5. Arts and cultural education
Finland
Last update: March, 2017
For the legislative basis of arts and cultural education, see Table 18 in chapter 1.3.1.
The institutions of professional education and training are administratively separated from the rest of the cultural and arts administration because they are within the jurisdiction of the Department of Education and Science of the Ministry of Education and Culture (see chapter 1.2.1). These institutions forms a hierarchical structure built upon nine year comprehensive compulsory school and post-compulsory secondary academic or vocational education which have as a dual top of higher education consisting of art universities (N=4) and polytechnics (N=29). The four art universities are Sibelius Academy, University of Art and Design, Theatre Academy and Academy of Fine Arts. Presently there are, however, only three "pure" art universities, because the University of Art and Design became part of the Aalto University as it was administratively fused with the University of Technology and the Helsinki School of Economics. The three other art universities, the Sibelius Academy of Music, the Academy of Fine Arts and the Theatre Academy merged into a University of the Arts Helsinki in January 12013. In the new university there are about 2 100 students and personnel of 600.
There are no "pure" art polytechnics, but most of them have special programmes for the arts, arts management, media and humanities. Furthermore, the graduates of the faculties of humanities at "science universities" are competing in labour markets with the graduates of art universities and polytechnics e.g. for jobs at publishing houses and managerial and administrative posts at cultural associations and foundations.
The secondary level of this educational structure is supported with an extensive system of art schools, music schools and conservatories which in turn are supported by the systems of extra-curricular "basic" arts education and paralleled by secondary schools with special art oriented curricula (for a description of the system, see chapter 5.4).
Historically the voluntary general (non-vocational) adult education has been one of the basic pillars of the Finnish arts and culture – and also of Finnish culture in ideological and socio-cultural sense. It is often contrasted to vocational adult education, which offer occupational basic and retraining programmes and courses and aims at balancing supply and demand unbalances in labour markets (see Table 18 in chapter 1.3.1).
The main institutional forms of the voluntary general adult education are Citizens' Institutes (originally; Institutes of Citizens and Workers) and People's Collages (see chapter 1.3.1 Table 18). The former are more arts and humanist oriented and teaching is carried out as specialised courses for study groups. The People collages have integrated term-based curricula, which are not usually bound to a single academic discipline or an occupational category. The courses of Citizens Institutes are often offered in summer universities or by Study Centres managed by coalitions of political or ideological third sector associations.
In 2013 there were 189 citizens' institutes, 90 people's colleges, 20 summer universities and 11 study centres. In the 2000s an average 1.7 million persons have annually participated the education they have provided The state formula based transfers and other subsidies to these institutions and their management amounted to 181.6 million EUR There is no legal obligations for municipalities to contribute and course fees and tuitions are more important than in the main fields of education. As part of the Finnish government's structural development programme in autumn 2013 (see also chapter 1.3) the Ministry of Education and Culture has proposed a cut of 35 million EUR in the total public funding (government funding plus savings as municipalities will most likely decrease the educational offering accordingly) for voluntary general adult education. This has caused concern as cuts would mean less courses and an increase in the cost of education which would hit hardest those groups of people active in voluntary general adult education such as retired and older people.
In early 2017 an Observatory for Arts Education was established in Finland to collect, analyse, monitor and distribute information and research on arts and cultural education policies and practises in Finland and to provide comparative information on arts and cultural education in Europe. The observatory was formed by the Center for Educational Research and Academic Development in the Arts (CERADA) of the University of the Arts Helsinki and the Association of Finnish Children’s Cultural Centers. The Association of the Basic Arts Education is also involved in the observatory. The Observatory is a member of the European Network of Observatories in the field of Arts and Cultural Education (ENO). The Ministry of Education and Culture finances the observatory.
Last update: March, 2017
The government decides on the allocation of hours between subjects in basic education. The core subjects taught in comprehensive schools are laid down in the Basic Education Act (628/1998). These subjects include physical education, music, visual arts, and arts and crafts over the nine years of basic education, is 56 weekly lessons per year (one weekly lesson means a module of 38 hours of instruction, and 56 weekly lessons per year means that the number of lesson hours dedicated to art and skill subjects is 2 128 over the nine years of basic education). The minimum number of single subjects in this group and the minimum number of all elective subjects also come under a Decree. The actual numbers of lesson hours in art and skill subjects vary within these limits at the discretion of the education provider.
After having assessed the school practices, a recent study comes to the conclusion that the relative weight of art and skill subjects has been dwindling in basic school curricula, even though the minimum number of hours in these subjects has remained the same. The system of Finnish Arts Education is described in English in the following document https://www.lkca.nl/~/media/downloads/bijeenkomsten/dutch-scandinavian%20exchange/finland.pdf
A cultural education plan has been developed in Finland by the Association of Cultural Heritage Education in Finland and the Association of Children’s Cultural Centers in Finland. The cultural education plan details how cultural education and cultural heritage education is implemented as part of teaching in the municipality or region. During 2015-2016 a project called Kulttuurivoltti (Cultural somersault) developed an online tool (a website http://www.culturaleducationplan.fi) to facilitate and encourage the creation and writing the plans in Finnish municipalities.
A cultural education plan:
- Is a plan detailing the systematic implementation of culture, art and cultural heritage education as part of the municipality’s teaching.
- Represents the agreement of one or more municipalities regarding the cultural education of pupils from one grade to another.
- Renders the schools’ cultural education work target-oriented.
- Concerns the grades 1–9 and, in some municipalities, secondary education and early childhood education.
- Guarantees all children and youth the equal possibility to experience and participate in local culture in a diverse manner.
- Is written and implemented in cooperation with education and culture sector operators.
- Is based on the municipality’s own cultural supply and heritage as well as the spontaneous activities of children and youth.
Last update: March, 2017
In 2012, there were 710 Bachelor or Master's level graduates from the three art universities (University of Arts: Sibelius Academy, Theatre Academy, Academy of Fine Arts) and the Aalto University's art and design studies. The number of graduates from the cultural and media programmes of the polytechnics (applied universities) grew from 420 in 1999 to 2 002 in 2012.
The Finnish art universities have adapted well to the grade and credit systems pre-supposed by the Bologna process. In the polytechnics, the majority of the professional degrees correspond to the bachelor-level university degree. Master's level programmes and degrees have been offered in polytechnics since 2005. The first master's level programme (Master of Culture and Arts) in arts management started in 2009. The polytechnic arts management higher education degree is aimed at professionals already working in the field, with a minimum of three years professional experience.
The art schools, polytechnics and art universities have been criticised for admitting too many students to their study programmes. Universities and polytechnics have had a relatively free reign to choose what programmes they will offer as the basis for government funding has been mainly the number of students. As arts and culture study programmes have been very popular with students, educational institutions have been reluctant to decrease education in the field. In the 2000s there has been an overflow of higher education graduates all over the country and thus an increasing number of unemployed persons in the field of culture and media. A large government polytechnic reform has been underway in Finland since 2011. The aim of the reform is to draft a government proposal for a new Polytechnics Act, which is to take force in 2015. In the reform the responsibility for polytechnic funding as a whole will be transferred to the government, and polytechnics will be made independent legal entities. The licence to provide polytechnic education will be revised and quality and impact will be emphasised. Also, financing of the institutions will be overhauled to better support current objectives, such as speedy transfer to the labour market. After the reform the government funding for polytechnics will be allocated in a ratio of 70:30 on the basis of the number of students and degrees awarded.
The idea is to grow the size of the educational units to increase competitiveness and to decrease the amount of students admitted especially in the fields of culture and media. In autumn 2013 the Ministry of Education and Culture presented its proposal on polytechnic admittance. The number of students to be admitted into programmes in the field of culture is 1352 in the ministry proposal. Compared to year 2011 (2118 admitted), the proposed number is 36% lower. Some programmes, for example drama studies (degree of drama instructor) in the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, were closed down.
Last update: March, 2017
The Finnish system of basic education in the arts offers extracurricular arts education primarily to children and young people. It is provided in music institutes, art schools for children and youth, dance institutes, arts and crafts schools, circus schools and in many other institutes maintained by local authorities or municipal consortia, registered associations, foundations or private businesses. The network of art education institutes in Finland comprises 88 music institutes and 41 schools in the other arts.
The 1992 Act on Basic Arts Education united private and municipal art and music schools into the system of general arts education, which financially became a part of the formula-based state / municipality subsidy system ("vos"). This attracted municipalities to organise more systematic extracurricular arts education, that is, extensive supply of art courses outside the regular school curricula. Basic arts education curricula cover the following art fields: architecture, audiovisual arts, visual art, crafts, music, literary art, circus art, dance and theatre. The lion's share of public funding for the new system of basic arts education has gone, however, to music education, music schools and conservatories. The system of the basic arts education was assessed in 2012 and according to the report the system would need dedicated development program. Currently the system in not accessible to all because of the great regional differences in the availability of art schools and of tuition in different art forms. Financial basis is varied, and there should be curricula development and co-operation between schools in local and national levels. According to the report there are (in 2012) about 135 000 students in the arts education system. Currently the majority (80%) of basic arts education students are girls.
The 2015-- government (PM Juha Sipilä) has named the access to art and culture, including access to basic out-of school arts education as one of its main strategic goals (so called key project) for cultural policy. For a description of the government project, see chapter 2.1.
The basic education in the arts is goal-oriented, progressing from one level to other. It teaches children skills in self-expression and also provides capabilities needed for vocational, polytechnic and university education in their chosen art form. Participation is voluntary, and the education providers may charge moderate fees. The basic education in the arts may also be morning and afternoon activities for schoolchildren.
The instruction follows curricula devised by the provider on the basis of core curricula issued by the National Board of Education. The national core syllabi is provided for the following field of art:
- music
- literary arts
- dance
- performing arts (circus and theatre)
- visual arts (architecture, audiovisual art, pictorial art, and arts and crafts)
A local authority providing basic education in the arts receives Government transfers based on the number of inhabitants. Further, public and private education providers may receive Government grants based on the confirmed number of lesson hours given. Only part of the art institutes providing basic education in the arts receive government transfers
In addition to the system of basic education in the arts, some Finnish cultural and art institutions have developed experimental arts education programmes of their own. Good examples are the educational programmes of the National Art Gallery and the National Opera designed for school children.
Please find the available information on this subject in 5.3.