A presentation by Olavi Arra from Trade Union of Education for teachers from Comenius project "Unity Through Diversity"

1. Education Policy and Students’
Learning: The Finnish Experience
4.12.2012
Olavi Arra
Senior Education Consultant
Opetusalan Ammattijärjestö OAJ
Trade Union of Education in Finland

2. 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
2

3. 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
Olavi Arra, OAJ 3

4. 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
Olavi Arra, OAJ 4

5. 5

6. Serious attention to
equality in education
 Education of the same high quality throughout
the 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.
6

7. 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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8. 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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9. Collaborative development of the
educational system
Parliament Trade Union of Education in Finland
Ministry of Education
National Board of Education
Local authority departments
Teachers (union members)
of education
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10. 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
10

13. Examples of the teacher
salaries in Finland 2012
Extra hour pay
Working for one weekly
Lessons/week Salary €
days/weeks lesson
€/month
Class teacher, 190 days/
24 h 2 494 – 3 244 87,29
Master level degree 38 weeks
Special education
190 days/
teacher, 22/24 h 2 712 – 3 622 103,56
38 weeks
Master level degree
Subject teacher, 190 days/
18 – 24 h 1) 2 694 – 3 503 113,13
Master level degree 38 weeks
Upper secondary school
190 days/
teacher, Master level c. 14,5 – 21 h 1) 2) 2 856 – 3 782 126,28
38 weeks
degree
Annual
Headmaster,
vacation 1 – 13 h 3 509 – 4 571 -
comprehensive school
max 8 weeks
Annual
Headmaster,
vacation 4 – 11 h 4 147 – 5 029 -
upper secondary school
max 8 weeks
Vocational teacher, 190 days/
24,5 h 2 943 – 3 902 100,91
Master level degree 38 weeks
1)
depending on the subject
2)
includes so called upper secondary school coefficient 1,1

14. Examples of the teacher
salaries in Finland 2012
Vacation Weekly worktime Salary
23 – 38 days/
Kindergarden 38 h 15 min 2 162 € –
depends of
teachers (8 % planning time) (starting salary)
the working years
Preschool teacher in
Working 190 days / years 23 lessons in week 2 164
school