Finnish schools maintain strong communication systems with families, balancing digital platforms with personal interactions. The Finnish approach emphasizes trust, partnership, and appropriate information sharing that respects both teacher autonomy and parental involvement. Communication is purposeful rather than constant, focusing on meaningful exchanges that support student development while maintaining clear boundaries between school and home life.
What communication platforms do Finnish schools use to connect with families?
Finnish schools primarily use Wilma, a comprehensive digital platform, as their main communication channel with families. This secure system allows teachers and parents to exchange messages, track attendance, view grades, monitor behavior, and access school announcements. Beyond Wilma, schools maintain informative websites, use email for formal communications, and employ messaging applications for quick updates or reminders about school events.
Wilma serves as the digital backbone of Finnish school-family communication. Parents receive personal login credentials when their child starts school, giving them access to a wealth of information. Through this platform, they can:
- Monitor their child’s daily attendance and request absences
- View assessment results and teacher feedback
- Communicate directly with teachers through secure messaging
- Receive notifications about upcoming events or schedule changes
- Access school bulletins and important announcements
While Wilma dominates the digital landscape, many schools also maintain active websites featuring calendars, lunch menus, curriculum information, and school policies. Some schools, particularly at the primary level, supplement these digital tools with traditional paper newsletters or communication books for younger students who are developing independence.
The Finnish home-school collaboration philosophy emphasizes appropriate information sharing rather than constant communication. These digital platforms support this balance by providing necessary information without overwhelming either teachers or parents.
How often do Finnish teachers communicate with parents?
Finnish teachers typically communicate with parents on a needs-basis rather than following a rigid schedule, with most formal interactions occurring 2-4 times per year. The Finnish education system values quality over quantity in parent-teacher communication, focusing on meaningful exchanges rather than constant updates. Regular communication happens through structured channels like development discussions (held 1-2 times annually), parents’ evenings (1-2 times yearly), and as-needed messages through digital platforms.
The cornerstone of Finnish parent-teacher communication is the development discussion (kehityskeskustelu), a comprehensive meeting where the teacher, parent(s), and often the student discuss academic progress, social development, and future goals. These discussions typically last 30-60 minutes and provide a thorough overview of the student’s educational journey.
Between these formal touchpoints, Finnish teachers communicate when there’s something meaningful to share. This might include:
- Significant changes in academic performance
- Behavioral concerns that require parental awareness
- Special achievements worth celebrating
- Important upcoming events or projects
This measured approach reflects the Finnish education communication philosophy that values teacher autonomy and professional judgment. Teachers aren’t expected to provide daily or weekly updates on routine matters, allowing them to focus on teaching rather than constant reporting.
What role do face-to-face meetings play in Finnish school-family communication?
Face-to-face meetings remain central to the Finnish school-family communication system despite digital advancements. These personal interactions build trust, deepen relationships, and allow for nuanced discussions about student development. The Finnish education system prioritizes several types of in-person meetings throughout the school year to complement digital communication channels.
The most important face-to-face interactions include:
- Development discussions (kehityskeskustelu): Individual meetings between teacher, parent(s), and often the student to discuss comprehensive development, set goals, and address concerns
- Parents’ evenings (vanhempainilta): Group sessions where teachers share information about curriculum, teaching methods, and upcoming activities
- School events: Celebrations, performances, and open houses that allow families to experience school culture firsthand
- Impromptu meetings: Arranged when specific issues arise that require in-depth discussion
These face-to-face interactions create opportunities for deeper understanding that digital communication alone cannot achieve. They allow teachers to share nuanced observations about a child’s learning style, social interactions, and development areas while giving parents space to ask questions and share insights from home.
The Finnish parent-teacher communication approach recognizes that building strong educational partnerships requires personal connection. Even as digital tools streamline daily information sharing, these in-person touchpoints remain irreplaceable for fostering mutual respect and understanding between home and school.
How does Finland’s approach to school-family communication differ from other countries?
Finland’s approach to school-family communication stands apart through its emphasis on trust, appropriate boundaries, and focused interactions rather than constant monitoring. Unlike education systems that prioritize frequent progress updates and intensive parental involvement, Finnish schools maintain a more balanced partnership that respects teacher autonomy while still keeping parents appropriately informed.
Key differences in the Finnish model include:
- Trust in professional educators rather than parental surveillance
- Quality over quantity in communication frequency
- Focus on holistic development rather than just academic performance
- Clear boundaries between school and home responsibilities
- Student involvement in communication as they mature
While many international education systems encourage daily or weekly parental monitoring of homework, grades, and classroom activities, the Finnish schools family partnership takes a more measured approach. Parents receive meaningful updates at appropriate intervals without the expectation of constant engagement with school matters.
This difference reflects broader Finnish cultural values around trust, autonomy, and childhood. Finnish society generally views education as a professional domain where teachers should be trusted to do their jobs without excessive oversight. Similarly, childhood is seen as a time for development through appropriate independence rather than constant adult monitoring.
The Finnish communication model creates a healthier balance for all parties involved. Teachers can focus on teaching rather than reporting, parents can support without micromanaging, and students develop appropriate independence and responsibility for their education.
What responsibilities do Finnish parents have in school communication?
Finnish parents are expected to actively monitor school communications, respond to teacher messages promptly, report absences, attend scheduled meetings, and support the educational partnership while respecting professional boundaries. The Finnish education system views parents as essential partners who share responsibility for maintaining effective communication channels without overstepping into the professional domain of teaching.
Specific parental responsibilities in the Finnish parent-teacher communication system include:
- Regularly checking Wilma or other communication platforms for important updates
- Promptly reporting student absences through the designated system
- Attending development discussions and parents’ evenings
- Responding to teacher messages within a reasonable timeframe
- Communicating relevant home information that might affect learning
- Supporting homework completion without doing the work for the child
- Respecting teacher working hours by sending non-urgent messages during business hours
The Finnish approach balances parental involvement with appropriate boundaries. Parents are viewed as important supporters of education rather than co-teachers or supervisors. This distinction helps maintain clear roles while fostering a collaborative environment focused on student wellbeing.
As children progress through the school system, parents are expected to gradually transfer more responsibility to the students themselves. By upper secondary school, much of the communication occurs directly between teachers and students, with parents maintaining awareness but encouraging independence.
This balanced approach to home-school collaboration in Finland creates a supportive educational ecosystem where responsibilities are clear, communication is purposeful, and student development remains the central focus.
For educators interested in experiencing the Finnish communication approach firsthand, our job shadowing programs offer unique opportunities to observe these systems in action within Finnish schools. Witnessing the practical implementation of these communication models provides valuable insights that can enrich educational practices in any context.
