Trust, wellbeing and fun! Insights from Principal Study Tour
We wrapped up September with an amazing group of New Zealand principals. Days full of joy, laughter, plenty of questions and great discussions!
During the program participants were actively discussing with the local comprehensive school principals and vice principals about the responsibilities of a Finnish principal and how to secure teachers´performance as there is no school inspection, audits or teacher monitoring due to high teacher autonomy in Finland. Trust is many forms plays a significant role here.
We visited Kalkunvuori daycare centre, pre-primary and grades 1-2. Some of the interesting points were
- cheap daycare fee compared to the fees in NZ
- there are no parents helping with the children (only staff members)
- multi-purpose quality furniture with great style
- even small children are extremely self-directed as they are allowed to put clothes on and off themselves, can eat without assistance, go to bathroom independently etc.
- the walls of Finnish schools are typically white or light gray without splash of colors to help concentration
- children spent a lot of time outdoors every day. Everyone has good equipment and clothes for different weather!
Wellbeing matters
This group also visited Lastusten school which is a small rural school. One of the participants had a similar setting back home and the principal him/herself is also teaching students, having not only an admin and leadership role. Wellbeing and good nutrition considered important in Finnish education. A nurse visits this school twice a month and there are regular doctor check-ups, too. Participants also wondered if young students will be hungry in the afternoon as we tend to have short school days and have early school lunches – snacks at home or afternoon club is the answer. This group was amazed how healthy Finns eat and how good the food was. Did you know that university students in Tampere, Finland are having a lunch €3.95 a meal? They also learned about the Finnish maternity and child health clinics (“neuvola” in Finnish language meaning “place of advice”) and the maternity package, which they were absolutely amazed by.
At Toivio school the group actively discussed about ecosocial approach and got to know this Green flag school. It belongs to the Eco-Schools which is the world’s largest sustainable schools programme.
Fun facts from Finland
- Did you know there are scissors for left-handed and right-handed people?
- To release some energy, there are chin-up bars on the classroom doors and wooden poles in the corridors.
- Student union activities are popular in Finland and a great way to boost everyday democracy on a school level
- If you encounter a shy student, break the ice by asking something about football or ice hockey!
During the last study tour day, questions were raised about positive pedagogy and how we apply artificial intelligence in our own work and teaching. The group thanked many times our experts and hosts for their persistence in answering many questions, being honest and very friendly. .
We absolutely loved the time with this fun group, we learned heaps from you! Thank you Janine for making this trip reality and hats off New Zealand principals for travelling all the way to Finland. This would not have been possible without the help of local partners and schools, thank you for your great service and providing this experience!
Do you want to bring a group of educators to Finland? If you want to learn more about our study tours, please have a look and contact us.
