Figure 1: Level of educational attainment among the Finnish adult population (15 years and older) since 1975 (source: Statistics Finland). Above: Kalasatama School and Day Nursery, sketch, Helsinki. JKMM Architects. Codename Wigwam in an architectural competition held in 2010, scheduled for completion in 2014.
Finland as a Successful Reformer
First, there has been steady growth in participation in all levels of education in Finland since 1970. This growth has been especially rapid in the upper-secondary education sector in the 1980s and, subsequently, within higher education and adult learning from the 1990s up to the present. Education policies and related reform principles in Finland have focused on creating equal education opportunities for all and thereby increasing participation in education throughout Finnish society. At the same time, more than 99% of the age cohort successfully completes compulsory education and about 95% continue their education in upper secondary schools or in the optional 10th grade of comprehensive school (some 3%) immediately after graduation. Of all young Finns, over 90% eventually receive their school leaving certificate providing access to higher education. Two thirds of those enrol either in academic universities or professionally oriented polytechnics. Finally, more than 50% of the Finnish adult population participates in adult education programmes. The rising educational level of Finnish adults is shown in Figure 1.
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