SMART Community Review (SCR) Teacher education in Finland | Page 19

as well as textbooks and materials.
Universities and universities of applied
sciences enjoy extensive autonomy. The
operations of both universities of applied
sciences and universities are built on the
freedom of education and research. They
organise their own administration, decide on
student admission and design the contents of
degree programmes.
Quality assurance is based on steering
instead of controlling
In Finland school inspections were abolished in
the early 1990s. The ideology is to steer through
information, support and funding. The activities
of education providers are guided by objectives
laid down in legislation as well as the national
core curricula and qualification requirements.
The system relies on the proficiency of teachers
and other personnel.
There is strong focus on both self-evaluation
of schools and education providers and national
evaluations of learning outcomes. National
evaluations of learning outcomes are done
regularly, so that there is a test every year either
in mother tongue and literature or mathematics.
Other subjects are evaluated according to the
evaluation plan of the Ministry of Education
and Culture. Not only academic subjects are
evaluated but also subjects such as arts and
crafts and cross-curricular themes.
From the schools’ perspective, the evaluations
are not regular as they are sample-based. The
education providers receive their own results to
be used for development purposes.
The main aim of the national evaluations of
learning outcomes is to follow at national level
how well the objectives have been reached
as set in the core curricula and qualification
Education system based on trust and responsibility  13