What's So Special About Special Education in Finland? - Taught by Finland - 0 views
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Up to half of those students who complete their compulsory Finnish education at the age of 16 will have been in special education at some point in their school careers. Just chew on that for a moment. Given this reality, Pasi Sahlberg -- the author of Finnish Lessons -- concludes that special education “is nothing special anymore for students.” (Sahlberg, 2011) When students witness many of their classmates receiving extra support, special education loses its stigma. It’s not just the children who think differently about it. Teachers are more comfortable with the idea of students receiving extra help when they need it.
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aided by a special education teacher for two hours of lessons each week. Although this teacher constantly has his eyes on students with documented special needs, he’s regularly working with other students in my class. The special education teacher works flexibly. Sometimes he’s circulating around the classroom, offering help to those who need it. At other times, he’s working with a student one-on-one at a desk in the hallway.
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It’s a different story with my colleague. He actually has more formal training than me. Finland is famous for its highly selective 5-year teacher-training programs. A master’s degree is required of special education teachers, too.
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