One of the greatest benefits of being part of the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching family is the great group of new friends I’ve met. So many past participants have done inspiring things while on their Fulbright and since returning home. I can only hope to be half as incredible as some of my colleagues. In mid-October I had the opportunity to host one of the Finnish teachers in my home and at my school for a few days. She is studying differentiated instruction and took a trip to New York and Connecticut to see what we do here that may be different from the midwestern schools she is visiting now. She had perfect timing as the foliage couldn’t have been better and she got to see the small New England towns gearing up for Halloween. We also got to pepper her with a million questions about living in Finland and what to expect when we go there. I’m so grateful for the opportunity we had to spend some time together and hope that I will be able to visit her school outside of Helsinki some time while I am abroad. She also took some amazing pictures of the changing leaves and it’s always nice to be reminded of the beauty that surrounds me, because sometimes I do forget.
I proposed that my friend take a look at my school because it is a small boarding school, but is a fairly typical representation of a New England boarding school. Finland doesn’t have boarding schools. Or private schools. Well, there are actually a very small number of private schools but they are mostly religiously affiliated. People don’t pay for education directly in Finland and they pride themselves on equality in the public schools. My friend was simply shocked by the tuition charged by boarding schools. Google estimates the average boarding school yearly tuition to be $38,000 but I would guess it’s much higher for the schools near mine. Google also tells me the median income for Americans is about $27,000. Sixty-six percent of Americans earn less than $41,000. Obviously this tells us a little bit about many students that attend boarding school and their family’s financial status. Of course, just like college, many of these schools offer need based financial aid and scholarships for students, but at first glance the sticker price of a high school education at a boarding school can be shocking - especially to someone from Finland. The idea that a family can pay for a better education by moving into a certain public school district zone or send their student to a private school costing tens of thousands of dollars seems absurd to the Finnish teachers. Finnish schools are supposed to all be great. People don’t choose where to live based on the public school their child will attend. Finns are so focused on equality every student is given free lunch - and everyone eats it. So all students are equally nourished at midday. My friend said no one would even think to bring lunch from home! It’s all about the equality.
I ponder this idea of equality and go back to my teacher training where I was reminded over and over that “equal” and “fair” are not synonyms. What will I find in Finland? With the emphasis on equality - every school is “good,” every kid eats the same lunch, every newborn baby gets a box full of supplies - will I find that this isn’t really fair? Are students with learning disabilities given what they need? Is there so much emphasis on equal that fair isn’t addressed? I’ve read that many students receive special education services in the younger grades and my friend is studying differentiation so I assume that in the Finnish system there is room for the notion that fair does not mean equal. I’m very interested to see how this all plays out in the reality of the school day. I’m most curious to see this at work for my own daughter.
Tea is currently in first grade but in Finland she will be attending “Playschool.” Finnish children don’t start compulsory education until the year they turn seven (the age of the typical American second grader) so she will be in the equivalent of pre-school in Finland. Will she be bored? She’s reading well above grade level in her current school so will she be pushed to keep learning more? Quite frankly I don’t care how much she learns in school in the next six months. I want her to just enjoy and experience a new culture. I want her to make new friends. I want her to learn Finnish and activate those neurons that will allow her to learn more languages as she gets older. I also want her to be happy and that will be my biggest focus. I’m just very interested to learn about schools not just as a teacher-researcher but also as a parent of two young children.
What will I learn about fairness and equality in Finland? I can’t wait to see!
