Abstract
This article discusses the differences in special educational systems in Finland and Norway in relation to the PISA scores. By comparing the Finnish system with the Norwegian, we have found that the strong focus both on early intervention and on reading and writing in Finland have positive effects on this country's PISA results. The situation in Norway is different, where there is less use of early intervention and a markedly weaker emphasis on reading and writing within special education. We discuss these differences in relation to these countries’ different cultural orientations with respect to education in general and to special education in particular.
Highlights
OECD meanAccording to Kivirauma and Ruoho (2007), one of the secrets in the Finnish success has especially been the focus on early language abilities within Finnish special education
This article discusses the differences in special educational systems in Finland and Norway in relation to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores
Norway has traditionally scored around the mean on the PISA test; in the latest test Norway was the only Nordic country to score below average in all subjects (Kjærnsli et al 2007)
Summary
According to Kivirauma and Ruoho (2007), one of the secrets in the Finnish success has especially been the focus on early language abilities within Finnish special education
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