Finland Teachers and Their Teaching System

It is good for the public school teachers in Brazil, Indonesia or Peru who have stable jobs because they have high level of legal protection, and are part of teacher unions that shield them politically. In Finland, the public school teachers also have stable jobs and very rare chances for getting fired since they are supported by a powerful teacher union, which is very influential among other stakeholders in policy discussions.

There the teachers are highly valued and this job is considered as a very prestigious, demanding, and reserved one for the most talented and hard-working people. Teaching admission to schools, in Finland, depends on high academic results as well as your dedication and passion to become a teacher unlike how it happens in other middle or high income countries like the United States where it is easy to become a teacher. Both Finnish primary and secondary teachers have a specific theme and are given full training on daily basis by a mentor teacher who supervises the practicum and teaches a class in a school and a university teacher educator who is a tutor teacher. After recruitment, Finnish teachers are recruited and are given a lot of responsibility. They have a high quality human capital due to which it is possible to perform school management differently. They do not have any concept of having classroom inspectors or supervisors instead their principal only act as pedagogical leaders and provide teachers with trust and steering rather than controlling them. The teachers are motivated so that they work closely with their peers, constantly mentoring and tutoring each other with a motive of providing the support that is required to ensure that the best pedagogical practices are implemented in every classroom. It is known that if any school has got great teachers and immense trust, each and every student could get quality education at their nearby school, across the country. It is easier and convenient for the parents also to choose the nearest school for their kids. In this country, the teachers are highly respected since they come with great responsibility that can make the future of children of the society. One can be hired as a teacher in Finland as a qualified teacher and be ready to oversee a classroom after full-fledged study of many years and numerous hours of classroom hands-on practice. However, it is seen that in most of the middle-income countries, a recent graduate can become a teacher without any real time classroom experience. On the other hand, Finnish faculties do have pre-service teacher education because they believe that the teaching profession not only requires a master’s degree in education but it takes nearly five years of university studies to become a well qualified and able teacher.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/teachers-and-trust-cornerstones-finnish-education-system