Using the Finnish Response to Immigrants in Schools in the American System

Abstract

The debate has raged for years about the transposability of the Finnish education model to the American model. Critics point to Finland’s relatively uniform demographics and political leanings in contrast to the dramatically varied cultures within the United States as a primary concern with comparing the two systems. While these are impediments in implementing the Finnish system as a whole, Finland’s demographics are changing in ways the United States has been experiencing for generations. The world is shrinking. Immigrants from increasingly distant areas have been moving to Finland in greater volumes over the past several years. These new migrant waves have presented difficulties to all aspects of society, and in areas far beyond Finland’s borders; but they have affected Finland’s classrooms, too. This trend has prompted not just a dip in the very international test scores which launched them into the global spotlight in the first place, but active responses to these challenges from across the Finnish spectrum.