Ethical Education for Grades 1 and 2 in Finland from the Values Perspective

Abstract

The article addresses a key issue in curriculum policy, ethical education in Grades 1 and 2. The article uses the Finnish 2014 basic curriculum as the basis for a case study rooted in the humanities, philosophy, and the cultural sciences. The article explores what is embodied in this policy, especially the objectives of the subject of ethics in the curriculum. The article draws attention to the development of values through the curriculum in primary education in Finland and presents an overview of recent developments in values education in schools, taking curriculum research into account. The key part of the study is an analysis of the Finnish National Core Curriculum, principally those parts which involve secular ethics, as formulated by the Ministry of Education, and which emphasize the right of children to a good education and “to understand themselves, other people, the society, the environment, and different cultures” (National Core Curriculum, 2016, p. 15).