ERIC ED479840: Polytechnic Education in Finland. Reviews of National Policies for Education.

223 Pages·2003·2.8 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 479 840
HE 036 080
Polytechnic Education in Finland. Reviews of National
TITLE
Policies for Education.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris
INSTITUTION
(France).
ISBN-92-64-19939-X
ISBN
2003-00-00
PUB DATE
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*Educational Change; Foreign Countries; *Higher Education;
DESCRIPTORS
*Systems Development; *Technical Education; Technology
Education
*Finland; *Reform Efforts
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
In the early 1990s, the Finnish government embarked on a
strategy to remold Finland into a knowledge society. A key element in this
strategy was to raise the knowledge and skill levels of the population by
doubling higher education enrollments by the end of the century. Recognizing
that it would be neither affordable nor desirable to double traditional
university enrollments, the government created a new sector of higher
education with a different content, degree structure, and governance, the
polytechnics ("Ammattikorkeakolut"). Findings from this study, conducted by a
team of experts using a variety of data sources, suggest that the strategy is
likely to be successful. The polytechnic sector is highly regarded and
currently enrolls three-fifths of students entering higher education. The
examiners raise some issues related to fees and examine the strategies for
internationalization of higher education. Issues of governance and
accountability are explored, and some suggestions are offered to strengthen
the new system. (Contains 28 tables, 27 figures, and 38 references.)
(SLD)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the ori inal document.
14 e-ta.
HE
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Reviews of National
Policies for Education
Polytechnic
Education
in Finland
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2
Reviews of National Policies for Education
Polytechnic Education
in Finland
O
OECD
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION
AND DEVELOPMENT
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Publié en français sous le titre :
Examens des politiques nationales d'éducation
L'enseignement polytechnique en Finlande
@ OECD 2003
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Foreword
After a decade of experience with the Ammattikorkeakoulut, the system of
polytechnic education in Finland, the Ministry of Education asked the OECD to
assemble a team of independent experts to review the results to date and offer advice
on what might be done to improve the system. The Secretariat organised a review
within the framework of the OECD's education policy reviews. In 2001 the Secretariat,
in consultation with the Finnish authorities, assembled a team of examiners to visit
Finland and assess the new system. The team was chaired by Professor John Pratt of
the University of East London, in the United Kingdom. Other members were Per
Olaf Aamodt of the Norwegian Institute for Studies of Research in Higher Education
(Norway), Peter Maassen of the University of 'Ituente (Netherlands) and the University
of Oslo (Norway) and Joan Wills of the Institute for Educational Leadership (United
States). Abrar Hasan and Gregory Wurzburg of the Secretariat accompanied the team.
Before the team's visit to Finland, the Finnish authorities prepared a background report
to provide the examiners with information on the historical, cultural, social, economic,
institutional and policy contexts within which the system of polytechnics was
established and has evolved in Finland. The team visited Finland in October 2001 to
carry out interviews and gather further facts and solicit views on goals and objectives
of the Ammattikorkeakoulut, results of the first few years of experience, and thoughts
on how the system should evolve in the future. The examiners prepared a report with
assistance of Gregory Wurzburg of the Secretariat. It is based on the background
report prepared by the Finnish authorities, interviews and meetings that the review
team conducted during its visit to Finland, additional material furnished by
interviewees after the visit, and material provided by the Secretariat. An initial draft
of the examiners' report was reviewed by the Finnish authorities early in 2002. A final
draft was discussed with the Finnish authorities in a Special Session of the OECD
Education Committee that was held in Helsinki on 4 June 2002.
This report is the result of the inquiry. It is published on the responsibility of the
Secretary-General of the OECD.
3
POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION IN FINLAND ISBN 92-64-19939-X @ OECD 2003.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
Part I
Background Report
Introduction
13
Finland in Brief
15
Chapter 1.
16
History
1.1.
Finland today
19
1.2.
Education System and Policy
35
Chapter 2.
The Finnish education system
36
2.1.
41
Higher education
2.2.
44
Vocational education and training
2.3.
Lifelong learning in Finland
45
2.4.
The Polytechnic Reform Process
49
Chapter 3.
Background to the reform
50
3.1.
Goals and methods of the reform
50
3.2.
From experiment to establishment
51
3.3.
Polytechnic support programme
53
3.4.
The Polytechnic System
55
Chapter 4.
The polytechnic network and educational provision
56
4.1.
Polytechnic administration and maintenance
61
4.2.
Steering and funding
63
4.3.
Quality assurance and evaluation
67
4.4.
69
Monitoring and evaluation database (AMKOTA)
4.5.
Outcomes of the Polytechnic Reform
71
Chapter 5.
Degree structure and degree programmes
72
5.1.
Students
76
5.2.
Lifelong learning and adult education
90
5.3.
Teachers and other staff
99
5.4.
Development of teaching and learning
102
5.5.
Library and information services
106
5.6.
5
POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION IN FINLAND - ISBN 92-64-19939-X © OECD 2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Regional Role of the Polytechnics
Chapter 6.
109
Regional impact
6.1.
110
Contacts with working life
6.2.
116
R&D at polytechnics
6.3.
119
Development Trends and Challenges
Chapter 7.
121
Globalisation: how to enhance the competitiveness
7.1.
of Finnish higher education
122
Development of institutions of higher education
7.2.
as centres of innovation
123
Response to the future needs of the labour market
7.3.
125
Structure of the higher education system
7.4.
126
Legislation
7.5.
129
Part II
Examiners' Report
Executive Summary
133
Introduction
Chapter 8.
137
The context of this review
8.1.
139
The focus of the review
8.2.
140
The structure of this report
8.3.
140
Polytechnics in Context
Chapter 9.
141
Polytechnics in Finland: the historical context
9.1.
142
Finland in international context
9.2.
144
Expanding tertiary education
developments elsewhere
9.3.
146
Labour market and other economic considerations
9.4.
147
Internationalisation
9.5.
150
Chapter 10. The AMKs: an Assessment of the Reforms to Date
153
10.1. A distinctive sector in higher education
155
10.2. Quality and acceptance of the sector
156
10.3. Meeting student needs
158
10.4. Links with local and regional communities
160
10.5. The polytechnics' role in R&D
161
10.6. An overview of the reforms to date
162
10.7. Summary and recommendations
162
7
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POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION IN FINLAND ISBN 92-64-19939-X 0 OECD 2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 11. The Future Scale and Structure of the Higher
Education System
165
11.1. The future scale of the higher education system
166
11.2. The future structure of the higher education system
169
11.3. The number of polytechnics
172
11.4. Summary and recommendations
173
Chapter 12. Key Elements of Policy for the Polytechnic Sector
175
12.1. Governance and ownership in the polytechnic sector
176
12.2. Steering and funding of the polytechnic sector
181
12.3. Relationships with working life
190
12.4. Internationalisation, globalisation and international
competitiveness of Finnish higher education
198
207
12.5. Staffing
12.6. Legislation and other instruments of policy
211
Chapter 13. Contingencies, Risks and Threats
215
216
13.1. Individual mobility in higher education
218
13.2. Postgraduate qualifications in AMKs
220
13.3. Lifelong learning
222
13.4. Upper secondary vocational education
222
13.5. Financial sustainability
224
13.6. Continued monitoring of the system
225
13.7. Summary and recommendations
227
Bibliography
List of Boxes
159
10.1. Some data on dropout
166
11.1. Student number targets
200
12.1. Enrolment of foreign students in Finland
201
12.2. Student exchanges in Finland
12.3. Staff exchanges in Finnish higher education
203
List of Tables
20
Population by age group, end 1999
1.1.
23
GDP trend
1.2.
24
Volume index for industrial production (1995 = 100)
1.3.
26
Goods exports by sector
1.4.
27
Foreign trade 1995-2000
1.5.
28
Educational structure of the employed by age, 1997
1.6.
29
Monthly earnings by level of education and age, 1998
1.7.
30
Unemployment 1990-2000
1.8.
59
Trends in new study places, 1998-2001
4.1.
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POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION IN FINLAND ISBN 92-64-19939-X - © OECD 2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4.2.
Polytechnics' income and expenditure, 2000
65
5.1.
Number of polytechnic degree programmes by sector, 1992-2001
74
Applications and new students at the polytechnics, 2000
5.2.
78
Polytechnic degrees by sector of education, 1999-2000
5.3.
86
Main activity of holders of Master's degrees
5.4.
one year after graduation
88
Main activity of holders of polytechnic degrees one
5.5.
year
after graduation
89
Number of training organisations which can arrange education
5.6.
and training for adults
92
Participation in learning of 25-64-year-olds according to type
5.7.
of training and job status, 1994-98
93
Students, degrees and teachers, 2000
5.8.
100
Attractiveness of polytechnics by region, 1998-20001
6.1.
115
6.2.
Placement of polytechnic graduates (1995-99) at the end of 1999
116
Polytechnic diploma projects by sector, 2000
6.3.
118
Main features of Finland compared to other countries
9.1.
145
Small and medium-sized enterprises in Norway and selected
9.2.
OECD countries
149
List of Figures
Proportion of companies accounted for by the IT sector
1.1.
in 1993 and 1998
25
Exports by sector in 2000
1.2.
27
Sectors of work, 2000
1.3.
29
Trend in unemployment and long-term unemployment, 1991-99
1.4.
31
Unemployed jobseekers and vacancies registered with
1.5.
the employment services, monthly and seasonally adjusted (K)
31
Equipment in households, 1990-99 (%)
1.6.
33
Access to a personal computer and the Internet at home,
1.7.
at work or at a place of study, 1997-99
33
The education system in Finland
2.1.
37
Expenditure in education, 2000
2.2.
39
Student flows among school levers, 1999
2.3.
41
Central administration of higher education and research
2.4.
42
4.1. New study places in various sectors of education, 2001
59
Polytechnic maintenance
4.2.
61
Number of applicants and students in polytechnics, 1992-99
5.1.
76
Dropouts and changes of polytechnic or degree programme among
5.2.
polytechnic students, 1998-2000
81
Reasons given for dropping out of a polytechnic, 2000
5.3.
81
Student exchanges in polytechnics, 1997-2000
5.4.
83
Student exchanges in universities, 1997-2000
5.5.
85
Degrees taken at polytechnics, 1995-2000
5.6.
86
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POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION IN FINLAND - ISBN 92-64-19939-X © OECD 2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
University degrees, 1995-2000
5.7.
87
Main activity at the end of 1999 among polytechnic graduates
5.8.
(1995-1999)
89
Participation of 25- to 64-year-olds in adult education,
5.9.
by level of basic education (ISCED 76) and gender, 1998
94
5.10. Participation in adult education in 1980, 1990 and 1995,
by previous education (%)
95
5.11. Student numbers on continuing education and
open university courses provided by universities, 1995-99
96
5.12. Participation in polytechnic adult education, 1994-2000
98
5.13. Teacher exchanges, 1997-2000
101
Placement of polytechnic graduates (1995-99) at the end of 1999,
6.1.
by region
114
Educational attainment of the population (25 to 64 years of age)
9.1.
in Finland and in OECD countries, 1999
146
Percentage of the population that has attained
9.2.
at least tertiary education, by age group and gender, 1999
147
Labour market outcomes by level of education
9.3.
for the 25-64 year olds,late 1990s
148
Foreign students in Finland, European Union and OECD countries,
9.4.
1998 (per 1 000 students enrolled)
150
List of Maps
Finland's polytechnics
4.1.
56
Finland's regions
6.1.
113
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POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION IN FINLAND ISBN 92-64-19939-X © OECD 2003