Education Policy and Students’ Learning: The Finnish Experience4.12.2012

Olavi ArraSenior Education ConsultantOpetusalan Ammattijärjestö OAJ Trade Union of Education in Finland

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Opetusalan Ammattijärjestö OAJ

Trade Union of Education in Finland Members from early childhood education to university

teaching (nearly 120 000) Members also include teacher students and senior

teachers Breakdown of the OAJ members by gender: women

74 %, men 26 % Over 95 % of the Finnish teachers are organised

trade union members

Speaker for education

OAJ speaks for Finnish training and education Social dialogue with the goverment, parliament,

ministries and the National Board of Education Social dialogue at municipal level OAJ has members in education working groups

established by ministries etc. OAJ is working together with other unions

and NGO´s and parents OAJ is active in media

3Olavi Arra, OAJ

Examples of OAJ’s aims in education

Better and quality education for all Better working enviroment for teachers,

students and pupils Children and students with special needs – more

resources and support in services More resources for education Regular inservice training system to teachers Higher education for all teachers Education top on list of political decision-making

4Olavi Arra, OAJ

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Serious attention to equality in education

Education of the same high quality throughoutthe country.

A good general education and adequate basic skills for everyone.

Attention paid to pupils’ special needs. Back-up from social welfare services. Natural cooperation between pupils and teachers. Evaluation aimed at developing the school system.

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Finnish teachers as educational professionals

All teachers have a high standard of education. Teachers are able to act independently in their work. Teachers are expected to update their professional

skills. Cooperation between school and home. Teachers responsible for developing their own work.

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Qualifications in basic education (primary and lower secondary levels)

Qualified %Spring 2008

Principals 99,2

Subject teachers 95,3

Class teachers and pre primary education 94,3

Special teachers 73,1

Part time teachers 66,6

Part time teachers with under 16 h/week 27,3

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Collaborative development of theeducational system

Parliament

Ministry of Education

National Board of Education

Local authority departments of education

Trade Union of Education in Finland

Teachers (union members)

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Problems and challenges for the future

Inadequate finance– large classes– decreasing number of lessons taught– declining support for pupils with special needs– inadequate guidance for pupils– economies in teachers’ supplementary training

Growing needs for special teaching Improvement of pupil motivation

Examples of the teacher salaries in Finland 2012

Workingdays/weeks

Lessons/week Salary € 

Extra hour pay for one weekly

lesson€/month

Class teacher,Master level degree

190 days/38 weeks

24 h 2 494 – 3 244 87,29

Special education teacher, Master level degree

190 days/38 weeks

22/24 h 2 712 – 3 622 103,56

Subject teacher,Master level degree

190 days/38 weeks

18 – 24 h 1) 2 694 – 3 503 113,13

Upper secondary school teacher, Master level degree

190 days/38 weeks

c. 14,5 – 21 h 1) 2) 2 856 – 3 782 126,28

Headmaster,comprehensive school

Annualvacation

max 8 weeks1 – 13 h 3 509 – 4 571  -

Headmaster,upper secondary school

Annualvacation

max 8 weeks4 – 11 h 4 147 – 5 029 -

Vocational teacher,Master level degree

190 days/38 weeks

24,5 h 2 943 – 3 902 100,91

1) depending on the subject2) includes so called upper secondary school coefficient 1,1

Examples of the teacher salaries in Finland 2012

Vacation Weekly worktime Salary

Kindergardenteachers

23 – 38 days/depends of

the working years

38 h 15 min(8 % planning time)

2 162 € – (starting salary)

Preschool teacher in school 

Working 190 days / years 23 lessons in week 2 164