Has Modern Education Strayed Too Far — and Is It Time to Change Course?

Finnish basic education was once the best in the world — at least if measured by PISA success. Unfortunately, Finnish children’s results in these tests have been declining for nearly 20 years.

The reasons for this trend have been debated in Finland, but the general view is that the root cause lies in changes to the principles of teaching, in such a way that students are required to have less and less precise knowledge. At the same time, teaching methods have shifted toward giving students significantly more freedom during lessons, and instruction has proceeded at the pace of the weakest pupils.

In addition, it appears that students have been moved up from one grade to the next even in cases where they have not mastered the objectives set for that level. Meanwhile, the most gifted pupils have been left without sufficient instruction. In this process, integrating children from developing countries into teaching has also led to classroom disruptions.

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This issue was brought up today by Member of Parliament Jorma Piisinen (Finns Party), who stated: “We must acknowledge the facts. Not everyone is the same, and neither are learning needs identical. Talent is not elitism but a national resource that must be nurtured just as much as supporting the weakest.”

He further demanded that “gifted young people be allowed to grow to their full potential.” If that were to happen, “Finland would gain future makers who would move our country forward.”

According to Piisinen, paying attention to gifted youth “is not only in the interest of the individual, but of society as a whole. A fair school forgets no one. Not even the best.”

In my view, it would be important for Finland’s future that the MP’s proposal be taken into account when deciding on Finnish education policy — despite the fact that the minister responsible, Anders Adlercreutz (Swedish People’s Party), represents the most value-liberal wing of the government, for whom a return to the old teaching methods and principles — which produced good results — is likely to be unappealing from the outset.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Police to Finnish Graduates: Leave Fireworks, Blades, and Booze at Home
Marx in the Classroom: How Ideological Education Shaped Careers and Values

A Fair Game or Unfair Judgment?

Humanitarian immigration does not provide a solution to Finland's demographic dependency ratio

Finnish people are no longer having enough children for the population to renew itself. Therefore, humanitarian immigration has been justified by the demographic dependency ratio.

This idea works if the incoming population, along with their descendants, performs equally well in the labor market as the native population. However,  individuals coming from developing countries—often illiterate and at least less educated than Finns—are unable to do so.

However, the situation could—at least in principle—be saved by their descendants, who attend the same schools as the native children. Additionally, they are fluent in Finnish, unlike their parents.

Unfortunately, recent data indicates that a large portion of immigrant-background students in Finland are considered weak performers according to the PISA definition. In mathematics, as many as 58 percent of first-generation immigrant-background students and 43 percent of second-generation students are weak performers. Among native students, the percentage of weak mathematics performers was 22 percent.

The literacy rates do not look any better either. A staggering 61 percent of first-generation immigrant-background students and 39 percent of second-generation students have poor literacy skills. This means that, according to OECD definitions, they do not possess sufficient knowledge and skills to participate fully in societal functions, such as further education and the labor market.

Finland's Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz (Swedish People´s Party) considers these results concerning. There is reason for concern, as a varying number of people from developing countries have been accepted annually since 1990.

From the perspective of the dependency ratio, as mentioned above, it is also problematic that the employment rate of individuals with foreign backgrounds is about 10–15 percentage points lower, and the unemployment rate is approximately 5–10 percentage points higher than that of native Finns. And these figures include not only humanitarian immigrants but also foreign workers, among whom a significantly larger proportion is likely engaged in the labor market than among humanitarian immigrants.

Based on the above, it appears that humanitarian immigration is not a solution to the demographic dependency ratio in Finnish society. Nor can it be assumed that they will be able to maintain Finland's standard of living at the same level as it has been in recent decades.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Sweden is Soon Set to Surpass the One Million Mark for Illiterate People
The Stabber Killed Three People in an Extremely Multicultural City
Sweden already in trouble - Finland following