Shared and Contested Views of Education Professionals on the Forms of Privatisation within Comprehensive Schooling in Finland
: Nivanaho Nina, Haavisto Mikko, Palonen Tuire, Lempinen Sonia, Seppänen Piia
: Santalova Antonina, Põder Kaire
: New York
: 2024
: Privatization in and of Public Education
: International Policy Exchange
: 130
: 150
: 978-0-19-767350-8
: 978-0-19-767353-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197673508.003.0007
This chapter examines Finnish education professionals’ views on the forms of privatization within comprehensive education in Finland. Finland has a long tradition of public provision of education, guided by the state and municipalities, and until today, privatization in the country has not proceeded within schooling to the same extent as it has in many other countries. However, recently, emerging education-related business has intensified around Finnish comprehensive education. This survey study explored education professionals’ (n = 227) social-democratic and privatization views on comprehensive schooling. A latent profile analysis showed the majority of education professionals were against endogenous (competition in schooling, schools being business-like) and exogenous (cooperation between public and private entities, outsourcing of schooling) privatization. Nevertheless, a small profile of educators (10.1%) somewhat supported all dimensions of privatization. Regardless of their views on privatization, education professionals strongly supported social-democratic views of equal educational opportunity as a foundational to Finnish education.