THE FINNISH NATIONAL BOARD OF EDUCATIONCouncellor of EducationTuulamarja Huisman 1

Inclusion in Finland

Not only equal educational opportunities but also: the

1. strategies

•structures

•operating procedures

which guarantee successful learning for ALL pupils.

In practice:

•educational structures that prevent exclusion

•activities and pedagogies that facilitate inclusion

Inclusion in Finland

Individual needs as challenges for the

learning environment or school community.

All students, even those with the most severe

developmental impairments, receive similar basic

education.

Over 99.7% of students complete the nine years of

comprehensive school.

New Strategy for Special Needs Education in Comprehensive Education

Changes in Basic Education Act,

came into force on 1 January 2011.

Changes in National Curricula for Pre-primary and

Basic Education, coming into force 2015.

Large development program.

Support in learning and school attendance

• The level of support is based on pedagogical assessment: regularity of support, intensity of support and if there is a need for several forms of support.

• The possibility to get support and counselling is a right every pupil has on every school day

• The support is a collaborative effort involving ALL teachers, the pupil and his/her parent or carer and, where needed, pupil welfare personnel

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The support is intensified by three stages:

general support, intensified support and special support.

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->Pedagogical statementIntensified support is not sufficient

-> Pedagogical assessment general support is not sufficient

INTENSIFIED SUPPORTLearning Plan (compulsory)

Dealt with in a multidisciplinary pupil welfare team->

GENERAL SUPPORT(Learning Plan)

Different forms of support

SPECIAL SUPPORTIEP

Written decision ->

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Migrant Education in numbers

• In Finland 5,3 million inhabitants

• 3-4 % , more than 200 000 migrants

• About 25 000 migrant pupils in general education

• Municipalities are responsible of providing pre-school and basic education – they have to follow the law and the national core curriculum; otherwise they are autonomous

National programme to develop multicultural skills 2007 - 2011

Underlying values of the National Core Curriculum: human rights, equality, democracy

Supporting the formation of pupils’ multicultural identity and participation in Finnish society

Promotion of tolerance and intercultural understanding in school communities.

Developing the multicultural skills of the whole school community to learn and teach in a multicultural learning environment.

Preparatory instruction for basic education

• Local authorities can provide preparatory education to which the FNBE has drawn up the national core curriculum

• State finances this instruction for one year with a double state grant per pupil.

• Target groups are children arriving in Finland at pre-primary age (6 years) or at basic education age (7-16 years) immediately after arriving to the country

Preparatory instruction

• Pupils study Finnish or Swedish, the main basic education subjects and if possible, their mother tongue.

• It is mandatory for the education providers to arrange teaching of the mother tongue.

• State: extra state funding, max 2 hours / week for a group of min 4 pupils

• Basic Education Act guarantees the instruction of different religions in schools financed by municipalities

The Finnish Roma

• About 10 000 Roma people in Finland, (about 3 000 Finnish Roma in Sweden)

• 500 years in Finland

• Mother tongue mainly Finnish (Swedish/Romany language)

• Lutheran religion or free sects

The Finnish National Policy on Roma

• On behalf of the Finnish Government the National Advisory Board on Romani Affairs in Finland has prepaired the first National Policy on Roma in 2009

• Guidelines all administrative sectors for the implementation of activities

• Guidelines also the activities of the National Board of Education and especially the Roma Education Group

Key areas of education in the Finnish National Policy on Roma

• Enhancing the participation of Roma children in early childhood and pre-primary education

• Enhancing the social inclusion of Roma children and youth in basic education and upper secondary education

• Enhancing the participation in vocational education and training of adult Roma

• Promoting the development of the Romani language and culture

Finnish National Board of Education co-ordinates the state aid

1. for promoting basic education of Roma pupils

2. for Romany language nest activities

3. for arranging teaching of the Romany language in pre-primary education, basic education and upper secondary education

4. for arranging basic education, teaching of the Romany language and culture, empowerment skills etc. for prisoners of Roma background

5. during 2008 to 2015, a totally 2,3 m€ has been shared for municipal authorities for this purpose

Romany as mother tongue• The task is to support the balanced development of

pupils’ dual identity and their ability to integrate into both the Roma and the Finnish community.

• Teaching aims to activate the pupils’ skills and use of the Romany language so that Roma pupils are able and have the courage to use their own language as a tool of interaction both within the Roma community and outside it.

• Pupils are instructed in understanding the importance of their own language for the vitality and identity of their own culture and the position of the Romany language as a language next to all other languages.

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Arranging teaching of the Romany language

• government aid for a maximum of 2 hours per week

• teaching takes place during the school day

• The Finnish Romany language is under serious threat and included in the Unesco list of endangered languages

• For the time being, there are Romany-speaking people in Finland, but their average age is rising rapidly

Other development work by the Finnish National Board of Education

• Summer courses in the Romany language• Further training for teachers of the Romany

language• Workshops for Roma parents in different

parts of the country• Learning materials, dictionaries and

brochures• Latšo Diives magazine