D2 Article in a professional compilation book
Finland on the operating table: Dissecting the Finnish educational system from a Namibian viewpoint
Authors: Helena Aimongwa, Elias Mbanze, Marc van Niekerk, Brita Somerkoski
Editors: Tapio Heino, Outi Kokkonen, Tanja Uskali, Kirsi Urmson, Eeva-Maija Niinistö
Publisher: Turun yliopisto
Publication year: 2018
Book title : Rauman normaalikoulu - oiva opinahjo: katsaus vuosiin 1997-2018
Series title: Rauman normaalikoulu, Turun yliopisto
First page : 62
Last page: 73
ISBN: 978-951-29-7343-9
While
searching the internet on articles on individuality in Education, we stumbled
across an insightful yet thought-provoking explanation of the term in an
extract by John Dewey (1923) who illustrated individuality in a form of maple
leaves. See, if one were to gather all
the maple leaves in the world, one wouldn’t find one left exactly like the
other, although they might resemble the same distinctive features, they are all
different. Dewey states that as we escalate on the scale of existence, the
“element of the diversity of distinction” is what becomes important. This example of Dewey’s explanation is ever
so fitting within the viewpoint in education.
Regardless of the school, its status or geographical location, the goal
and its fundamental blueprint stay the same – to plow the seed of knowledge in
individuals which grows and becomes the pillars of strength within a
society. The differentiation comes in on
how each country’s education system provides its people with the necessary
tools in education to lead with a vision that encompasses the world whilst
embedding the rich spiritual and social history of its country. One can regard that some schools and
countries are better in the transition of knowledge to its people than others,
however, what is important is that one doesn’t criticise but instead share
their knowledge and guide others wherever possible. This guidance is what has led to a
scholarship opportunity funded by the Namibian government to send 24 Namibians
to Finland, to learn more about the Finnish educational system who has proven
to be a pioneer in the field of education (Finnish Educational Agency
2017.). On Valentine's day, 2017 the 24
students left the African soil and embarked on their two-year journey to Rauma,
Finland, where they would carry out their studies at the University of
Turku.
The main aim of this paper is to express our
views and reflect on what has been the most informative and enriching
experience thus far, our second observation and teaching practice in the Rauman
Normaalikoulu Teacher Training School (later here only the Finnish name Rauman
normaalikoulu is used), a teacher training school. The basic view of this paper
is based on a study of Brita Somerkoski and Päivi Granö (Somerkoski &
Granö). In the light of that study, it looks clear that in the observation
reports, Finnish school system and learning environment were described by the
Namibian students with three main concepts: freedom, individuality, and
equality. Three students voluntarily wa