The “Teacher Quality” conference got off to a terrific start on Tuesday with an address to the group by Henna Virkkunen, Finland’s Minister of Education, who explained how her country has made teaching a prestigious, much-sought-after profession. “Teachers are valued by the society and teaching is valued by the society,” she told the conference in Helsinki.There are many more applicants than places available in Finland’s 11 teacher-training universities, where teachers study five or six years for a masters degree. They are carefully screened for aptitude for teaching, so the dropout rate is very low. Salaries are “fair” though not particularly high, explained one of the minister’s officials, but teachers get job satisfaction through career progression, good working conditions and the fact that they are trusted by education administrators and given plenty of leeway to make decisions.
Finland has consistently done well in international test comparisons, and one reason is because the system emphasizes early intervention if students are struggling. The minister said that 8% of students have full-time special support, and another 25% get part-time support.
The Helsinki conference is the second education summit sponsored by the Pearson Foundation and the Council of Chief State School Officers, following last year’s event in Singapore, another country that ranks high in international test comparisons.
“We have chosen to go to other countries that have shown the way,” said Gene Wilhoit, executive director of the CCSSO, kicking off the conference. “We expect to learn both from our hosts in Finland and from others around the world. One of the reasons we are here in Finland is to get a better sense of what you have done to support your educators.”
The conference includes delegates from countries and territories including India, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico and Uruguay, plus top officials from Pearson based in the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere.
“The goal is to learn from what you do in Finland but also learn from each other,” said Mark Nieker, president of the Pearson Foundation. He added that Pearson is dedicated to “personalized learning” through the marriage of content with technology, and that increasingly means a focus on teachers.
On Wednesday, conference-goers visit Nokia’s headquarters outside Helsinki, and then split up to visit one of two schools. Later in the day, the conference will hear from Andreas Schleicher of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The Helsinki conference isn’t the only place in Europe where teacher quality is on the agenda this week. Henna Virkkunen told the group that she was off on Wednesday to a meeting of European Union education ministers in Gothenburg, Sweden, where the main topics include teacher training and school leadership.
Finland has consistently done well in international test comparisons, and one reason is because the system emphasizes early intervention if students are struggling. The minister said that 8% of students have full-time special support, and another 25% get part-time support.
The Helsinki conference is the second education summit sponsored by the Pearson Foundation and the Council of Chief State School Officers, following last year’s event in Singapore, another country that ranks high in international test comparisons.
“We have chosen to go to other countries that have shown the way,” said Gene Wilhoit, executive director of the CCSSO, kicking off the conference. “We expect to learn both from our hosts in Finland and from others around the world. One of the reasons we are here in Finland is to get a better sense of what you have done to support your educators.”
The conference includes delegates from countries and territories including India, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico and Uruguay, plus top officials from Pearson based in the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere.
“The goal is to learn from what you do in Finland but also learn from each other,” said Mark Nieker, president of the Pearson Foundation. He added that Pearson is dedicated to “personalized learning” through the marriage of content with technology, and that increasingly means a focus on teachers.
On Wednesday, conference-goers visit Nokia’s headquarters outside Helsinki, and then split up to visit one of two schools. Later in the day, the conference will hear from Andreas Schleicher of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The Helsinki conference isn’t the only place in Europe where teacher quality is on the agenda this week. Henna Virkkunen told the group that she was off on Wednesday to a meeting of European Union education ministers in Gothenburg, Sweden, where the main topics include teacher training and school leadership.
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