Small rural primary schools in Finland: A pedagogically valuable part of the school network

Abstract

This paper reviews research on small rural primary schools in Finland and analyses it under three thematic foci: the relationship between the local rural school and the surrounding community, the small rural primary school as a learning environment, and the teachers’ profession in this context. Over 30% of Finnish primary schools are small rural schools with three to four permanent teachers and teaching groups. Their culture encompasses ties to the local community while providing an almost unique school environment as a context for multiple learning and instructional processes. The review suggests that the position of small rural primary schools is threatened, as the continuing process of centralisation endangers the basic Finnish right to equal basic education in rural areas.