Schools are hierarchical institutions. At the top are principals and administrators, followed by teachers and staff, with students forming the grassroots level. This structure ensures order and supports learning objectives but also includes the risk of fostering a toxic “pecking order” culture. Over-control, whether driven by power dynamics or convenience, can lead to passivity and disengagement among students. Finnish pedagogical thinking actively counters this by emphasising the importance of mutual respect and collaboration.
Based on my experience in international educational projects, Finnish educators take a unique approach to understanding the student’s role. While teaching methods may look similar across continents, Finnish teachers stand out in how they view students. This perspective can be summarised in four key points:
1.Students Are Customers. Finnish teachers recognise that students, like consumers, have choices and influence. In secondary and higher education, students can “vote with their feet,” choosing institutions that meet their expectations. Only in compulsory education this is not possible. At every level, they can also provide feedback, file complaints, or, in extreme cases, protest with sheer vandalism. To maintain trust, teachers must meet their commitments and seek consensus with students about their rights and responsibilities.
This perspective acknowledges students as active participants in their education. While the “customer” analogy might seem unconventional in some cultural contexts, it emphasises accountability and partnership between educators and learners.
2. Students Are Transmitters of Knowledge. Education in Finland goes beyond personal benefit; it’s a public investment funded by taxpayers. As such, knowledge must be transferable to the working world. Teachers act as facilitators, creating a “knowledge transfer platform” that ensures students can apply their learning in real-world contexts.
This idea resonates globally, as many countries strive to bridge the gap between education and employment. Finland’s proactive approach highlights the importance of aligning educational outcomes with societal and economic needs.
3. Students Are Producers of Proficiency. Finnish educators value students as active contributors to learning. Student questions and collaborative group work foster creativity and deepen understanding. Internships are designed to identify learning opportunities specific to each role, whether in construction, consulting, or property management. Similarly, the proactive search for thesis placements and topics in the working world is a distinctive Finnish strength. Thousands of theses are produced annually across various educational levels and fields. In Finnish culture, particularly in technical fields, it is common for students to receive reasonable compensation for their theses, which are expected to provide valuable, employer-specific insights.
Teachers, in turn, can leverage the work done by students to enhance their own expertise. This mutual benefit incentivizes teachers to cultivate students’ proficiency in producing knowledge throughout their studies. This perspective also inverts traditional hierarchies: success occurs when teachers learn from their students as much as they teach them.
4. Students Are Future Professionals. Finnish education emphasises preparing students for lifelong collaboration. Strong teacher-student bonds often extend into professional networks, fostering trust and mutual support. For instance, former students might seek advice from teachers on workplace challenges, while teachers may recommend trusted former students to mentor new interns.
A qualitative way to assess these connections involves asking how likely a student is to contact a former teacher for help with a work problem or how likely a teacher is to send an intern to a former student. These connections grow stronger when teachers help students adopt shared values, practical solutions, and effective practices during their studies. Such shared foundations enhance trust and lay the groundwork for ongoing collaboration.
By building these relationships, Finnish educators not only support students’ transitions into professional roles but also strengthen the broader educational and professional ecosystem. The emphasis on mentorship and mutual respect ensures that both teachers and students benefit from their shared journey, creating a lasting impact.
This cooperative mindset is a cornerstone of Finland’s education system and its partnership with the working world. A vivid example is Finland’s internship model, which reflects the strength of its collaboration between education and industry. For example, even though Finnish economy is currently in downcycle, only three out of thirty construction management students needed help finding internships. This example illustrates a stark difference in systemic support, highlighting the value of strong industry-education connections.
Multidirectional collaboration between students, educators, and industries is the most valuable asset of Finland’s education system. By fostering mutual respect, collaboration, and practical readiness, Finnish education highlights the importance of investing in such partnerships. This model not only benefits students and educators but also contributes to societal and economic growth. However, its value is often challenging to quantify numerically, which means it can be overlooked by policymakers who make decisions about education funding.
Text: Jussi Savolainen (Jussi.m.savolainen@tuni.fi),Principal Lecturer, D.Sc. (tech)
The writer has participated in several international educational projects as an expert in university-industry collaboration.
Picture: Adobe Stock
