FINLAND

By: London Bondurant

Geography

Finland is bordered on the east by

Russia, on the south by the Gulf of
Finland and Estonia, on the west by
the Gulf of Bothnia and Sweden,
and on the north and northwest by
Norway

Capital: Helsinki

Finland is the fifth largest country in

Western Europe

Population:
5.4 million
Life expectancy:
men 76 years, women 83 years
Languages:
Finnish (91%) and Swedish (5.4%)
(Smi is spoken by about 1,700 people in
northern Lapland)
Religion:
Lutheran Church of Finland 82.5%,
Orthodox Church 1.1%
other Christian 1.1%
other 0.1%
none 15.1%

National Flag of Finland

Government:
Parliamentary democracy

Climate
In winter, northern Finland is covered by snow from November to April.
In the south, the snow usually arrives in December - but the amount of snowfall

may vary from one year to another.

North of the Arctic Circle, the winter includes a period known as the polar night,

when the sun does not rise above the horizon at all. In the northernmost part of
Finland, the polar night lasts for 51 days.
Summer is warm and bright with almost 20 hours of daylight at the latitude of

Helsinki.
North of the Arctic Circle the midnight sun stays continuously above the horizon

from early June to early July, but even in the southern parts of the country summer
nights are very short and light, since the sun sets only just below the horizon.
(2013 extremes: coldest day -39.5F and warmest day 90.3F)

Food & Drinks

A large midday meal in a rural household
may include fish baked in a rye loaf,
potatoes, barley bread, cheese, pickled
beets, cloudberries in sauce, milk, and
coffee.
Milk is prominent as a beverage and as
the basic ingredient in a variety of
curdled, soured, and cultured forms
(broth in soups, stews, and puddings)

Coffee and Pulla

This morning or evening snack is consumed

by a very large population of Finnish people. It
is a magic combination of freshly baked sweet
buns with coffee. This sweetbread topped with
coarse sugar sprinkles is served at gas
stations, mall cafes, kiosks and most
restaurants.

(The potato is served every day in Finland)

Clothing
Finns usually wear casual comfortable and

practical clothes. In formal situations men

wear a suit and tie and women wear a
dress that matches.

In business life, the casual style is

gradually taking over the formal suit & tie.

In the summer, brighter colours in clothes

like shorts and t-shirts are popular. In the

winter, warmer clothes and darker colors
are typically worn.

(The people of Finland declared their traditional dress that was

really impressive and appealing as the national costume of
Finland, commonly referred to as kansallispuvu)

Money & Distribution of Wealth

Gini Index
Definition: This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family
income in a country. The more nearly equal a country's income distribution, the lower
its Gini index will be. The more unequal a country's income distribution, the higher its
Gini index will be. If income were distributed with perfect equality, the index would be
zero
Finlands Gini index: 26.8
U.S. Gini index: 41.1 (2010)

Currency: euro
1 euro = 1.24 US Dollars

Cost of Living
Clothing And Shoes

Markets
Milk (regular), (1
liter)
Loaf of Fresh
White Bread
(500g)

Avg.

1 Pair of Jeans (Levis

501 Or Similar)

80.06

$99.47

1 Summer Dress in a
Chain Store (Zara,
H&M, ...)

29.93

$37.19

1 Pair of Nike Shoes

82.31

$102.28

1 Pair of Men Leather

Shoes

96.52

$119.93

Rent Per Month

Avg.

Apartment (1 bedroom)
in City Centre

700.77

Apartment (1 bedroom)
Outside of Centre

527.86

$655.89

1,188.00

$1,476.14

Apartment (3
bedrooms) in City
Centre
Apartment (3
bedrooms) Outside of
Centre

905.67

Avg.
1.04

$1.29

2.05

$2.55

Rice (white), (1kg)

1.93

$2.40

Eggs (12)

2.20

$2.74

7.69

$9.55

10.24

$2.72

Apples (1kg)

2.24

$2.78

Oranges (1kg)

2.09

$2.60

Tomato (1kg)

3.22

$4.00

Potato (1kg)

0.94

$1.16

Lettuce (1 head)

1.66

$2.06

1.76

$2.19

10.00

$2.43

2.49

$3.10

2.53

$3.15

Local Cheese
(1kg)
Chicken Breasts
(Boneless,
Skinless), (1kg)

$870.74

$1,125.34

Water (1.5 liter

bottle)
Bottle of Wine
(Mid-Range)
Domestic Beer
(0.5 liter bottle)
Imported Beer
(0.33 liter bottle)
Pack of Cigarettes
(Marlboro)

5.50

$6.83

Women of Finland
There is a high degree of equality between sexes in Finland
There is a relatively high number of women holding advanced positions in politics and

other areas of society

From 2000-2012 a woman named Tarja Halonen was the President of the Republic
Patronizing attitudes towards women are generally considered unacceptable
Women still face problems at work when striving for the same status as men
Women who work are still overwhelmingly responsible for the family and domestic

duties

Education Policy
One of the basic principles of Finnish education is that all

people must have equal access to high-quality education

and training. The same opportunities to education should
be available to all citizens irrespective of their ethnic origin
age, wealth, or where they live.

The key words in the Finnish education policy are

QUALITY, EFFICIENCY, EQUITY, AND

INTERNATIONALISM.

Education is Free!
Education is free at all levels from pre-primary to higher

education
In pre-primary and basic education, the textbooks, daily
meals, and transportation for those who live further away
from school are free
At the secondary level and in higher education the students
themselves or the parents purchase their own books
At the secondary level the students have a right to a free
meal
In higher education meals are subsidized by the state
Adult education is the only form of education that may
require payment

School Meals
Finnish legislation guarantees pupils and students the

right to free meals during school days from pre-primary

through the completion of upper secondary education.
(approximately ages 6-19)
The law that ensures a free school meal for all children

dates back to 1943.

A good school meal consists of a warm main course,

vegetables, bread with table spread, and a drink.

Schooling Basics

Local authorities assign a school place to each pupil close to their

homes, but parents are free to choose the school of their preference,
with some restrictions
The school year is 190 days long, from mid- August to the beginning

of June
Schools are open five days a week and the weekly and daily

timetables are decided in the schools

There is local autonomy concerning extra holidays
There are no national exams in Finland until completion of upper

secondary education (Finnish Matriculation Examination)

Education providers are responsible for practical teaching

arrangements as well as effectiveness and quality of its arrangements

Example: There are no regulations governing class size and the

education providers and schools are free to determine how to group

students

Early Childhood Education and Care

Pre-primary Education

Age 6
At the pre-primary level
Up to age 5
Consists of care,

education, and teaching

to support childrens
balanced growth,
development, and
learning.

children will adopt basic

skills, knowledge, and
capabilities from
different areas of
learning in accordance
with their age and
abilities.
Learning through play is
essential.

Basic Education
Starts when a child turns seven and lasts nine years
Provided within a single structure, that is, there is no

division into primary and lower secondary education

schools (elementary and middle)
Instruction is usually given by the same class teacher in
most subjects for the first six year classes (primary
education) and by subject specialists in the last three
years (lower secondary)
Students receive a certificate at the end of year 9 from
their teacher with all of their grades in basic education

Curriculum
The national core curriculum for basic education is

determined by the Finnish National Board of Education

It contains the objectives and core contents of different
subjects, as well as principles of pupil assessment,
special needs education, pupil welfare, and educational
guidance
It is renewed approximately every ten years

General and Vocational Upper Secondary Education

Students who have successfully completed basic

education are eligible for general and vocational upper

secondary education and training
Selection to upper secondary school is mainly based on
the students grades in their basic education certificate
The selection criteria used for vocational institutions can
include work experience and also entrance and aptitude
tests
More than 90% of the relevant age group starts one or the
other immediately after basic education

Higher Education
The Finnish Matriculation Examination provides general eligibility for higher
education. Universities may admit applicants who are considered to have the
necessary skills and knowledge to complete the studies.

Polytechnics

Universities
Students can study for Bachelors and

Students can study for a Polytechnic

Masters degrees and scientific or

artistic postgraduate degrees, which

are the Licentiate and the Doctorate

degrees

The target time for getting a Masters

degree is 5 years, although average

time is 6 years
(3 years for Bachelors degree followed

by 2 years for Masters degree)

Bachelors degree or a Polytechnic

Masters degree
Degrees give a higher education
qualification and practical
professional skills
The general requirement for
admission is completion of general
upper secondary education or
vocational education and training
Selection is based on entrance
examinations, school achievement,
and work experience
Consists of core and professional
studies, elective studies, and a final
project

Teacher Education
Teaching is a very attractive career choice in Finland and teacher education institutions

have to select the applicants most suitable for the teaching profession
Percentage of intake for teaching programs:
Class teacher education: 10% of all applicants
Subject teacher education: 10-50% of all applicants, depending on the subject
Vocational teacher education: 30% of all applicants

In the admissions process for professional teacher education, the areas

assessed include competence and expertise in the specific field of teaching,
which is demonstrated through work experience and qualifications
Focus points in developing the content of teacher education include the
teaching and guidance of students requiring a greater level of support, the
development of learning environments, the utilization of information and
communication technology, and issues related to a multicultural society

Teacher Education Continued.

Teachers in basic and general upper secondary education are required to hold a
Masters degree
Teachers in vocational education and training have to hold a higher education degree
Teaching and guidance staff within daycare centers generally have Bachelors
degrees
Pre-primary teachers in schools hold a Masters degree

**The high level of training is seen as necessary as teachers in Finland are very

autonomous professionally
Included in all teacher education programs are pedagogical studies and guided

teaching practice, which is implemented in the universities own schools for teaching
practice or sometimes other schools nominated for the same purpose

Trusted Professionals
Majority of the teachers in Finland are female
The teaching profession is aging in Finland, with only 33%

of teachers being under the age of 40

Each education provider decides who is responsible for
appointing new teachers
Teachers have the power to decide which teaching
methods and learning materials they want to use
The Finnish system is based on trust in teachers and
teacher education

Sources
www.oph.fi/english
http://www.minedu.fi/export/sites/default/OPM/Julkaisut/2013/liitteet/Finnis
h_education_in_a_nuttshell.pdf
http://finlan.fi/public/default.aspx
www.minedu.fi
www.everywhereculture.com
http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Finland.html
http://www.studyinfinland.fi/living_in_finland/some_practical_information_o
n_finland/climate
http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/stay-and-enjoy/eat/finnish-cuisine-in-helsinki
http://www.thelovelyplanet.net/traditional-dress-of-finland-impressive-andappealing/
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Finland
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/finland/currency
http://finland.fi/public/default.aspx?
nodeid=41817&contentlan=2&culture=en-US