overall, the selection and development process of basic education school leaders in Finland focuses on professional development and qualifications to ensure that they can effectively manage schools and deliver high-quality education. These processes are often coordinated and managed jointly by organizations such as education departments, local governments and school boards.
44 17、How are financial management and resource allocation carried out in Finnish basic education? Financial management and resource allocation in basic education in Finland is a complex and decentralized process that aims to ensure that each school has the appropriate resources to provide high-quality education. The following are some main aspects of financial management and resource allocation in basic education in Finland: Public finance: Basic education in Finland is funded by public finance, which means that education funding comes mainly from government taxes and budgets. The government is responsible for formulating the overall budget for education funding and then allocating it to various local governments and education departments. Local Government: Finland's education system is largely locally managed, with each local government responsible for allocating education funds to individual schools. This ensures that resource allocation is more aligned with the needs and characteristics of the region.
45 Equitable resource distribution: Finland is committed to ensuring equitable resource distribution to reduce inequalities between schools. Funding allocations take into account the size of the school, the special needs of its students and other factors. Number of students and school size: The allocation of resources is usually related to the number of students and the size of the school. Large schools and small schools may have different allocations of resources. Special needs: Schools have access to additional resources to accommodate students with special needs, such as special education support and multilingual support. Resource transparency: Finlandìs education system attaches great importance to resource transparency and financial reporting to ensure the correct use and supervision of education funds. Education Reform: The government regularly carries out education reforms to ensure effective allocation of educational resources and adjustments in response to social and economic changes.
46 Overall, financial management and resource allocation in basic education in Finland is a complex process involving cooperation between government, local government and schools. This process is designed to ensure that each school has sufficient resources todeliver a high-quality education, taking into account the size of the school, the needs of its students and the characteristics of the area. This helps maintain the high quality and fairness of the Finnish education system.
47 18、What are the main challenges facing the Finnish education system? Some of the main challenges facing the Finnish education system include: Decreasing population: Finland's population is decreasing, causing schools and educational institutions to face fewer students. This could result in some schools being at risk of closure or having their resources reduced. Educational equity: Although Finland excels in educational equity, some regions and student groups may still face inequalities. Ensuring that every student has access to equitable educational opportunities remains a challenge. Teacher recruitment and retention: Finland needs to continuously recruit and retain high-quality teachers to maintain the quality of education. A highly competitive global market may have an impact on this challenge. Technology and Innovation: Although Finland has made some progress in education technology and innovation, staying ahead of global competition remains a challenge. Continuously adapting to new educational tools and methods requires ongoing effort.
48 Diversity and inclusion: Finlandìs education system needs to continue to address issues of student diversity and inclusion, ensuring that every student has access to appropriate support and opportunities. Educational Research and Innovation: Maintaining the momentum for educational research and innovation to adapt to changing social and economic circumstances is a challenge. Finland needs to continuously promote education reform and development. International competition: With the advancement of globalization, Finland's education system needs to adapt to international competition to ensure that students are internationally competitive. Despite these challenges, the Finnish education system is still considered one of the most successful and high-quality in the world. Governments, educational institutions, and educators have been working hard to address these challenges and continue to seek innovative ways to improve the quality and equity of education.
49 19、What is the international cooperation and exchange situation in Finnish basic education? There is extensive international cooperation and exchange in the field of basic education in Finland. Finland attaches great importance to sharing educational experience, best practices and educational research with other countries and international organizations. Here are some aspects of international cooperation and exchange in basic education in Finland: Educational cooperation projects: Finland participates in various educational cooperation projects with schools and educational institutions in other countries. These projects can cover various fields such as educational reform, educational technology, andteacher training. International research and evaluation: Finlandìs education system frequently participates in international educational research and evaluation, such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). This helps Finland understand its performance in the global education sector and compare with other countries.
50 Educational cooperation organizations: Finland is a member of various international education cooperation organizations, such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the European Commission for Education. These organizations provide a platform that allows Finland to share experiences with other countries and participate in international educational projects. Educational exchange programs: Finnish educators and students have the opportunity to participate in international educational exchange programs, such as student exchange programs and teacher exchange programs. This helps promote cross-cultural understanding and learning. Expert seminars and seminars: Finnish education experts and policymakers frequently participate in international education seminars and seminars to share their experiences and insights and learn from best practices from other countries. International education cooperation projects: The Finnish government and educational institutions actively participate in international education
51 cooperation projects, such as supporting education in developing countries and providing educational assistance. In general, Finland attaches great importance to international educational cooperation and exchanges, which helps improve the quality of its education system and also promotes sharing and cooperation in the global education field. By cooperating with other countries and international organizations, Finland receives new ideas and inspiration to continuously develop and improve its education system.
52 20、What is the future development trend of basic education in Finland? Future development trends of basic education in Finland may include the following aspects: Digital education: Finland will continue to promote digital education and use technology to improve students' learning experience. This may include greater use of online educational resources, personalized learning platforms and digital teaching materials. Interdisciplinary education: Finland may continue to strengthen interdisciplinary education, encouraging students to make connections and integrate knowledge between different disciplines to deal with complex problems and challenges. Educational innovation: Finland will continue to encourage educational innovation, including new teaching methods, assessment methods and curriculum design. This will help improve the quality of education and adapt it to future needs.
53 Diversity and Inclusion: Finland will continue to address student diversity and inclusion issues to ensure that every student has access to appropriate support and opportunities. Teacher training and development: Finland will continue to invest in teacher training and development to ensure that teachers have the latest educational knowledge and skills and are able to respond to the changing educational environment. Internationalization: Finland may further internationalize its education system, encourage exchanges and cooperation between international students and education experts, and attract more international students to study. Educational equity: Finland will continue to work hard to improve educational equity and ensure that every student has an equal opportunity to receive high-quality education. Education for sustainable development: Finland may incorporate education for sustainable development into its curriculum to educate students on knowledge and skills about environmental and social sustainability.
54 These trends are inferred based on global developments in education and the long-term goals of the Finnish education system, but specific future developments may be affected by policy changes and social needs. Regardless, Finland remains committed to providing high-quality, innovative and inclusive basic education to produce globally competitive students.
55 After-class exercises and reference answers 1. What are the main goals of basic education in Finland? A. Improve studentsì competitiveness B. Increase education funding C. Educational Equity and Student Happiness D. Expand the size of the school Answer: C. Educational equity and student happiness 2. Who is responsible for organizing and managing Finlandìs basic education system? A. Central Government B. Local government C. School Board D. Education Department Answer: B. Local government 3. How does Finland select and train basic education teachers?
56 A. Selection of teachers through rigorous examinations B. No special selection and training procedures C. Teachers choose their own training methods D. Through university education majors and professional development programs Answer: D. Through college education majors and professional development programs 4. How do teachers in Finland conduct professional development and continuing education? A. Through online courses B. Through self-study C. Pass college courses D. Through professional development programs and training Answer: D. Through professional development programs and training 5. What teaching methods are used in basic education in Finland?
57 A. Traditional lectures and exams B. Problem-based learning and group discussions C. Strict disciplines and regulations D. Single education method Answer: B. Problem-based learning and group discussion 6. What are the characteristics of Finlandìs curriculum? A. Unified national curriculum B. Flexible local curriculum C. There is no fixed curriculum D. Students can choose their own courses Answer: B. Flexible local curriculum 7. How does Finland assess and monitor studentsì learning progress? A. Rigorous standardized testing B. Teacher self-evaluation C. Evaluation by an external evaluation agency
58 D. Continuous Educational Supervision Answer: B. Teacher self-assessment 8. What are the special features of Finlandìs student assessment methods? A. Emphasis on competitive ranking B. Focus on standardized test scores C. Pay attention to comprehensive assessment D. No student evaluation Answer: C. Pay attention to comprehensive evaluation 9. How does Finlandìs basic education policy promote educational equity? A. Reduce tuition fees B. Provide high scholarships C. Prioritize support for students from wealthy families D. Provide additional resources to students with special needs Answer: D. Provide additional resources to students with special needs 10. How does Finland deal with student diversity and inclusion issues?
59 A. Ignore diversity B. Provide personalized education plans C. Classification system separates different groups of students D. No support services provided Answer: B. Provide a personalized education plan
60 Back cover He is sensitive and eager to learn, and he is not ashamed to ask questions. --Confucius This article will explore the core elements of Finnish education, including educational goals, system organization, teacher development, teaching methods, curriculum design, student assessment, educational equity and diversity, student well-being, family and community involvement, school management, innovative application of technologyand so on. The purpose of this article is to showcase the key factors for Finlandìs educational success and explore how it remains at the forefront of the evolving global education landscape. We hope that through this comprehensive analysis, we can provide valuable insights into your educational thinking and practice, and jointly explore the excellence of Finnish basic education and its implications for the future education system. There are two kinds of knowledge: what we know, and knowing where we can find information. --F. Drucker