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A review by nancyflanagan
Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? by Pasi Sahlberg
4.0
This one's been on my list for a long, long time. And perhaps I should have chosen a different week to read it--one where I had lots of time and willingness to wade through the entire history of education (and other social issues) in Finland, highlighting and writing notes in the margins.
Of course, I knew the book was about how Finnish education got to be what it is--and that the process included a national conversation and re-thinking of the purpose of education. Reading about this, however--the slow shifts in opinion and practice, was tedious. It feels rude and shallow to say that--incremental change is preferable to slamming people with radical policy shifts. It was discouraging to think about how long it took for Finland to, bit by bit, achieve an equitable and student-focused system.
I give Pasi Sahlberg high marks for clarity and detail. He is very thorough--and justifiably proud of the dynamic system that was built. The book was not entertaining--it was also detailed and thorough. But fascinating.
Of course, I knew the book was about how Finnish education got to be what it is--and that the process included a national conversation and re-thinking of the purpose of education. Reading about this, however--the slow shifts in opinion and practice, was tedious. It feels rude and shallow to say that--incremental change is preferable to slamming people with radical policy shifts. It was discouraging to think about how long it took for Finland to, bit by bit, achieve an equitable and student-focused system.
I give Pasi Sahlberg high marks for clarity and detail. He is very thorough--and justifiably proud of the dynamic system that was built. The book was not entertaining--it was also detailed and thorough. But fascinating.