Home Economics in Finland (Observation 1)

Please remember that I am going to put some observations here through the lens of a U.S. teacher. I will try to formulate my thoughts in a way that is inquisitive & appreciative of the societal differences in expectations. This has been evident throughout the observations thus far. I will use the term Home Economics (Home Ec) as that is the term that is used internationally. For all intents and purposes it is Family and Consumer Sciences with exceptions as noted.

This week I met Hille Janhonen-Abruquah, a professor of Home Economics Teacher Education at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). She was so gracious with her time, answered our questions & gave us a tour of the facility. Home Economics is separate from textiles, in that textile production & fibers are housed in the Craft Science department. While care of textiles is part of the home economics curriculum. The subject is required for grade 7 in all of Finland as they have a national curriculum. Content includes cooking, basic finance, family management & household management.

In order to obtain a teaching position in Finland you must have a Masters degree, 5 years of university. My understanding is that the Home Economics teacher certification program here is allotted, by the Finnish National Agency for Education, a certain number of students the program can accept. Students are asked to declare up to 6 majors they are interested in & rank them. Then the departments go through applications & accept their allowed number. Here at UEF they are currently allotted 30 students a year & go through roughly 100 applications. About 25 graduate each year & all are employed prior to or at graduation. It is a competitive job market & similar to the U.S. the more areas you are certified in the higher the demand for you.

Home Economics is a popular course in the schools here but as Hille told us the teacher is the key to continuing enrollment! Finnish society puts high value on being able to manage life, but they are experiencing a devalue to teaching the skills in schools. The value of Home Ec is definitely much higher here than in the U.S., but a few people have already mentioned that they feel support for the content is declining. There is an extension type group here called Martat & they have a strong social media presence. I am hoping to connect with that group as well as the national Home Economics teachers association.

At the Tulliportinkoulu Normaalikoulu secondary building (Grades 7- high school) we met Satu Raty who is one of two Home Economics teachers there. She was leading students in making tacos & Whoopie Pies! There are 8 kitchens in the classroom & typically enroll around 16 students, so 2 students per kitchen! Unheard of in the U.S. Student behavior appeared very similar to in the U.S. Students talking and asking questions and the first classroom I was in where there was noise! Teresa and I had both noticed that students are very attentive! This classroom was set up very similar to our traditional rooms with a home kitchen layout, labels on drawers, etc. The only difference that stuck out was the students were in their socks or wore inside sandals.

At Marjala School, primary grades 1-6, I briefly met the Home Ec. teacher whose name I did not get but I am hoping to return to visit with her again! Her room has 12 Bernina sewing machines, 2 sergers and a loom. The actual construction of clothing is done in the Crafts class but I am guessing this teacher teaches that as well or this room is used for it anyway! There is 1 sink and 1 oven/range, I did not see a refrigerator. There is a recipe the students copy down and then they have tasks to complete at home, similar to in the U.S. Students appear to do more assembly at their group tables and perhaps take turns with the actual cooking when in the foods unit.

What I do know is the teacher brought the groceries in with her, had many things going on at once, smiled and laughed with the students and seemed like someone I would want to work with. The room had many items all around as is normal and bolts of fabric were shoved under a counter. Storage always seems to be an issue when you juggle so many materials! Overall my first observation are we are quite similar in how our programs function. More to come as I get the chance to visit more schools!

The author of this website/blog/etc. is a participant of the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program (Fulbright DA), a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by IREX. The views and information presented are the participant's own and do not represent the U.S.