4. Developing Quality of Guidance and Counseling Services in Finland - Ms. Heli Pikkila

4. Developing Quality of Guidance and Counseling Services in Finland - Ms. Heli Pikkila, Ms. Anu Turanan and Ms. Maarit Laaksonen, Finland

4.1Key Issues

• The Finnish education system was described starting from pre-primary all the way to the end of basic education (6-16 years). The most important point made was that there is no 'dead-end' after secondary education. One is always qualified to apply for higher education.

• The Finnish guidance and counseling systems are divided into two sections: employment and economic development offices, which focus on schools, vocational colleges and polytechnics; and the Centre for International Mobility (CIMO), which focuses on universities.

• Characteristics of the Finnish guidance and career services include: a strong focus on the education and training of professionals, a strong research base, support from policy makers, and the fact that the school system complement each other.

• The most important point that was emphasized was that the National Curriculum takes a holistic approach in that pupils and students are all entitled to have educational and vocational guidance as part of their education.

• The roles of ‘working life’ and real life experiences were emphasized in relation to the counseling process and were outlined e.g. 9th graders have work experiences for 2 weeks to better understand the real life experience of the work place.

• With regards to developing feedback mechanisms for guidance provisions in basic education, there are many projects within the country that focus on the efficacy of educational guidance and counseling. The main objectives are efficiency, effectiveness and financial accountability.

• There are different systemic levels of guidance to know what different kind of guidance services are available for the clients, what guidance provisions exist and what the public policies are in guidance. Activities are focused on being flexible and reformative.

• An example of such an activity is that questionnaires were given to all actors and stakeholders (students, parents, teachers etc) for grade 6-9, specifically asking them what kind of services they would like and what is required in the system.

• The conclusion that was reached through these questionnaires was that they needed more teachers and guidance counselors to ensure their reliability.

4.2Challenges

• The key challenges that are being faced include: the need to put strategic plans into action, the need to systemic cross-sectoral activities, a sustainable evidence base for policy development, regional cooperation, quality development at a national level, increased training for practitioners, and a balance between formal and non formal guidance.

• Other concerns include: the high percentage of individuals who are discontinuing their education at a vocational level; that up to 59 % of students who finish high school do not directly continue their education. This in part is due to army requirements (in the case of boys), but also do to the necessary requirements that are needed to enter university.

4.3Way Forward

• Steps forward include comparing the need for resources and their availability, the effectiveness of the input and the output, and the need for sustainable development and evaluation services.

• A 2004 case study results showed that: transition phases are key factors, individual counseling is valued by students, information on working life is needed and there needs to be a special emphasis on students with mental problems, learning difficulties and immigrant students.

• The improvement of guidance service at high school levels is a project that is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The focus is on the improvement of individual counseling and the aim is to create a collaboration model for high schools, universities, employment authorities and working life.

• A survey was done by the Union of Finnish high school students with the following results: there was a recognition that students needs more individual guidance, that students make their own choices but they need support, that students think that by making choices they can improve their quality of life, and students want high school to prepare them better for future working life.