Jitka Nováková

Finland • Järvenpää • Järvenpään lukio
20 – 24 April 2026

Finnish Education First-Hand: When Trust Becomes the Method As part of the Erasmus+ programme, I had the opportunity to spend a week job shadowing at a modern upper secondary school in Järvenpää, Finland, from 20 to 24 April 2026. The building, constructed in 2003, immediately catches the eye with its architecture — experts travel from all over the world to admire it. The school day begins in a relaxed atmosphere: no bell rings, and lessons usually don't start until 9:45. From the moment I arrived, I was struck by the easy-going atmosphere and the natural hum of activity in the central hall, which serves simultaneously as a canteen, a staff room and a concert hall. I came full of curiosity, wondering whether the Finnish education miracle is real or simply good marketing. Reality exceeded my expectations. Instead of timid students and stern teachers, I found an environment built on mutual respect. Classrooms are equipped with digital technology, but the key to success doesn't lie in the technology itself — it lies in the human approach and the remarkable flexibility of the whole space. Students learn in 75-minute blocks and take full responsibility for their own results.

School climate and relationships

The school's atmosphere could be summed up in a single word: calm. Relationships between teachers and students are very informal, friendly and open. The teacher here doesn't operate from a position of untouchable authority demanding correct answers, but rather as a guide and mentor. Thirty years ago Finland went through a reform that shifted the centre of gravity of responsibility from the teacher directly to the student. If a student fails to complete an assignment, they face the consequences themselves, without being subjected to stress or public reprimand. The absence of the traditional school bell further reinforces the trust that everyone is capable of organising their own time.

Differences and similarities in teaching

The organisation of teaching differs significantly from the Czech system. The school year is not divided into two terms but consists of five six-week blocks, each ending with an exam week. This system eliminates the kind of acute, last-minute stress that builds up over a long period and encourages consistent, ongoing work. Lessons last 75 minutes and students take around six subjects per block — two thirds compulsory and the rest chosen according to their own interests (including the option to learn any musical instrument). Assessment is built around practical skills. A typical task, for example, is writing a 300-word essay without a dictionary, in class, on one of the topics covered. Even though every student has a laptop and they work with live online materials, traditional note-taking in notebooks is still maintained. A similarity with our system can be found in the actual content of what is taught, but the methods of delivery and the autonomy teachers have in designing their own tests are dramatically different.

Inspiration

The strongest inspiration is the guiding principle that "trust and responsibility must go hand in hand". The integration of modern technology is outstanding — I observed a social studies lesson conducted entirely in Finnish, and thanks to Google Lens, Google Maps and AI tools it was possible to follow the lesson fully and take part. The care for teacher wellbeing is also thought-provoking: teaching 18–24 hours a week and having proper rest facilities (such as a massage chair in the staff room) leave real space for quality lesson preparation. What would be difficult to implement in the Czech Republic: the block system (5×6 weeks) and 75-minute lessons would run up against rigid legislation, national curriculum frameworks and the traditional two-term structure. Equally, the degree of freedom in subject choice and the complete absence of bells require a society-wide shift in how we view children's responsibility.

Shadowing tips & tricks

Be clear about your goal before you go: don't just focus on what is being taught, but above all on how it is being taught. Watch how students respond to tasks and how independently they work. Choosing a school: I'd recommend looking for schools that have invested in modern architecture and open spaces. The environment shapes pedagogy more than we might think. Communication with the host school: contact the coordinators well in advance and ask if you can sit in on lessons across different subjects. Don't be afraid to attend lessons in a language you don't understand — it's a great opportunity to try out assistive technologies in practice!