Disability-Inclusive Education Study Tour with UNICEF

Team Learning Scoop was happy to start collaboration with UNICEF and get an opportunity to organize a government delegation visit to Finland and Estonia. The delegation of Disability-Inclusive Education Study Tour was coordinated by UNICEF China as the participants represented different provinces and organizations.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to Team Learning Scoop for your outstanding work in organizing the government delegation visit to Finland. The entire itinerary, from policy discussions to school visits, was exceptionally well-planned, and we greatly appreciate the attention to detail in every aspect. Chunfang Lou, Education Officer, UNICEF China

Technological innovations and policy making

We kicked-off the program in Helsinki. During the first visit to UNICEF Global Learning Innovation Hub in Helsinki the value of technology in inclusion was highlighted. Key points of the discussion covered inclusive learning materials and why it is important that everyone is part of the society and can take part in learning. Using technology potentially improves students’ motivation and classroom participation which have scientifically proven impact on learning outcomes.

On Tuesday this government delegation visited the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland and the Finnish National Agency for Education. The day was packed full of information about the Finnish education system. We talked about the cornerstones of Finnish education, the role of the Ministry in policy making processes, legislation, funding and the three tier support system. The teacher education development programme and the way it is conducted in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and other instances, was extremely interesting and sparked discussion about the differences in our countries. After that it was time to travel to Tampere for a couple of days to see all this and inclusive education in practice.

Inclusive education in practice

On Wednesday we visited Lempoinen school, a local primary school with grades 1-6. The group was impressed by the happy, relaxed and independent students who warmly welcomed our group to their school. We visited several mainstream and integrated classes as well as small groups for students with special needs. It was eye-opening and touching to see how the needs of different students were met and what kind of aides and practices were available to support them. The autonomy and strong commitment of Finnish teachers was evident for our group. We are very grateful for the staff of Lempoinen school for a fruitful and inspiring visit!

One of our experts, Hanna Lehikoinen (Special education teacher and Class teacher) gave a lecture on how inclusion is implemented in practice in Finnish schools. What methods and materials do Finnish teacher use to make schools and classrooms suitable learning environments for every child? We also discussed how inclusion is addressed in the curriculum and legislation, and we explored multidisciplinary collaboration in supporting the child.

On Thursday this group visited Kalkunvuori early years education and day care centre. A member of the delegation said that he’s been very impressed by what he has seen and learned in Finland: the learning environment, interaction between the adults and the children, the confidence that children are showing.

Support structures are linked to student well-being and school engagement

Inspiring visits continued with a meeting with City of Tampere – thank you Education Department and Pedagogical Specialists for your contribution and explaining what is the role of the city in inclusion matters.

The main idea is to provide inclusive basic education, where each student can act, develop, and learn as a unique individual and as a member of the community. A learning community promotes equality and equity: students are treated as equals regardless of any personal factors. Differentiation is based on knowledge of the student and is the pedagogical starting point for all teaching. It concerns the scope and depth of study, the pace and progression of work, and the different ways students learn.

The group learned how support structures are linked to well-being of students and school engagement and how national policies are put in practice on a city or municipal level.

Finland and Estonia go hand in hand

The last day of the study tour was about special education and inclusion in our neighboring country Estonia. We visited a local special school called Tallinn Helen´s School to learn more about the practical side of the issue. Tallinn Helen School is a special school for pupils with developmental disabilities. We visited an English class where the students were deaf and all conversations were in sign language. This was fascinating! Just try teaching a foreign language in sign language by yourself!

We also received an information pack on the topic from Education Estonia. The Estonian model of special education is a three-tier system of support familiar to Finns as the origins of the model are from Finland. 23% of all students in Estonia receive some educational support. As in Estonia, most of these students with special needs receive general support, 4% receive enhanced support and 3% receive special support. At the end of the visit we learned how Estonian Chamber of Disabled People organization
works in Estonia for more inclusive tomorrow.

Key takeaways and reflection

During the final lunch, we discussed the outcomes and takeaways of the entire study tour. Visitors said they had gained a good insight into Finnish and Estonian inclusive education. They liked the visits and the places visited were well chosen. It was stressed that there are differences between schools in China and Finland, and they can learn a lot from this tour. At the same time, they also pointed out that the latest Chinese curriculum is already based on the Finnish curriculum. 

The visitors cited equality, playfulness instead of purely academic learning, student well-being, and teacher-student ratio as key elements of Finnish education. The members of the delegation were curious to know how Finland plans to develop teaching further.

We would like to thank UNICEF China Education section, UNICEF regional office in Bangkok and UNICEF Headquarters for your support, help and collaboration during the Autumn! We had a great team of experts contributing to this Disability-Inclusive Education Study Tour. This would not have been possible and as successful as it was without our interpreters Ms. Junyi Wang and Mr. Tomi Virolainen – recommended!

Please allow me also show great gratitude for your high quality service to support the study tour with very considerable arrangement for professional learning. The professionals who accompanied and guided the study tour were very helpful that have made the study successful. We have got very positive feedback from the delegation. The inclusive and high quality education we have witnessed in Finland has been shared on the inclusive education annual review meeting and impressed the participants from the 7 provinces in China.
Dr. Xuefeng Chen, Educational Specialist, Education section, UNICEF China