Learning Scoop in Tampere, Finland, recently hosted 23 members of staff from St Michael Foundation in Malta, including school leaders, teachers and administrative staff, on a comprehensive education study tour.

Each day, we visited different locations, ranging from modern to traditional to nature-focused educational institutions, which had three things in common: they were publicly owned, followed the national curriculum and gave their teachers pedagogical freedom.

It was fascinating to hear about the differences and similarities of Malta’s and Finland’s education systems, and how teachers are doing.

One of the most rewarding aspects of study tours is the realisation that there are many different ways to achieve the same goal. Not all methods are suitable for all groups or subjects, but it is important to understand the reasons behind pedagogical choices in order to select the method that best facilitates learning in the specific context.

The following are aspects of Finnish schools that our guests found strange and puzzling, and others that positively impressed them, respectively:

Strange things about Finnish schools

1. The schoolyard for children over seven years old is not fenced. Pupils can move freely in the yard and must respect the school boundaries they have been taught. Most children over nine years old also go home by themselves.

2. Everything at school is free (funded by tax revenue): hot school meals, textbooks, study supplies, and materials for classes like woodworking and home economics.

3. Smart devices are used quite extensively. The school provides each student with their own Chromebook or tablet for learning, and many materials are digital. In the lower grades, phones are prohibited during the school day but teenagers use phones during breaks and sometimes for gamified learning, such as playing Kahoot.

4. Finnish schools do not use uniforms, and there are hardly any private schools or private tutoring.

Participants learning how Finland’s education system is structured.

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Impressive things in Finnish schools

1. Pupils are quiet during lessons, when the teacher or peers are talking, and generally behave calmly indoors.

2. Teachers and pupils have a warm relationship, and teachers widely use positive pedagogy; focusing on what pupils are allowed to do rather than what they are not.

3. Active learning: pupils are active participants in lessons and engage in teaching instead of just listening. Pupils are also involved in development discussions between parents and the teacher, and are responsible for doing their homework themselves.

4. Appreciation for practical skills: in Finland, all children learn to use a sewing machine, cook and safely handle woodworking tools such as saws and drills.

Heidi Riikonen is a study tour host at Learning Scoop, Finland.

Acknowledgement

We thank Malta’s ambassador to Estonia and Finland, Kenneth Vella, for his constant support over the last years, thanks to which Learning Scoop has so far welcomed over 150 Maltese educators for teacher training and study tours.