Is Finnish teacher training model better than Indian system? Experts discuss

But is it the case? Do Indian teachers need training from their Finnish counterparts?

Indian teachers who have been a part of the Finnish education system have mixed opinions about that country’s teacher training programmes. While some feel India should adopt the Finnish model of education, others believe the country’s diversity makes it difficult to follow it.

Study material, lesson plans

Niharika Kabra, who took a diploma course in Early Childhood Education from CCE Finland in 2019, said the biggest difference she saw in the teacher training module of the two countries is the study material. “In the Indian BEd degree, the study material that we are given is very outdated. The material in my days was similar to what my teachers studied in their teaching programme. Times have changed, but the study material remains the same,” Kabra told indianexpress.com.

She said the way a lesson is delivered in India and Finland is also very different. “Finland adopts a more practical approach for lesson delivery. We are expected to do a pre-reading of the topic and come up with questions in class. After that, we do a reflection of what we have studied in the compulsory learning journal, which was the biggest help in my training programme,” she said.

Experts said another major difference is the way teachers are selected and the profession is looked at in the two countries. Teachers in Finland are extensively trained and are encouraged to gain experience before they are formally inducted as regular teachers after an entrance exam, interview, and work experience proof. “As a result, teachers are autonomous professionals with the expertise and ability to develop their own work. They are trusted, enjoy wide autonomy and have flexibility in their work. Such autonomy is rare to see in any other part of the world,” Srivastava pointed out.

Gomathy Soundararaj, who earned a Master’s in Education from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, and is currently working with the Azim Premji University, said the Finnish system is focused on “holistic assessment and concentrates more on knowledge building, innovation and research”.

Ashish Srivastava, educational consultant and CEO, Finland Education Hub, said courses in India need to be overhauled. “Indian teachers’ training courses need a major revamp. The BEd or the diploma programmes currently do not prepare teachers to impart 21st-century skills and competencies, and rather are more tuned on the know-how of delivery of prescribed curriculums, syllabi etc,” Srivastava said.

Why is Finnish model of education better than Indian system? (Graphics by Angshuman Maity)

Diversity vs homogeneity 

While the Finnish training programmes have been lauded on many parameters, is it possible to completely adopt them or send teachers to the Nordic country for training?

Azim Premji University’s Soundararaj said following the Finnish model of education completely may not be the best track to follow for India. “Finland is a homogenous country, whereas India is a nation filled with and thriving on diversity. It is easier for Finnish teachers to follow that model of education where things can be centric. Indian teachers, however, need to cater to a diverse range of students – be it culture, category, income or language. Indian teachers require way more layers, in comparison to the Finnish teachers,” she explained.

Adding to this, Srivastava of Finland Education Hub said since not all teachers can be sent to Finland or any other country for training programmes, the need to develop similar training modules and institutes in India is necessary. “Visiting Finland to be trained and be inspired is a great idea, but how many teachers can you really send? How do you scale that?” he asked.

‘NEP 2020 a good direction’

Finland last reformed its school education system in 2014 and India came up with the National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020. With not a huge time gap between the two, experts in India believe it can still match up to the Finnish standards if the execution is done properly.

“The real challenge lies in the execution and implementation of the NEP 2020 framework that now many school leaders and policymakers are brainstorming on. Most schools run on very traditional models hence a lot of support from the government, progressive school leaders, and corporates will be needed to make NEP a big success. We have a direction now, all we need to do is to embrace and take the right steps forward,” Srivastava said.