In June 2012, Tel Aviv University's School of Education is hosting a conference dedicated to studying the Finnish education system and discussing possible lessons for implementation in Israel
Finland has one of the world’s highest performing education systems according to the OECD’s international comparative examinations. In Finland, teachers are chosen from the top ten percent of university graduates; the teaching profession is well-respected by the public; and parents and government authorities have confidence in teachers and schools. Teacher training is highly competitive and includes a Master’s degree with a compulsory major in special education. In schools, new teachers are apprenticed by expert-teachers, and teaching methodology is focused on the learning progress of each individual student. Israel, currently positioned low in the OECD rankings, has a lot to learn from the Finnish education system.
Tel Aviv University’s School of Education is hosting a conference in June 2012, which will be dedicated to studying the Finnish example and discussing possible lessons for implementation in Israel. Conference participants will include officials from Israel’s Ministry of Education, school principals, teachers and researchers. Guest speakers include academics and respected practitioners from Finland.