Convivencia familiar

4.2.1. Transition of graduates into teaching

196.In 2001, about 800 class teachers and 1,900 subject teachers, special needs teachers and student counsellors graduated from general (non-vocational) teacher education in Finland. Graduate volumes have remained relatively stable over the last five years, apart from some small annual variations.

Figure 4.1. Degrees taken in general teacher education in 1997–2001

Source: Statistics Finland 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

197.As shown in Figure 4.2. below, there were some variations in the volumes of people completing vocational teacher education and training in 1997–2000. In 2002, the figure for those completing teacher education and training climbed to about 1,000 people. The proportion of men among those who completed vocational teacher education and training varied between 33% and 47% of all those who completed the studies. The average time spent on completing the pedagogical studies for vocational teachers was 1.5 years.

Figure 4.2. People completing vocational teacher education and training in 1997–2002

Source: AMKOTA database

198.As a general rule, there are good employment opportunities for graduate teachers in Finland. Nevertheless, the transition from education to working life represents a phase that involves many uncertainties and placement in the teaching profession does not necessarily happen immediately after graduation. Recent graduate teachers may also start their careers in fixed-term posts or positions. Conversely, several people who complete vocational teacher education and training already work as teachers.

199.No comprehensive surveys have been carried out in Finland on the number of people, who actually become teachers after completing teacher education and training. Leading to a higher academic (Master’s) degree, university teacher education provides good capabilities to work in other occupations as well. Training skills and experience in public performance have also been valued by business enterprises, for example. In addition to teaching positions at vocational institutions, those who have completed vocational teacher education and training may find placements as teachers at vocational adult education centres or in other assignments within different sectors of working life. People tend to move away from the teaching field during periods of economic prosperity in particular. On the basis of sample-based and field-specific surveys, it is possible to present some estimates of people, who have completed teacher education and training but work outside the teaching field. Approximately 90% of those graduating as class teachers will move on to class teaching positions, 80% of those graduating as special needs teachers will work in special education and 85% of those graduating as subject teachers will take up subject teaching positions. It has been estimated that about 90% of students in vocational teacher education and training will become teachers in vocational education and training. During their careers, 15% of these teachers will move on either to other educational institutions or completely away from teaching work.

200.The Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals (AKAVA) carried out a research project in 2000–2002 to follow the placement of highly educated people in working life. The study was implemented using a questionnaire survey method and followed the careers of those who had

0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

graduated from universities in 1997 up until the autumn of 2001. Of those respondents who had started their careers in teaching assignments, about 85% also continued as teachers 4–5 years after their graduation. Almost all women who had started their careers as teachers also continued in teaching assignments at the end of the period under investigation. Conversely, only two out of three men who had embarked on teaching careers were still teachers 4–5 years later. Respondents who had left their teaching assignments had typically moved on to expert or managerial positions. Quite a high number of people had left their teaching positions, considering that this is a field where education leads directly to a certain profession. Admittedly, it is likely that some people who had move on to managerial positions still continued in the teaching field as heads or rectors of schools. Based on the survey, only a few of those who had started in expert assignments had become teachers during the period under investigation. (Suutari 2003.)

201.Surveys have shown that currently employed teachers perceive that the hardest and most strenuous aspects of their work include teaching heterogeneous groups of pupils, carrying out individual study plans and teaching methods, problems with discipline, harassment and, in some cases, violence towards teachers, as well as the incoherence of the educational atmosphere (Kivivuori 1999). Individual teachers have been put ‘in charge of many things’ as contributors to the well-being of individual pupils/students, the future of society and the results of industrial life. 202.In its education policy programme, the Teacher Student Union of Finland states that teacher education and training should support graduating students as they make the transition to teaching by better preparing them to meet the realities of teaching work. The Union states that many new teachers will already burn out during their early years and will therefore leave the profession that they perceive as being strenuous in the very early stages of their careers. In addition, teacher students consider that more attention should be paid to guidance and support for recently graduated teachers.

203.The majority of teachers are employed by local authorities. The Finnish Association of Local and Regional Authorities, formed by Finnish local authorities, has launched a project with an objective to increase interest in working within the municipal sector, such as in the teaching profession. The project has investigated staff development trends in municipalities up until 2010. The teaching workforce is one of the key groups analysed in the project. Underlying this project is awareness of the fact that as the ‘baby boomers’ retire at the turn of the decade, municipal employers will also have to compete for well-educated workforce. The background materials used for the project include statistics on the age structure and labour demand in the municipal sector, surveys focusing on the health and well-being of the workforce and general developments in the municipal sector.

204.Improvement of working conditions and job satisfaction has emerged as a key means of increasing the attraction of teaching work. The project launched by the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities aims to stress the significance of measures taken by public sector employers, such as staff induction and in-service training, and to support and guide education providers.

205.In late 2002, the Trade Union of Education launched the ‘Finland Needs Teachers’ project to increase awareness of teaching work and of the profession’s effectiveness in society. The Trade Union considers it necessary to improve appreciation of professions operating in the teaching field. The project aims to convey to decision-makers and the general public a truthful picture of the teaching field, requirements of the work, teachers’ strengths and defects related to the field that should be remedied.

4.2.2. Becoming a teacher from another occupation

206.No statistical data has been collected in Finland, nor have there been any surveys on the number of people moving over to teaching from other occupations. Consequently, no data is available on the ages and backgrounds of these people or on the reasons behind their decision to change careers.

207.As described in Chapter 3 above, application for vocational teacher education and training and for the vocational teaching profession differs from general teacher education. In the vocational sector, people going into the profession are already professionals in their own fields and they are required to have work experience in their own fields obtained outside the teaching field. Economic cycles have a bearing on application rates for vocational teacher education and training and for the profession.

208.It is also possible to apply for general teacher education after completion of a degree. One objective set in the Teacher Education Development Programme is that universities will develop selection models for teacher education, which will also ease the transition from other occupations into teaching positions.

Figure 4.3. University teacher education studies taken after completion of a degree in 1997– 2001

Source: Ministry of Education

209.Figure 4.3. above shows the numbers of people who completed degrees for subject teachers, student counsellors and special needs teachers after completion of their primary degree in 1997– 2001. The numbers of those who completed such degrees varied from year to year. The average numbers of people who completed degrees for subject teachers, student counsellors and special needs teachers were 290, 36 and just over 190 respectively. In 2001, those who had completed teacher education within these groups accounted for 35.2% of all those who had completed degrees for subject teachers, student counsellors and special needs teachers. However, the number of people completing teacher education after taking a higher education degree does not paint a very good picture of the number of people who actually leave some other occupation in order to become teachers. On the contrary, this is more of an alternative way of completing teacher education, which is suitable both for people going into the teaching profession from other fields and for those just about to complete their studies.

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 subject teachers student counsellors

4.2.3. Degrees taken abroad

210.People who have completed higher education degrees abroad may apply to the National Board of Education for decisions on recognition of their degrees. In practical terms, a decision to recognise a degree means that, upon fulfilment of any possible additional conditions mentioned in the decision, the person concerned is eligible for vacant public posts or positions. A foreign degree is recognised in Finland providing that the degree was completed at a university or some other higher education institution that is part of the official higher education system in the country awarding the degree and that the degree awarded by the educational institution in question is recognised in the country of origin.

211.Finland has not made any plans or taken any action to recruit foreign teachers to the country. Above all, recruitment of foreign teachers is complicated by the fact that teachers in basic education are required to have a perfect command of the language of instruction.