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when yonghong first arrived in finland, this remote nordic country with a population of just over five million already existed like a fairy tale on the chinese internet. so much so that when talking about education, it is difficult not to talk about finland.

before becoming a finnish preschool teacher,yonghongafter working in a foreign company for many years, life seems to be on a certain track. however, one day she thought that life should not be like a wheel that keeps spinning. at the same time, she was influenced by the friends around her who were brave enough to pursue their dreams. after some thought, she quit her job and chose to take her children to study abroad, majoring in early childhood education. at that time, like many others, she learned about finnish education through the internet and longed for it before she was there.

five years passed in a flash. yonghongstudying, interning, working part-time to full-time, and visiting many schools in finland, finland, measured by footsteps, has lost many of its perfect filters and looks more real and approachable.

in yonghong’s view, finland has been promoted as too dreamy and beautiful in the country. although finland has many things that impress her, it is far from a perfect country. the truth is, no place is perfect.if someone comes with the expectation that “education problems will be solved by coming to finland,” they will most likely be disappointed.after much searching, where is the best education?

finland is not a perfect fairy tale kingdom

yonghong worked hard in different industries until he was nearly halfway through his life. since having children, he has become more enthusiastic about learning and researching children's education. after going round and round, he returned to education. he feels that the happiest thing is to accompany his children to grow up. .“although i also received an offer from a british university, i finally chose finland. becausefinnish education is less elitist than elsewhere,” she believes that finland’s education system is more in line with her ideal education model.

to find a job in finland, you cannot bypass the language barrier. finnish is the mainstream local language and is also a basic condition for outsiders to find work and study. yonghong only learned this difficult language after he decided to study in finland. fortunately, finland has some very international kindergartens. in such schools, students’ families come from france, italy, spain, portugal, etc. in different countries, teaching is mainly in english and supplemented by finnish. because of this, she successfully obtained some job opportunities and worked in private and public kindergartens.

after actually entering the industry, yonghong realized that there is another side to being an early childhood educator in finland, minus his idealism. first of all, the salary is indeed relatively low. shewhen you first join the job, your salary is similar to that of an ordinary sanitation worker in finland., the difference in after-tax income is only a few hundred euros. although all professions are equal, if you have obtained a higher education degree in a "cold window" for several years, and then look at other industries and positions with the same academic qualifications, you will inevitably have doubts.

many of yonghong's colleagues do insist on working in education because of their love. however, it is not possible for everyone to work for love.“there is a shortage of early childhood teacher positions, recruitment standards are not uniform, and some early childhood teachers and substitute teachers lack systematic training and qualification differences.although finnish education is famous for the high quality of teachers, the actual situation is not perfect, and there are also some shortcomings in the field of early childhood education.”

secondly, early childhood teachers work very irregular shifts. the morning classes in public kindergartens may start as early as 6:15 and end at around 2 pm; the evening classes may start at around 9 o'clock and end at 5:20 pm. since winter in finland is long and dark,many times finnish kindergarten teachers need to go to school under the street lights at night; as the shifts change frequently, yonghong said that he often has trouble sleeping at night because he is worried about missing the morning shift.

finnish children have the right to receive early childhood education when they are nine months old. some children have just learned to crawl or walk when they come to kindergarten. although the school has dedicated teachers with nursing qualifications,tasks like changing diapers are something virtually every teacher does."in finland, the principle of equality is emphasized. every teacher has the responsibility to participate in the daily life of taking care of children, not just specialized caregivers." of course, the other side is the increase in teachers' work and responsibilities.

“as a teacher with a preschool teacher certificate, my job responsibilities include not only designing and formulating a personalized early childhood education plan for each child in the group, but also actively participating in the entire preschool education process, discovering the child’s strengths and support needs, and thinking about and implementing appropriate teaching. solutions and communicate with parents, nurses, doctors, child protection, social workers and relevant departments.”

regarding education in finland, there is a much-talked-about saying that “the best school is the one next to your home.” it is true that education funding in finland is allocated based on the number of students, and there are no regional differences in teacher salaries, which is relatively balanced. however, the best school is not necessarily the one closest to home.

the increase in the number of immigrants (in the context of finland, generally reluctant to call refugees directly) in some less developed countries and regions has broken the balance among finnish schools to a certain extent. students at certain schools "will need more help."to translate it into the domestic context, it means that the level of students is uneven.if a large number of government housing are built in any place for people in need, the student supply here will be slightly worse. in fact, people in finland still make judgments about "good" and "bad" schools.

public kindergarten does not mean that you can get in immediately if you want to. if the places are full, you have to wait for a place. it takes several months to wait.unexpectedly, finland still has the problem of "difficulty in going to school".

when it comes to finnish education, people often praise its nature education and forest education. however, in reality, not all schools generally practice these concepts. during yonghong’s visits to many public and private kindergartens, he found thatalthough nature education and forest activities may seem routine, not every school consciously incorporates them into teaching design.

finnish children are called "children of nature", but in fact finland's natural environment also has obvious limitations, such as the long winter and early darkness.when the weather is bad, many schools will also reduce outdoor activities. for example, they will not go out when the temperature falls below a certain temperature.

therefore, “when mentioning finland, it seems like you have to talk about nature education. in fact, nature education does not have that much space.” yonghong emphasized that finnish education should not be simply classified as nature education when it comes to it. the teaching activities highlighted by kindergartens with different concepts are also different, and they are not consistent due to different teaching concepts. for example, in a kindergarten that emphasizes the outdoors, nature education will be valued, but if it is about sports or scientific concepts, nature education may not dominate.

finland's happiness index has been ranked first in the world for many years in a row, but on the other hand,it also has a relatively high incidence of depression.yonghong's most intuitive feeling is that when he is far away from his hometown and relatives, especially during long dark nights and cold winters, his sleep will be affected and his mood will be depressed. before coming to finland, you should at least consider whether you can adapt to such a climate.

overall, neither finland as a country nor finnish education is suitable for everyone. take academic performance as an example. finland ranked first in the pisa test many years ago, but its ranking has actually dropped in recent years. finnish education is also facing many challenges and is constantly undergoing reforms. therefore, no education is perfect.

despite the filters, i am still impressed by finland

when people don’t have so many filters and high expectations for finland, and come here to take a look, it is easier to taste the real touch of finnish education and find education that is truly suitable for their children.

in yonghong’s current view,finnish education actually doesn’t have many “tricks”.“promoting the physical and mental health and development of young children, cultivating their social skills, creativity and learning ability, as well as their self-esteem, self-reliance and self-confidence, and becoming responsible citizens are the core of finnish early childhood education.”

to paraphrase kant,in short, treat children as an end, not a means.

when he first started working as a teacher in finland, yonghong had some difficulties in his way of thinking and concepts. especially when designing courses, he always wanted to bring a lot of content to the children and write down course plans. it had to be detailed and complete...but she gradually discovered that,in finnish early childhood education, there are actually very few such structured arrangements.

finnish teachers do not pay special attention to the arrangement of procedures. even if a course is not designed in detail, there is no need to panic. being a preschool teacher in finland gives you a lot of space and freedom. the teaching philosophy is not only based on the early childhood education outline, but also focuses on designing teaching content based on children's current interests and needs.

"many teachers in finland are always confident and relaxed. no matter how difficult the problems are, they can always behave calmly and calmly. teachers insist on focusing on work during working hours and clearly demarcate the boundaries between work and life. even in in terms of continuing education, they will not easily encroach on personal time.”

“there is always a lot of blank space in finnish early childhood education.in our country, we may always think about what our children have learned, fearing that they will lose at the starting line, but finnish early childhood education does not seem to care about the word starting line. the entire early childhood education stage is about 'playing'. they always say that play is the first priority for children. play is an important way for children to explore the world independently. "

in finnish kindergartens, taking children to explore outdoors is not to let them know the species of birds or the names of trees, but to allow them to perceive the beauty of nature, such as appreciating the beautiful feathers of birds and the scent of trees. aromatic. "finnish early childhood education focuses on play as its core rather than placing too much emphasis on setting learning goals. "

when he first arrived in finland, yonghong would also tell his children whether they should also study instead of playing all the time. unexpectedly, my son, who was immersed in finnish school, responded, "mom, i seem to be playing, but i am also studying."

the child is very independent after arriving in finland. he has to be picked up and dropped off every day in china, but here he has to go to and from school and go to interest classes by himself. after school, i go swimming, play ball, program, parkour, and like to engage in extreme sports. when he was at home, many friends knocked on the door to ask him to come out.

chinese families who come to finland will initially feel that the pace of education here is very slow, unlike in china where there are all kinds of exams and children's schedules are full. "the reason is that education in finland is not to cultivate competitiveness, but to give children the ability to perceive happiness, lifelong learning and problem-solving."

once, the child just got up in the morning and did yesterday’s homework.during the parent-teacher meeting, the finnish teacher said it didn't matter, as long as it was written before coming to school.yonghong was a little uncomfortable at first, because in china everyone takes homework and study tasks very seriously, but this is not the case in finland. the standard of "good student" can also cover every individual, such as being willing to help others. , having many friends, having a good sense of humor...these are all regarded as equally valuable qualities.

in finnish education, teachers do not preset the label of “bad boy”. teachers always use the most positive words to evaluate children, whether verbally or in writing, focusing on their potential and strengths rather than emphasizing their shortcomings or bad behaviors.

in addition, what shocked yonghong was that finland reallymulti-party efforts to support children’s education——early childhood education teachers, childminders, early special education experts, speech therapists, family consultations, child protection, social workers, family therapists, etc., all work together to educate children.

it is worth mentioning that finland attaches great importance to special education* starting from early childhood. schools, especially public schools, willunconditionally accommodate children with special educational needs. "we only gradually discover that there are some problems after many children enter school. as teachers, we don't know what some parents are unwilling to say. even if we find out, we cannot ask parents to make a diagnosis, let alone classrooms and texts show that children are ‘problem children’.”

*note: special education recipients of finnish early childhood education may include children with learning disabilities, developmental delays, behavioral problems or other special educational needs. these special needs may include, but are not limited to, learning disabilities, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd), etc. in early childhood education, these children may require additional support, individualized instructional plans, or special educational resources to meet their unique learning and developmental needs.

finland’s concept of special education isit is hoped that these children will go to school with all other children and receive an equal environment to grow up.in the kindergarten stage, schools will have special teachers to design teaching guidance and provide professional counseling and support for children with autism. finnish society also has a very tolerant attitude towards children in need of help, and no family will instill the saying "don't follow play with a certain child” or “stay away from a certain child.”

since august last year, yonghong has studied full-time for a master's degree in education at the university of helsinki. the kindergarten where she works gave her a full year of "study leave." this is also a point that impresses yonghong. teachers don’t have to study. in fact, they can use this holiday to do whatever they want. one of her colleagues took leave to travel around the world.

whether it is for children or adults, finland always values ​​people themselves, rather than grades and assessments.as purpose. this orientation also determines that finnish education will not “roll up”.

all forms of education are just "leaves" rather than "roots"

after studying early childhood education in finland and accumulating work experience, yonghong felt more and more:the best children's education is not found in finland, but exists in every warm family, stemming from the nurturing and companionship of parents, as well as their words and deeds.

in addition to daily teaching, yonghong will often observe the relationship between finnish parents and children. she found that many finnish parents have extremely stable emotions and can treat their children calmly. no matter what "disobedient" behavior their children have at the moment, they will never yell at their children and seem to always have a good temper.

the kindergarten arranges two to three hours of outdoor activity time every day. the children will crawl in the snow, roll in the sand, and wade in the mud. however, finnish parents are accustomed to these situations and will neither blame their children nor put any blame or pressure on their teachers.

every afternoon when parents come to pick up their children, the children are already "little mud monkeys", running towards their parents covered in raindrops and mud.parents will hug their children naturally and enthusiastically, and sometimes even spin them in circles several times, as if they have found a treasure again, regardless of getting their coats dirty. at that moment, it seemed like they and the child were the only ones left in the world.in general impression, finns are "i" people with a strong sense of boundaries, but in fact they are very accustomed to expressing strong love directly to their children.

finland does not have a culture of luxury goods. many people are used to buying second-hand items and clothes even if their family conditions are good. they are very simple. their love is not in a material sense, but they are willing to give their children a lot of rituals:

finnish kindergartens promote a hugging culture, and parents hug their children every day."their hug is not just a brief hug, but a tight hug for a long time. it feels like recharging the battery once in the morning and again in the evening."people often say that a warm childhood heals a lifetime, and it’s true.

yonghong recalled the moment when one of his friends in china had an emotional breakdown. although he was very well-educated and had an aura, he always felt inferior and was so stressed that he scratched bleeding marks on his body.friends said that her parents have been telling her that she "wasn't good enough" since she was a child. many asian children are not like this, and it is difficult to cure their childhood in a lifetime.

some chinese parents who come to finland to accompany their children in school every day still do homework and grades when they come home from school. they still get along with their children with a result-oriented mentality. they will eventually find that finland cannot bring about an "educational miracle."

the documentary "childhood in a foreign country" tells a story: a father who immigrated to finland from china flicked his daughter on the forehead while helping her with her homework. as a result, people from the child protection organization found out and had several rounds of serious interviews with the family. ——although you are in a certain country, if your ideas are not changed, you will encounter such a "culture shock".

yonghong once met a family of immigrants from canada in finland. their three children were all smart and well-educated. yonghong wondered if this was the help of finnish education. when asked where they went to school, the other person's answer was home school. in fact, they were not influenced by any specific country or school.

yonghong thought: "the safest haven and reservoir for children,actuallyfirst caregiver。”

the skills learned in school may one day be replaced, butthis kind of soft skills brought by the family will accompany the children to spend their lives with tenacity and courage.

therefore, the best children's education is not found in finland, and finland is not an educational medicine that can cure all diseases. yonghong thinks,if families can truly change their concepts and give their children enough respect, acceptance and love, this will be more important than coming to finland or any other country in person; if their concepts have not changed, even coming to finland will not solve the problem.

"to a certain extent, finnish education is 'the most simple', which means giving children more respect, acceptance and tolerance." yonghong lamented that the so-called natural education, forest education, phenomenal teaching, innovative education... …these are all just leaves hanging on the tree. the former is the 'root'.”

if that root is protected, the direction of education will not be lost, and the child will live a happy life.

*pictures from interviewees

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