The Globalisation of Education: Finnish education on the doorstep of the new EU millennium

Abstract

This paper analyses the latest changes and future perspectives in educational policy in the so-called Nordic welfare model and especially in Finland. The broad question is: are the changes and the astonishingly new perspectives in education which have come about at least in Finland closely connected with the changes in educational policies of other post-industrialised welfare states and are they, as well, consequences of the new economic and political situation in the world? The question continues by asking: can we label this new educational policy, which is being practised now also in Finland, the policy of 'the globalisation of education' due to the enormously strong trends of globalisation in the new so-called network society of the new millennium? Neither the Berlin Wall nor the Soviet Union exists any longer. Finland as well as its Nordic neighbours has stepped into the European Union with its harmonising policy. The deep economic depression in the beginning of 1990s left lasting marks on Finnish geography by tearing down many of the dreams of the cosy Nordic welfare state. The old Nordic welfare state model with the very strong 'social-democratic' emphasis on the policy of equality of educational opportunity for every citizen is presently under discussion in Finland. Can we afford it? Is there any reason to continue along that road? Should we choose a new way? The paper begins by painting a framing picture of the situation of nation states and their educational systems in a world where multinational organisations, enterprises and political unions are more powerful than ever before in all fields of human activity. The next sections of the paper concentrate on analysing the situation in Nordic countries, through the example of Finland, and changes in their educational policy in the new context of the European Union, and the situation with regard to the aims and interests to develop European harmonisation in the name of the European dimension. The last sections of the paper analyse in more detail some ongoing and future changes and perspectives in Finnish educational policy in an international context. The author comes to the conclusion that a very radical shift towards new educational policies is going on in Finland. This change can be called the 'third wave', as has been done elsewhere, with all the rhetoric and practices of marketisation and parental choice, but compared with the old Finnish educational policy the change is much more profound than elsewhere. It may also have rather unexpected consequences in the new divisions of population by developing quite new mechanisms for including and excluding young people in the school system and in society.