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Inclusive Education in Finland (3)

Summary:

Finland is renowned for its advanced education and welfare system, as well as the high level of happiness among its citizens. Are these perceptions of happiness truly reflected in daily life in Finland? I aim to address this question as a Japanese researcher, based on my firsthand experiences. In this issue, I report on Valteri, a national Centre for Learning and Consulting established in Finland with a special purpose.

Keywords:

Finland, inclusive education, special needs school, centre for learning and consulting, education, welfare
Japanese

Since the Salamanca Declaration in 1997, Finland has been following the trend of promoting inclusive education and is gradually reducing the number of special needs schools. Under these circumstances, national special needs centers (schools) have remained unclosed. This is because they not only serve as schools but also as support centers for the local community. In this issue, I report on the Centre for Learning and Consulting, Valteri, which plays a diverse role in Finland.

Valteri: Centre for Learning and Consulting

In Finland, Valteri or the Centre for Learning and Consulting have been established in six locations throughout the country. These centers operate under the control of the Finnish National Agency for Education and were established with a special mission. They integrate schools and special needs centers and are in the same building. While schools receive and educate children who attend daily, another major purpose is to provide consultation to local schools and training for teachers; thereby, enabling them to implement special support practices. They provide assistance when requested by municipalities, schools, students, and their families, and 70% of all municipalities in Finland use Valteri. Valteri employs more than 550 professionals, including teachers, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists. Approximately one-third of these staff work with children attending schools in Valteri. The remaining staff members are engaged in consultations and other duties for local schools. Valteri provides support to a wide age range of children, from early childhood to post-compulsory education. It currently supports approximately 2,500 children, of whom 13% (310 children) attend Valteri schools on a daily basis. This means that the remaining children receive support from Valteri while attending local schools.

Valteri's Scope of Assistance

The support process at Valteri begins with a counseling visit, following an email request from the municipality, school, child, or family. During the counseling visit, professionals observe the child and the situation at school and assess the problem by visiting and talking to the municipality. Depending on the needs, this may be completed in just one or a few counseling visits. If, based on the assessment, it is determined that long-term support is needed, a support period is established, usually from one to six weeks. Interventions during this support period vary and may approach the individual child and their family. Additionally, consultation with teachers, the school principal, and the school, training for teachers, and, in some cases, intervention with the school board may be included. Children may receive support in their own school or they may come to Valteri for professional assistance, as needed. At the end of the support period, the results of the support are evaluated, and additional support is provided as needed. The cost of support does not have to be borne by the child or his/her parents; it is paid by the state or municipality.

Valteri School Onerva

The Valteri School Onerva is located in Jyvaskyla, where the author lives, as one of the six Valteri schools. As I am interested in inclusive education, I have visited the Onerva School frequently. It used to be a national school for the visually and hearing impaired in the city of Jyvaskyla; it was merged in 2013 and reopened as the Onerva School in 2015 in a newly reconstructed building. The school building, constructed on a vast site at a cost of approximately 29 million Euros (approximately 4.6 billion Japanese yen), has an innovative design.

report_09_478_01.png Entrance of the school

During construction, the design of the building was based on the opinions of not only the school staff, but also the children, and it was designed to meet their various needs. For example, to accommodate children with hearing sensitivity, sound-absorbing materials have been used for curtains in the hall and attached to the underside of the tables in the lunchroom. In addition, each floor has had specific colors painted on the walls to make it easier for visually impaired children to identify, and speakers have played sounds so that they could be informed of and monitor their location. In addition to classrooms, the school is equipped with a playroom for physical and occupational therapy, swimming pool, woodworking room, arts and crafts room, music room, and many others.

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playroom
 
silent room

Even more noteworthy are the accommodations attached to them. Finland has a small population of 5.5 million people, but its land area is approximately the same as that of Japan. Children living in this vast area must be supported in six Valteri centers. As some children travel from a distance to receive support, accommodations are provided for them. In addition, children who have completed their compulsory education may stay in centers to receive training to begin independent living. Moreover, families have the option to send their children to stay overnight at the center for a respite. The cost of accommodation does not have to be borne by the child or parents and is paid from public funds.

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Corridors to each room of accommodation
 
Kitchens on every floor of the school

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Living rooms in the accommodation

Although the support system of the Valteri Centre appears to be well developed, there are various issues to be addressed. For example, recently, the number of children who do not attend school in Finland has been increasing rapidly, and the Valteri Centre has faced a major challenge in handling this problem. This increase is believed to be due to various factors, such as the spread of the Internet (e.g., addiction to gaming), poverty, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lack of resources associated with the promotion of inclusive education. Rather than responding according to the type of disability, it is necessary to consider the complex situation of each person. There is an increasing need to address these issues.

Perspective as a Parent After Visiting a Valteri Centre

When I visit the Valteri Centre with Japanese researchers, they all say in unison, "I would like to use it, too." The accommodations, including a stylishly designed café, heated swimming pool used for physical and occupational therapy, sauna, gym, and playroom, have been consciously designed to be very clean and relaxing. The swimming pool, gym, sauna, and other facilities are available to working staff, and staff wellbeing is also considered.

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Heated swimming pool
 
Training room

The large schoolyard is equipped with numerous playgrounds, which are available to the community as public parks. The author's child also loves visiting it, calling it "Valteri Park." As a parent, when I think of my child receiving support from Valteri, it would be a great relief for me to know that my child can go somewhere that he or she wants to go to and would enjoy.

report_09_478_10.png Learning Support Equipment

Furthermore, to be able to provide the latest equipment to support hearing and visual impairments, the staff are in constant communication with such equipment companies. As mentioned above, parents do not have to bear the cost of using these devices and facilities. The fact that they do not have to bear any costs, in turn, seems to contain the message that "the national government, local government, community, and school will take care of the child's growth together, so the family are not alone." However, if we examine it on an individual level, we often hear of cases where support is not working, and the frustration of parents also exists in Finland. On the other hand, observing Japan today, where all responsibilities tend to fall on the family, especially the parents, I feel that there are many things we can learn from Finland.


References

  • Palmu, I. (2022). Valteri centre for learning and consulting [PowerPoint slides]. Lecture at Valteri Onerva centre.
  • VALTERI. (n.d.). Support for learning and school attendance. https://www.valteri.fi/en/

Profile:
Akie_Yada.jpg
Akie Yada

Ph.D. (Education), University of Jyväskylä, Finland; Licensed Psychologist and former Clinical Psychologist, Japan. She is currently a post-doctoral researcher at the Centre of Excellence for Learning Dynamics and Intervention Research (InterLearn), University of Jyväskylä and University of Turku, and a visiting researcher at the Center for Sustainable Development Studies, Toyo University.
After completing the master’s degree program at Aoyama Gakuin University, she worked as a clinical psychologist for six years at a child developmental center, a child psychiatry clinic, and an elementary school. She mainly provided counseling and consultation to children with special needs and their parents and teachers.
Interested in inclusive education, where children with and without special needs learn together in the same place, she moved to Finland with her husband in 2013. She continues her research on inclusive education. Based on her experience of childbirth and childcare in Finland, she is also interested in Finnish neuvola, early childhood education, and social welfare systems. She has conducted extensive research on these topics.

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