To start with, residents/citizens of the European Union (EU) states, the European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland can study in Finland free. Aspirants living in regions other than the EU, EEA, etc. can benefit from various scholarship opportunities. Almost all universities in Finland offer scholarships which are often based on the academic achievement of the student, his/her field of study, and choice of future careers, etc.
Some scholarships offer 100% exemption in tuition fees while others may offer a percentage discount. Grants are also advanced to reputed researchers and scientists who want to further push their careers.
The good thing about Finland’s education system is that public schooling for all residents is free. However, the teaching language in these schools is Finnish or Swedish, hence it is preferred by those expatriates or foreigners who plan to live in Finland for the rest of their lives or significantly longer periods (10 years or more).
Expatriates who have not yet decided for such long periods opt for private international schools. The most attractive thing about the said schools is that a foreign student can pick up their studies where they left from and the curriculum, they are familiar with, most of the time in the language they did back in their home countries. But these schools come at a high price, and parents need to assess their financial strength before committing to an international school.
The other encouraging aspect of Finnish schools is that the students with special needs are catered at an individual level. For instance, a student weak in mathematics might get special attention by way of extra tuition, support aid, or one of many methods found suitable for learning.
Structure of education system
The education sector of Finland is primarily funded by the government; however, since 2012 the universities have been made independent legal entities. Apart from formal universities, Finland also offers education through polytechnic universities, and there are more than 20 polytechnic schools and universities in Finland currently.
Parallel to the regular degree programs and skilled disciplines, some institutes also offer short-term courses. The studies here are aimed at career enhancement and broadening the field of work. People who may not have a formal education in their field can also enroll to lend more credibility to their profession.
University for advanced studies
From the higher education perspective, Finnish universities may be categorized into higher education institutions, and the Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS). The UAS offers degree and doctoral programs designed for profession-specific requirements. The curriculum majorly consists of research and fieldwork, case studies, and real-life simulations. The core idea is to equip individuals with out-of-the-box ideas and problem-solving techniques required by the organizations and the country.
Some of the leading UAS are:
- AALTO University
- ARCADA University
- Centria University
- Diaconia University
- Haaga Helia university
Standard of education
Globally, the education standards are becoming more and more obsolete with each passing day. The United States of America, the world’s greatest economy; suffers from the declining output in terms of students passing out of high schools each year. The education system which was once the cornerstone and conducive to an agrarian society is no longer performing as expected. Surveys from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reveal that students lack the necessary wherewithal and know-how specifically in mathematics and general sciences. The same or similar situation is being faced in first-world countries.
Having said that, there is one country that has revamped and re-designed its education system to meet the challenges of the future. And that country is Finland. During the last decade, Finland’s education ministry has taken various simple, yet revolutionary measures that have put their country on the forefront, leaving behind the US and gaining a position among the East Asian countries.
Some of the steps taken by Finland that have boosted the intellectual prowess of their students are:
- Individualized testing instead of blanket uniform testing method – this helps to gauge the ability of each student on a personal level, freeing the candidate from the unnecessary pressure he/she may have, as not all students possess equal abilities in the same area.
- Teachers’ assessment standards have been raised – Teachers now have to be sharper and more informed about the psyche and aptitude of the students to better deliver the course work.
- Converting competition among the students into cooperation and teamwork – It is not rocket science that what ten people achieve in 1 day may not be achievable for the lone person in 100.
- Scores don’t matter – As long as the children are understanding the fundamentals, they need not worry about their scores.
These are the few basic changes that set the Finnish education system in general and the schooling system in particular, apart from the rest of the world. Many countries have started to make similar changes to their education system witnessing the success Finland has obtained.
