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Education in Finland

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Education in Finland
File:Finedulogo.gif
Ministry of Education
Minister of Education
Minister of Culture		Sari Sarkomaa
Stefan Wallin
National education budget (2003)
Budget€ 5.9 billion (1100 € per capita)
General details
Primary languagesFinnish and Swedish
System typeNational
Current systemsince 1970s
Literacy (2000)
Total100
Male100
Female100
Enrollment
Totaln/a
Primary99.7% (graduating)
Secondaryn/a
Post secondaryn/a
Attainment
Secondary diploma60% ac., 45% voc.
Post-secondary diploma25% (of pop.)
Secondary and tertiary education divided in academic and vocational systems

The Finnish education system is a comparatively egalitarian Nordic system, with no tuition fees for full-time students. Attendance is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 16, and free meals are served to pupils at primary and secondary levels. The first nine years of education (primary and secondary school) are compulsory, and the pupils go to their local school. In the OECD's international assessment of student performance, PISA, Finland has consistently been among the highest scorers worldwide; in 2003 Finnish 15-year-olds came first in reading literacy, mathematics, and science, while placing second in problem solving, worldwide. In tertiary education, the World Economic Forum ranks Finland #1 in the world in the enrollment and quality and #2 in math and science education.

The education after primary school is divided to the vocational and academic systems, according to the old German model. The systems do not traditionally interoperate, although some of the de jure restrictions have been recently lifted. In particular, an important difference to other systems is that there is no common "youth school" — ages 16-19 are spent either in a trade school, or in an academic-oriented upper secondary school. Trade school graduates may enter the workforce directly after graduation. Upper secondary school graduates are taught no vocational skills and are expected to continue to tertiary education. A national speciality in contrast to some foreign systems is the academic matriculation diploma (Abitur) received after successful completion of upper secondary school, which holds a high prestige.

As the trade school is considered a secondary school, the term "tertiary education" refers to institutes of higher learning, or what is generally considered university level elsewhere. Therefore, plain figures for tertiary level enrollment are not internationally comparable. The tertiary level is divided to the university and higher vocational school (ammattikorkeakoulu) systems, whose diplomas are not mutually interchangeable. Only universities award licentiates and doctorates. Traditionally only university graduates may obtain higher (postgraduate) degrees. The Bologna process has resulted in a some restructuring, where vocational degree holders can qualify for further studies by doing additional courses. There are 20 universities and 30 polytechnics in the country.

Primary and secondary education

The educational system in Finland is based on a nine year comprehensive school (Finnish peruskoulu, Swedish grundskola, 'basic school'), with mandatory attendance. It begins at the age of 6-7 and ends at the age of 15-16. After graduation from comprehensive school there is a choice between upper secondary school (lukio, gymnasium) and vocational school (ammatillinen oppilaitos, yrkesinstitut). The second level education is not compulsory, but an overwhelming majority attends. Both primary and secondary education is funded by the municipality, and a free lunch is served.

Upper secondary school prepares for the university, so that all the material taught is "general studies". Vocational school develops vocational competence and as such does not primarily prepare for higher education, although the vocational school graduates are formally qualified for entering tertiary education. Thus, unlike Sweden, Finland separates the vocational and general secondary education programs. Their integration has been experimented (so-called "youth school" experiments), but the conclusion was to keep them separate.

Upper secondary school, unlike vocational school, concludes with a nationally graded matriculation examination (ylioppilastutkinto, studentexamen). Passing the test is a de facto prerequisite for further education. The system is designed so that approximately the lowest scoring 5% fails and also 5% get the best grade. The exam allows for a limited degree of specialization in either natural sciences or social sciences. Universities may use the test score in the matriculation examination to accept students. The examination was originally the entrance examination to the University of Helsinki, and its high prestige survives to this day. Each May Day, or Vappu, people wear the white cap that is the academic regalia associated with the graduation. Furthermore, the graduation is an important and formal family event, like christening, wedding, and funeral.

Education in Finland
Academic degrees Vocational degrees Age
doctor employment
licentiate
master Polytechnic(new)  2-3 y
bachelor Polytechnic   3-4 y
upper secondary schoolvocational school18-19
17
16
comprehensive school15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
pre-school6

Special programmes exist in vocational institutes which either require a matriculation examination, or allow the student to study for the matriculation exam in conjunction to the vocational education. The latter are unpopular, because they equate to going to two schools at the same time and usually take four years.

Tertiary education

There are two sectors in the tertiary education: universities (yliopisto, universitet) and polytechnics (ammattikorkeakoulu, yrkeshögskola, or AMK for short). When recruiting new students, the national matriculation examination and entrance examinations are used as criteria for student selection. The focus for universities is research, and they give a more theoretical education. The polytechnics focus on practical skills and they seldom pursue research, but they do engage in industry development projects. For example, physicians are university graduates, where as nurses are polytechnic graduates. The vocational schools and polytechnics are governed by municipalities, or in special cases, by private entities. (As an exception to the rule, Police College is governed by the Ministry of the Interior) All Finnish universities, on the other hand, are owned by the state. A bachelor's degree takes about 3–4 years at a university. Depending on the programme, this may be the point of graduation, but usually only an intermediate step towards the master's degree. A polytechnic degree, on the other hand, takes about 3.5–4.5 years. A degree from a polytechnic is not, however, considered legally equivalent to a lower university degree in the Finnish system. Outside of Finland, polytechnic degrees are generally accepted as lower university degrees.

Polytechnic-graduated Bachelors are able to continue their studies by applying to Master's degree programmes in universities. These take two years in general, but the polytechnic graduates are often required to undertake circa a year's worth of additional studies to bring them on the level with the university graduates. Bologna process has progressively lowered the amount of required additional studies and in some cases no additional studies is needed. After the polytechnic graduates have three year's work experience in their field, they are also qualified to apply for polytechnic Master's degree-programmes (lower university degree graduates are qualified also, but with additional studies) which are work-oriented - not academic. The polytechnic Master's degree program takes two years and can be undertaken in conjuction with regular work. The scope of polytechnic Master's programs is still limited in total numbers and fields of education. Contrary to Bachelors, Master's degree -graduate from a polytechnic is considered equivalent to academic Master's graduate of related field, but besides business and engineering there are not many shared branches. After Master's, the remaining degrees (Licenciate and Doctor) are available only in universities. The polytechnic master's degree does not qualify for graduate studies at doctoral level.

Attendance is compulsory in the primary and in vocational schools, but voluntary in universities and polytechnics. No tuition fees are collected from Finnish citizens in Finnish universities or polytechnics. However, at universities, membership in the students' union is compulsory. Students' unions of polytechnics are similarly recognized in the legislation, but the membership is voluntary and does not include special university student healthcare. Finnish students are entitled to a student benefit, but it may be revoked if there is a persistent lack of progress in the studies. The benefit is often not sufficient for living, so students usually do also some work to fund their studies. State-guaranteed student loans are also available.

Some universities give professional degrees in fields like engineering and medicine. They have additional requirements than merely completing the studies, such as demonstrations of competence in practice.

Examples:

  • Lääketieteen lisensiaatti, Licentiate of Medicine. A Bachelor of Medicine (lääketieteen kandidaatti) is allowed to conduct clinical work under the supervision of senior medical staff. There is no Master's degree, and the licentiate degree does not require a full doctoral dissertation. Common physicians are therefore not doctors, but licentiates. The research or "professor's degree", including a full dissertation, is called "Doctor of Medicine" (lääketieteen tohtori).
  • Diplomi-insinööri is a six-year programme of 300 ECTS, which is comparable to an Anglo-Saxon Master of Science with the Bachelor in the same field. However, included in this is a 30 ECTS "diploma project", which is a real-life engineering project taking about ½-1 years. Its completion demonstrates the professional competence in addition to the necessary amount of education. Notice: this program, in practice, does not interoperate with the polytechnic insinööri (amk) program.

After a master's degree, there are two further post-graduate degrees - an intermediate postgraduate degree, called Licentiate, and the Doctor (Doctorate) degree. A Licenciate programme has the same amount of theoretical education as a Doctor, but its dissertation work has less requirements. On the other hand, the requirements for a doctoral disseration are a little bit higher than in other countries.

The most typical Finnish doctoral degree is Doctor of Philosophy' (filosofian tohtori). However, universities of technology award the title Doctor of Science, tekniikan tohtori, and there are several branch-specific titles, e.g. in medicine lääketieteen tohtori, in art taiteen tohtori, in social sciences valtiotieteen tohtori, aso.

Adult education

Completing secondary school on a vocational program with full classes on a three year curriculum provides a formal qualification for further studies. However, it may prove necessary to obtain post-secondary education before being admitted at a university, as the entrance examinations require a relatively high level of knowledge. Post-secondary education is provided by municipal schools or independent 'adult education centres', which can give either vocational education or teaching at comprehensive or upper secondary school levels. It is possible to obtain the matriculation diploma, or to better the comprehensive school grades in these programs. A new trade can also be learnt by an adult at an adult education centre (aikuiskoulutuskeskus), for example, if the structural change of the economy has made the old trade redundant.

In universities, the "Open University" (Avoin yliopisto) program enables people without student status to enroll in individual university courses. There are no requirements, but there is a modest tuition fee (e.g. 60 euros/course). Polytechnics have also their own, similar program (Avoin ammattikorkeakoulu).

Future prospects

The ongoing Bologna Process blurs the distinction between vocational and academic qualifications. In some fields, new postgraduate degrees have been introduced. Co-operation between the different systems is rising and some integration will occur (not without substantial amount of pressure). This accounts to not only the Bologna Process but a noble goal of Finnish politicians — to educate the vast majority of Finns to a higher degree (ca. 60–70% of each annual cohort enter higher education)[citation needed].

During recent few years a cut in the number of new student places has been often called for by the economic life, trade- and student unions, because of an ongoing trend of rising academic unemployment rate, which is interpreted as an aftermath to the steep increase in 1990s in the student places of higher education. In particular, some AMK degrees have suffered inflation. As a step to the right direction, the Ministry of Education has recently issued a nationwide cut of 10% to new student places in ammattikorkeakoulus to be applied starting from 2007 and 2008. It is still largely undecided whether (and when) some of those cuts could be redistributed to areas in need of more highly educated working force. In 2001 and 2002, university graduates had a 3.7% unemployment rate, and AMK graduates had 8% (see the OECD report).

An increase to vocational school student places might be preferred as shortage of basic workforce such as plumbers and building workers is widely acknowledged in Finland. It should be also noted that retiring age groups are bigger than the ones entering higher education in Finland for now and for quite some time into the foreseeable future. If current amount of student places were kept unchanged to year 2020 for example, Eastern Finland would have student places for 103% of the estimated size of the age group 19-21.

See also

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