Introduction
Educational integration serves to harmonize all the essential elements regarding educational, policies, systems, governance, and any other significant aspect that is directly or indirectly related to learning. The period between the end of the 1960s to the end of 1990s marked a period of fundamental educational reforms and discourse in Finland. Major educational policy and administrative and governance changes were instituted and implemented with the 30year time frame. The Finland government and ministry of education was determined to make significant strides and development in ensuring that the education system was inclusive, student-centered, content sensitive, vocational, and entirely free of contextual, individualistic, societal or class bias. The reforms aimed at changing the education narrative which entailed progress, image, myths, and general construction of the educational system. The discussion focuses on the Finland educational integration progress by reviewing the potential for success, analyzing the success indicators of the program, discussing the evaluation prospects of the program, and examining the results of the program.
Potential for success
The Finish educational reform program towards integration features a clear and futuristic angle aimed at ensuring the development of conscious, educated, rational and an all rounded student. Essentially, integration prospects were triggered by the spontaneous and radical changes such as the growth of intellectual modernism, enlightened society, and aptitude changes. Therefore, the society was changing dynamically which echoed a need for economic and class ages that in the end creates and increases acute demand for a comprehensive literacy education (Rinne, Kivirauma, Hirvenoja, & Simola, 2000). Looking at the state and rate at which the world was becoming a global village, it was imperative to implement a comprehensive school system as an integrated approach with unbiased inclusiveness.
The integration reforms on the educational system would place Finland’s needs for economic growth, national literacy and further enhance the social interaction at the internal stage. Evaluating the justification, rationale and the implementation procures and approach that the educational committee suggested, it is evident that the country had no choice but find a way to make the system work. The country had no choice but to scale up the educational process to match the ever-rising need for better skills, performance, governance and an educated population. Therefore, the educational committee, the ministry of education, the public and private sectors all pulled their resources together in concerted efforts to ensure that a comprehensive, inclusive, integrated education system and governance was in place. With all the primary stakeholder on board, the program stands a high chance of materializing and becoming a reality (Rinne, Kivirauma, Hirvenoja, & Simola, 2000). Moreover, the Finish government had the support of the international community considering that many other nations were also in the process of revolutionizing their education sectors.
Success indicators
The success of the integration program was initiated with some predetermined milestones which would trace the overall progress. For instance, the committee set that by the end of the 1980s, the educational process should have transitioned to the envisaged 9-year comprehensive schooling system which recruits 7-15 years old children primarily on the basis of their residence into District schools. The second indicator of success was ensuring decentralization of the educational system and management which would ensure that planning and decision-making process would become faster, easy and convenient since it would be done at provincial stations, educational institutions, individual schools, and municipalities. Another success indicator was implementing the policy of ensuring that free choice was an integral part of every child, school, and family (Rinne et al., 2000). Here, exclusion would become an issue of the past while subject and content of learning would be deliberated among everyone; from parents to their children and schools. Other success markers include
Identifying and taking into consideration the individual differences of learners
Ensuring that the education system aligns with international demand and trends.
Ensuring that teachers are appropriately trained, placed and equipped to meet the student needs in class.
Program evaluation and results
After 30 years of implementation and experimentation, the program was evaluated using the milestones that were set by the first and proceeding committees. Aspects of the program such as student enrollment, placement, performance, and behavior have continually been checked to determine the effectiveness of the comprehensive integration agenda. The educational system was put on probation with the key performance indicators such as teacher effectiveness in delivering the required content and alignment to curriculum objectives. Moreover, institutional elements of control such as school boards and school inspectorate boards have been used over time to evaluate the integration process. Instructions on evaluation and controls are deliberated at the municipal levels and directed to the relevant authorities for analysis. Upon evaluation, it was realized that the comprehensive, integrated educational system was responding positively as per the set milestone. For instance, the policy to make the education process align with international objectives, concerns and expectations were being achieved (Finland, 2010). Students were becoming more aware of their contextual educational and career needs as well as the life in distant places. Moreover, the learners were becoming aware of the role of being a local and international citizen plays in their lives, career, and nation.
Alignment of the program in accordance with theoretical approaches to diversity
The program has been aligned and appropriately adjusted to accommodate diversity. The curriculum puts into consideration the need for people to socialize at different capacities. Therefore, the comprehensive education is equipped to integrate people of all cultures, religions, background and beliefs to study together, learn from one another and enhance cultural exchange (ECEC, n.d.). Moreover, the program promotes narrative imagination to enable and empower learners in learning and understanding different life circumstances and how other people impact their lives and vice versa. Similarly, diversity is cultivated and instilled in students by teaching them about different cultures, histories and ways of life which enable them to understand and appreciate the feelings, desires, fears, hopes and expectations of other people. Additionally, the program teaches patriotism, citizenship, self-respect, appreciation and respect for others among other values relevant to human interactions and economic practice.
Conclusion
Educational integration and implementation of a comprehensive system in Finland has been used to create and generate capacity among the citizens. The process which began in the late 1960s and continued until the end of 1990s has seen significant reforms such as inclusion, the formation of district schools which assimilates all students from the ages of 7-15 years has proven to be efficient and results oriented. The success indicators such as teacher effectiveness, identifying individual student differences, aligning the program to international markets and providing quality education have been achieved. The program has been evaluated using the set goals and objectives and found to meet all the targets promptly. Finland has also seen significant changes and improvements in the attitudes, aptitudes, skill and abilities of the students.
References
ECEC. (n.d.). Education System in Finland. Retrieved from Opetus-Ja kulttuuriministerio: http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Koulutus/koulutusjaerjestelmae/?lang=en
Finland, O. E. C. D. (2010). Slow and Steady Reform for Consistently High Results.
Rinne, R., Kivirauma, J., Hirvenoja, P., & Simola, H. (2000). From comprehensive school citizen towards self-selective individual. Public discourses on education governance and social integration and exclusion. Analyses of policy texts in European contexts, 25-54.
