Tag Archives: Finland

According to collegesanduniversitiesinusa, Finland has a long and distinguished educational history. Starting in the 16th century, Finland began to develop its own educational system, which was heavily influenced by the educational reforms of Sweden. By the 19th century, Finland had established a comprehensive system of schools that provided education to all children regardless of their economic or social background. In 1866, the Finnish government passed a law that made basic education compulsory for all children between the ages of 7 and 12. This law was an important milestone in Finland’s educational history as it ensured that all children had access to an education regardless of their financial situation or social class. In 1899, Finland also introduced free secondary education for all students who had completed basic schooling. This allowed more students from lower-income families to attend secondary school and further their education. In addition, in 1917 Finland passed a law that made university education free for everyone who qualified for admission. Since then, Finland has continued to develop its educational system and invest heavily in providing quality education for its citizens. It has achieved some impressive results over the years; Finland consistently ranks among the top countries in international tests such as PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS. Furthermore, almost 90% of Finns complete upper secondary school and nearly 70% go on to pursue higher education at university or college level. Today, Finnish citizens enjoy one of the highest standards of living in Europe due largely to their excellent educational system and commitment to providing quality learning opportunities for everyone regardless of their socio-economic background or family income level. In 2009, Finland was a nation of 5.3 million people, located in the northernmost part of Europe on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. It is bordered by Sweden to the west, Russia to the east, and Norway to the north. Finland is one of five Nordic countries – along with Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – and has strong cultural and economic ties with these nations. Finland’s economy is largely based on exports of manufactured goods such as electronics, machinery and chemicals. The country also has a robust service sector that includes banking and finance services as well as tourism. In 2009, Finland had a GDP per capita of $37,800 USD which placed it among the wealthiest countries in Europe at that time. Finland is a member of several international organizations including the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), World Trade Organization (WTO) and OECD. It is also part of several regional groupings such as SPARTECA (South Pacific Regional Trade Agreement) which promotes free trade between Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island nations. Additionally, Finland is an active participant in NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program which seeks to promote peace through cooperation between former adversaries in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2009 Finland was led by Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen who belonged to the Centre Party which was part of a coalition government with four other parties representing different political ideologies including social democratic, liberal-conservative and green parties. During Vanhanen’s tenure he worked to strengthen Finland’s relations with other European countries while maintaining its traditional neutrality in international affairs. In 2009 Finland continued to be an important partner for both EU members states as well as non-EU countries such as Russia due to its strong connections with neighbouring countries and involvement in regional organizations such as SPARTECA. Check mathgeneral for Finland in 2017.