Education

That Finnish literacy rates are among the highest - if not the highest - in the world is a tribute to the effectiveness of the Finnish education system. The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which evaluates the educational achievement of children of school age in the OECD countries, placed Finland among the top countries in 2001, for example, and this is a status that is maintained from year to year.

The system begins with pre-school teaching leading to entry to comprehensive school at age seven. This continues through to the ninth grade, after which students can decide to pursue vocational education or secondary education. Upper secondary schools take the students through to the age of 18 or 19, when they matriculate and can then choose to enter higher education, at University or Polytechnic.

The University tradition dates back to 1640, when the Royal Academy of Turku was founded (Finland was then under the Swedish crown). Today there 20 universities in Finland, mostly owned and funded by the State. Students do not have to pay study fees. Universities are required “to attain a high international standard of research, education and instruction, whilst abiding by ethical principles and good scientific practice”.

Beyond higher education lies the option of adult education, and an excellent structure of evening schools and vocational training and re-training for mature students exists across the whole country. This has been given a higher priority in the last few decades, in recognition of the fact that recent generations have benefited from educational standards that were not necessarily available to older people.