Prof Jukka Alava, former director and emeritus professor in the Institute of Educational Leadership at the University of Jyväskylä, delivered a public lecture on the Finnish education system at Groenkloof Campus in October 2014. During the lecture, he also made recommendations on improving South Africa’s education system.

The lecture, themed, “Education in Finland: Working in a paradise or a wasteland?”, aimed to give an overview of the development of Finland mainly after World War II, starting from a very challenging position of a ruined country and becoming a prosperous nation of today. As a result of the development and several factors attached to it, education rose to be one of the key factors of success in Finland.

Prof Alava traced back the some 60 years after WW II, pointing out that many factors regarding the country’s evolution has to do with education.

“Firstly, factories were built to take care of the war compensation, and factory workers were recruited and trained; thus taking the first steps of vocational education. After the ‘baby boom’ more schools were needed and, of course, more teachers and teacher education. Then, in accordance with the society and professions developing, a more diversified field of vocational training had to be created. In the 1960s and 1970s, several new universities were founded and in the 1990s the polytechnics,” he explained.

As a result of the abovementioned, education as such is highly valued in Finland, the profession of the teacher is highly appreciated and an ethos of trust and equality rose to dominant features in the society. Only 10-15% of the applicants to teacher education programmes are admitted. The lecture pointed out other important factors behind the country’s educational success, such as training and quality of teachers, the role of teacher-training schools as part of teacher preparation programmes, the overall interest in the position of teacher, continuity in education policy, early-childhood and preschool practices, and support for students with special needs.

Prof Alava concluded the lecture by encouraging any country or region, including South Africa, to follow on nation building and to enhance education. To this end, he made several recommendations for tasks to be taken in South Africa to enhance education. He recommended that education be prioritised on a national policy level, and suggested wide participation in national and municipal curriculum development, including unions and stakeholders. Positive media visibility is another key point in enhancing the education system, while the level of teacher training by developing teacher education faculties and departments must also receive attention. The work conditions and salaries of teachers should motivate rather than discourage teachers, and the competencies of school leaders and administrators should be increased. Finally, school infrastructure must also be developed.

The active collaboration between Prof Alava and UP started in 2008 and 2009. His visit to South Africa in October 2014 included several activities: focused lectures, a public lecture, student advising, planning for further international initiatives and a workshop. The workshop included topics such as educational leadership theories, innovative leadership practices and curriculum orienting to future and continuous professional development.

It was attended by colleagues from the University of Johannesburg and North-West University. UP’s Faculty of Education plans to continue its collaboration with Prof Alava in the form of professor/lecturer and students exchanges, study visits, collaborative research projects and articles, collaborative outreach, developmental projects and workshops.