Curriculum CURRICULUM. Curriculum is the base to teaching and learning.The word is so official and serious so a professional approach is chosen.
I learnt a great bit about what curriculum is, and isn't in our first virtual session from team Saturn.
I learnt a great bit about what curriculum is, and isn't in our first virtual session from team Saturn.
The Finnish National Board of Education is the place where I usually go when I need to know some serious stuff about education in Finland.
"The Government decides on the general goals of vocational education and training, the structure of qualifications, and the core subjects. The Ministry of Education decides on the studies and their scope.
There are 53 vocational upper secondary qualifications and 119 study programmes in them."
I am very happy we have a centralized system for curricula. It obliges the schools and teachers to follow the curricula when it comes to course content, learning goals, assessment etc . It enables regional and socio-economic equality, requires qualified teachers etc. At the same time, it gives the teacher freedom to use such methods that the teacher finds suitable for teaching the content.
When it is clear to the student from start what is included in the study program, what courses are compulsory, what are optional, how much working experience etc it is easier to manage the studies. There are less surprises :-) Still, new teaching methods can be easily applied, as long as the required learning goals are achieved.
The challenge is however, to maintain the good quality in teaching and study programs and to be one step ahead. The national board of education makes general amendments to study programs, vocational qualification requirements etc on a on-going basis. They also try to stay on the edge and make amendments that are needed in the future. This is the hard part because many interest groups have different views e.g. the trade union of education in Finland about what is needed in the future. Amendments are prepared in working groups representing different actors and interest groups which slows the amendment process. However, it secures a democratic decision-making process but the result might sometimes be a compromise that no party is fully comfortable with.
The national board of education is the policy unit that prepares and sets out the requirements but gives freedoms to the schools and teachers to implement the curricula to fit the school and the neighboring area the best.
Refereces
Finnish National Board of Education. Retrieved on 2 December 2012 from
http://www.oph.fi/english/education/vocational_upper_secondary_education_and_training/curriculum
I am very happy we have a centralized system for curricula. It obliges the schools and teachers to follow the curricula when it comes to course content, learning goals, assessment etc . It enables regional and socio-economic equality, requires qualified teachers etc. At the same time, it gives the teacher freedom to use such methods that the teacher finds suitable for teaching the content.
When it is clear to the student from start what is included in the study program, what courses are compulsory, what are optional, how much working experience etc it is easier to manage the studies. There are less surprises :-) Still, new teaching methods can be easily applied, as long as the required learning goals are achieved.
The challenge is however, to maintain the good quality in teaching and study programs and to be one step ahead. The national board of education makes general amendments to study programs, vocational qualification requirements etc on a on-going basis. They also try to stay on the edge and make amendments that are needed in the future. This is the hard part because many interest groups have different views e.g. the trade union of education in Finland about what is needed in the future. Amendments are prepared in working groups representing different actors and interest groups which slows the amendment process. However, it secures a democratic decision-making process but the result might sometimes be a compromise that no party is fully comfortable with.
The national board of education is the policy unit that prepares and sets out the requirements but gives freedoms to the schools and teachers to implement the curricula to fit the school and the neighboring area the best.
Refereces
Finnish National Board of Education. Retrieved on 2 December 2012 from
http://www.oph.fi/english/education/vocational_upper_secondary_education_and_training/curriculum
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