On November 12, 2025, Associate Professor Dr. Laura Wickström and her students from Åbo Akademi University in Turku, Finland, visited our faculty as guests of Prof. Dr. Seyfi Kenan, Head of the Department of Educational Programs and Instruction at Atatürk Faculty of Education. During their visit, Jonathan Stipesevic delivered a seminar titled “What Makes Finnish Education Good?”

As the Department of Foreign Language Education at Marmara University, we had the honor of hosting our Finnish colleagues in a seminar focused on the Finnish education system. In his presentation, our esteemed colleague shared original and reliable insights about this system, which has long been studied in the field of educational sciences. In addition, other guests shared their experiences in the Finnish educational context as teachers, students, and parents, providing an important perspective on various stakeholders, particularly at primary and higher education levels.

During the seminar, it was emphasized that the three fundamental principles of the Finnish education system constitute its core foundations. These principles are equality and equity, the training of highly qualified teachers (lasting at least five years), and flexibility and autonomy. As part of its education policy, Finland ensures equal educational opportunities for all students. Although there are minor differences between cities and regions, every student has the right to access high-quality education free of charge. This access includes foreign languages of choice, textbooks and supporting materials, and practical learning activities. More importantly, a thorough needs analysis is conducted for each student and teachers support students with personalized approaches in their unique learning processes. In this way, the principle that “no student is left behind” is effectively implemented.

Teacher education is another vital component of the Finnish education system. Teacher training programs aim to prepare highly qualified and competent educators. Pre-service teachers complete a comprehensive five-year program requiring significant effort, which equips them with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the predefined and continuously developing standards of their educational context.

Finally, while flexibility and autonomy are presented as a separate principle, these concepts are closely linked to the other two elements. Structurally, the system allows for flexibility and autonomy, enabling teachers to effectively reflect these characteristics in their classroom practices. Students are encouraged to be flexible and autonomous in their learning processes, which significantly contributes to their development and progress. Furthermore, a focus on both process and product provides teachers with pedagogical flexibility and strengthens their autonomy. The holistic structure of the Finnish education system is fundamentally based on a mutual trust relationship among all stakeholders, including parents, students and teachers.

The presentation and Q&A session allowed us to critically evaluate the similarities and differences between the educational contexts in Turkey and Finland.

We would like to sincerely thank our Finnish colleagues once again for sharing their real-life experiences and perspectives with us.