Hanna Isbom: Education for all
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Published Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 16:08
by
heisbo 
(1413 views and 5 comments)
On the 21st century education has become an inevitable tool for a personal and national success. European Union aims to be the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world. That requires investing in education and training as well as in research and development. Investing in education is investing in the future, both in personal and in macro level.
As my home country Finland has been a number one several times in competitiveness surveys and is known from a good level of education, I decided to write something about Finnish school system. In Finland it's compulsory to go to the school for 9 years, from age 7 to 16. After compulsory school, there's a possibility to continue to high school or vocational school. I think it's necessary that everyone is guaranteed an opportunity to continue their studies. Finland has done pretty well in the PISA survey in the latest years, but still 10 percent of every age group are drop-outs, who don't continue their studies in either vocational or high school. The level of the education in Finland is quite high, but still it should be more equal.
I think the best solution would be if schooling would be compulsory until the age of 18. That would guarantee that not a single child would be left behind when it comes to education. There are several options how to organise the compulsory schooling after ground school. Not everyone is capable of doing high school studies, not every child has a patience to sit in the class for 8 hours per day. That's why we need a variety of learning methods and different forms of schooling.
Another discussion is the access to higher education. As social democrats we should make access to education equal to everyone. For me it means that all the education should be free of charge. In many European countries that's the current situation, but still there are several schools with high tuition fees. I guess the situation with Finnish universities is not comparable to some "elite universities" in Britain or France, but as a main principle we should demand free education on all the levels and equal access to universities despite the level of one's wealth.
As a conclusion I could say that a key to Finland's success in education has been an equal school system without tuition fees, and regional school districts where every child goes to nearest school without any level groups. It doesn't matter whether you're rich or poor; everyone gets similar education with well educated teacher and also with free lunch in the school. I think that creates quite a good ground to equal education.
We still got a lot to do in here and the PES has a lot to do in Europe. What do think? Is Finnish model worth copying and what should we learn from some other countries?
Tags: blogger of the week, education, public services, youth
Comments
1. European socialists should say yes to free education! by Asynjen
on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 16:45
Hi Hanna, interesting topic! I am all for publicly financed education, also at university level, and come from a country (Denmark) with a model similar to the Finnish. Unfortunately, the European cooperation is sometimes a challenge to free education systems... when universities start collaborating across borders (as the EU often encourages them to do), tuition fees begin to pop up. It's difficult for, let's say, a Nordic university to cooperate with a university in the UK without asking money for the degree (since this is the way education is financed in the UK).In my view it would be great to see socialists work together at the EU-level to ensure free education everywhere in Europe. However, financing of education is a nation state affair, so there's a limit to what can be done from Brussels. But what European socialists can and should do, in my opinion, is to ensure that EU regulation and programmes do not 'push' national governments into allowing for user fees. Right now my home country is, in fact, struggling with a clinch between EU rules and our principle of free education.
The European Commission generally seems to favour tuition fees - Europe's socialists should work to turn this development around and put publicly financed higher education on the agenda instead.
2. Not universities by tolerance on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 17:06
Well, I'm for free education until university level, not longer. The thing is that most people who go to university are upper or middle class anyway. To put it frankly - why should the society (the taxpayers! Many of them on low incomes!) pay for well-off children's university degrees?3. Yes by frederic.vareillas
on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 02:36
You are right.
I suppose Finland is the best country as far as education is concerned.
The recent law about Universities in France seems to be a bad thing to me.
Let's give our children education for free, as a public service : Equal access to all.
And let's pay our researchers more and invest in Research.
Future gold isn't yellow or black, it's Gray Gold : Their own brain cells...
Best regards,
Frederic (Paris)
4. the problem of financing... by pattheact
on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 15:46
Hi Hanna,you raised a very important topic:access to education. I do also agree with the fact that primary and high school should be free of any access fees, granting every student who wants a free and equal access to education and knowledge. When it comes to university studies we face the problem of financing. As you can see it in the different EU countires the problem of financing higher education cycles and research programs is a very serious issue and unfortunately lots of countires are pushing towards a more and more privatised university system, enabling each university to fix their access fees and they become more and more expensive, so that the middle and lower classes of our societies have the biggest problems to access university.
I would be in favour of access fees linked to the incomes of the parents, supported by a credit system allowing students to benefit from accessible credits to pay their fees and other related costs, such as housing and day-to-day expenses. Tax-payers as stated by tolerance should contribute to the financing of the less wealthy and those who can afford to pay, should pay more..
There is a price for democracy and my vision might be a little naive, but his is how I see things.
5. Education for all by jorn
on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 22:23
We have had three revolutions during the 20th century, e.g. the period of agriculture, then the period of industriel, and at last the period of modern science and technology. We have to meet the globalization and its tough competition at all trade fields both as society and as an indivua we have to increase our knowledge. We must export our products for instance windmills, and a lot of other products.
Our children are starting in a day nursery, and later on they can begin their "education" in a day care centre, where they can learn some few thing, learning to play with other children, and to learn some new words, then kindergarten, nursery class. All the stages the children are taken care of kindergarten teachers.
They are now ready for the primery and secondary school, the school of which the children already know, and from this time they have to receive education for many years. A new time of their life has begun.
Through a period some classes have an average even better than Finland, and it is our hope that both children and young people can receive a twelve year´ education. It is important that the social negative inheritance must be broken. Children receive a better education than there parents.
During there time at school the children and young onces shall learn the democratic way of life, and learn how life is outside school.
Now we have 10th class at school. The social democracy in Denmark has as a goal which means education for everybody. It may be to the grammar school or a vocational training.
To mention something more we have grown up education such as an apprentices for instance which can be used for grown up people who has had a bad schooling with only a few years and now want to start a very good and longer education
Best regards
Jorn Olsen, Aarhus, Denmark
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