Re: VS: [xmca] Finland

[Andrew Babson <ababson@umich.edu>]

Hi XMCA'ers, and thanks Bruce for bringing up this topic. I assigned
Finnish Lessons for one of my classes, and we just started this past Monday
so your post is timely. Once we get into the book, I'll share some further
thoughts in this thread. Rauno, I appreciate your historical insights on
Finland (and Leif, interesting to know about trends in Sweden).

It's galling to realize that the major thing, really, standing in the way
of solving so many social problems in democracies is political will---i.e.,
not because we don't know what to do, or that we don't have the money to do
it, but because advocacy hasn't been organized or passionate enough to make
it happen. It's good to see positive examples like Finland's education
turnaround, generations in the making.

Andrew

--------------------------------------------------------
Andrew Babson, Ph.D.
Lecturer, Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania

On Fri, Jul 5, 2013 at 3:50 AM, Leif Strandberg <leifstrandberg.ab@telia.com
> wrote:

> Good Luck Finland...
>
> don't do what we have done... a massive support to private schools
> ("private" is an euphemism... for s.c. risk capitalism)
>
> and the result is segregation and bad quality
>
> Leif
> Sweden
> 2 jul 2013 kl. 18.49 skrev Rauno Huttunen:
>
>
>  Hello,
>>
>> Pasi Sahlberg is respected educational scientist in Finland. He knows
>> what he is talking about.
>>
>> In 50th and 60th there was big debate in Finland concerning grand school
>> reform. Existing school system was reproducing unequality. Finally party
>> called "Maaseudun puolue" (Agrarian Party) agreed to work together with
>> social democrats and communists in order to plan and execute of a grand
>> school reform which would guarantee every child equal opportunities in
>> educational system. Right wing parties gave heavy resistance but school
>> reform was executed.
>>
>> Actually I am personally perfect example of this new Finnish elementary
>> school system. I have working class background and my school success in
>> lower grades was poor. In old school system I would have never make it to
>> "Lyseo" (high school/gymansium/college) and university. I had only some
>> distant relatives who make it to Lyseo and only one who make it to
>> university.
>>
>> Now we have to fight for our school system and not let private schools
>> run over the well working public school system.
>>
>> Rauno Huttunen
>>
>>
>> ______________________________**__________
>> Lähettäjä: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu [xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu]
>> k&#228;ytt&#228;j&#228;n Bruce Robinson [bruce@dolphy.eclipse.co.uk]
>> puolesta
>> Lähetetty: 2. heinäkuuta 2013 19:16
>> Vastaanottaja: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>> Aihe: [xmca] Finland
>>
>> Hello xmcaers,
>>
>> Following the recent discussion on Finnish culture, you might be
>> interested in this interview about the Finnish education system and `why
>> it is so successful from today's Guardian. There's some interesting
>> speculation about the relationship between relative equality and the
>> education system.
>>
>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/**education/2013/jul/01/**
>> education-michael-gove-**finland-gcse<http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2013/jul/01/education-michael-gove-finland-gcse>
>>
>> Bruce R
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