Session Information
23 SES 03 C, Effects of Reform on Teachers and Schools
Paper Session
Contribution
Smaller Finnish schools are in dire straits. In the last two decades, 65% of small Finnish primary schools have been closed down (Statistics Finland). The closed-down schools are mostly small village schools but the small schools in the cities seem to also be endangered. The unique network of small schools is being destroyed. Mere financial calculations have usually been behind the decisions to close down village schools and a deeper conversation about their value has not been held at all. Closures of small schools are explained by economical reasons: it is more cost-effective to transport children from villages to bigger centre schools. Bigger schools have been justified by social and didactical aspects besides economic reasoning. (Kalaoja & Pietarinen 2002, 2009.)
In this paper we shall examine the different aspects of village schools, their meaning and the conversation related to the closing down of the schools. We take a look at the features and history of Finnish village schools, consider their strengths and weaknesses and examine the decision-making behind the school closures. Firstly, we focus our study on the relationship between the local rural school and the surrounding community. In small villages, the role of schools grows beyond the teaching of children and learning. Our research task is to define this role and our question at the micro-level is: what is the social meaning of rural village schools?
The Finnish school network has been made thinner in the countryside and stronger in the cities ever since the 1990’s. Closing a school is always a political issue and has its historical background (Egelund & Lauststen 2006, Kearns & al. 2009). Municipalities have taken over much of the educational responsibility, and the state has stood aside. Therefore to understand the present situation of small schools in Finland and the discussion of the school closures, we explore the phenomena also at the macro-level. Our second research question is: what arguments are used in the political decision-making for closing small rural schools in Finland?
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Bourdieu, P. & Passeron, J-C. (1977). Reproduction in education, society and culture. Sage Publications, London. Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In: Richardson, J.G. (ed.). Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education., Greenwood Press, New York. 241-258. Egelund, N. & Lauststen, H. (2006): School closure: what are the consequences for the local society? Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 50,4,429-439. Kalaoja, E. & Pietarinen, J. 2002. Characteristics of Finnish small rural schools – what can we learn from learning and instruction by researching small rural schools? In: Kalaoja E. (ed.). Näkökulmia kyläkouluihin ja niiden kehittämiseen. Oulun yliopiston Kajaanin opettajankoulutusyksikön julkaisuja. Sarja A, Tutkimuksia 21. Kajaanin opettajankoulutusyksikkö, 3–19. Kalaoja, E. & Pietarinen, J. 2009. Small rural schools in Finland: a pedagogically valuable part of the school network. International Journal of Educational Research 48, 109–116. Kearns, R.A., Lewis, N., McCreanor, T., & Witten, K. (2009). “The status quo is not an option”: Community impacts of school closure in South Taranaki, New Zealand. Journal of Rural Studies 25, 131-140. Statistics Finland. Statistics of Education 1990-2010.
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