The Biggest high school in Finland

June 12, 2023

The Biggest high school in Finland

Kastelli High School

Wow! Writing a blog takes a lot of effort. We have been so busy around the city and enjoying these schools that admittedly there have been days that I have just been too exhausted to get thoughts together. So here I sit and I am trying to catch up on experiences that happened days ago.

We had arrived at the high school after already visiting 3 other schools. Our brains were a bit tired, but still excited to see what was lying behind the doors of this giant building. Our tour captain, Pasi, shared his excitement that this was the "biggest high school in Finland".

I have included the floor plan for every school where I can so that I could look back and make sense of things.

This is a library. Let's take a minute to talk about the library system in Finland. Much like our libraries, they have lending collections and can share things across the entire city or (I think) country. The goal is to make resources available to ALL people as ALL people are equal and resources to help better humanity should be FREE.

What is so very different is that SCHOOLS ARE SEEN AS COMMUNITY CENTERS. The buildings built are for the entire community, not just school children. This means that ANY citizen can come into the library and borrow books. The libraries are open to everyone. Even during the school days. Most school buildings, as we discussed with the headmasters, are open evenings and weekends and community groups can rent spaces.

When we went to the high school, we had the opportunity to meet with students as well as our guide, Pasi's wife Anna. Pasi and Anna are both in the education world, so they had unique perspectives to share. Speaking with the students helped us to get our heads around the things that we were hearing. There were several questions that we just kept asking because we couldn't fathom the answer...things that were very different.

First- not all school children are forced to attend school from 8 am - 3 pm. Teachers teach a certain number of lessons per week and are paid according to how many lessons they teach. In the upper grades they can schedule things almost more like colleges do where some students come to school at 830 and some come at 9 or 10. Some students are bussed but many get themselves to school either by walking or biking. Oulu is one of the largest cycling cities in the world.

Next, students attend "Kindergarten" from the ages of 1-6. They are not required to go to school until 7 at which time they enter compulsory school, or primary school. In order to understand it all, I made a bit of a chart. What was evident that you will see from the chart is that schools and universities are obligated to educate and uplift ALL PEOPLE. Citizens here could earn a second or third masters or PHD and it will all be free.

US		Finland
Daycare system, Universal PreK, Headstart, Kindergarten (ages birth-age 6)		Kindergarten (Ages 1-6)
Elementary School (Grades 1-5 or 6)		Compulsory School Primary Grades 1-6 Secondary Grades 7-9
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
High School (Grades 9-12)	Vocational School BOCES or NewVisions Programs for Business, Healthcare, teaching, Engineering (Grades 10-12)	Upper secondary school (Ages 16-20) Vocational training program (time and age not dependant) Or University (time and age not dependant) Continuing education is covered by the government
University: 2 year degree- Associates 4 year degree- Bachelors
Continuing Education: 2 years post grad Masters Doctorate

At the end of grade 9, students take a matriculation exam. We actually learned through this question answer period that it is several exams. Students apply around March for the follow up universities for what is called "upper secondary" and they find out in June which upper secondary school they will go to. This is when they get to specialize more into what they might want to learn. As the chart above shows, upper secondary is similar ti our Associate's Degree.

The Kelly's in High school!

Here's some more different things... Schools do not have competitive sports teams and rivalries. Instead, community groups will hold practices there in the non-school times. Schools don't do huge productions like we do either, unless it is like a drama or music-focused upper secondary school.

It was a very busy day at the schools and our brains were processing so so much.

We got to relax that evening at the Mansion of Maikula. We had a beautiful dinner in a very old house, then went for a traditional sauna and dip in a 10 degree C river!!

AMAZING!!!