The six-month Building Leadership for Change through School Immersion program brought 57 Saudi Arabian teachers to the capital area at the beginning of June. The program enables learning about Finnish education and supports applying the best pedagogical solutions in Saudi schools.
The teachers’ initial experiences of Finland and orientation to the program have been very positive. They have been happy with the organizing and care at the University of Helsinki Centre for Continuing Education HY+, hosting the teachers during the three-month intensive language and pedagogical training period. “In addition to offering high-quality education, we want to help the Saudi teachers and their families in their everyday life. Studying is easier when you don’t need to worry about practical things,” says Kirsi Kettula, Head of Transnational Education of HY+.
School immersion makes teaching methods tangible
The image of the Finnish education system will become concrete in September when the school immersion period in Espoo begins. The Saudi teachers have been impressed already by Finnish pedagogy and school system. As one of the participants observed, the success of the Finnish educational system is not the result of schools only, it is the success of the entire society. Quality and equality in the educational system supports success.
“Internationalisation is the core value in our schools, educating children internationally is a must. The schools in Espoo are eagerly participating in this program. This is not only a three-month school immersion, it’s an interesting project also for the future”, says Ms. Mervi Jansson, CEO of Omnia Education Partnerships.
New programs to come
The Ambassador of Finnish Education Export, Ms. Marianne Huusko, is delighted to see this program kick off. “The Ministry for Foreign Affairs for Finland willingly supports this program, and we hope this opens up new opportunities for cooperation,” Ms. Huusko says.
Further information
Ms. Mervi Jansson, CEO, Omnia Education Partnerships Oy, mervi.jansson(at)oep.fi