International Perspectives on Public Education

During our time today, we visited a Forest Kindergarten named LMS SARYNKA. This was a place where the classes and most daily activities are all outside! Walking up to the school we took a path surrounded by greenery. This was a vast contrast from the concrete parking lots that most schools in the US are accustomed to. LMS SARYNKA had a beautiful yard filled with outdoor activities for the children. They were doing everything from climbing trees to collecting snails. Their property also consisted of sand boxes, rope swings, campfires, gardens, and a range of farm animals. This was an incredible school and extremely unique compared to others we have seen. We met with the founder of the school, who shared that the inspiration came from when his wife and himself were raising their own child. They wanted a school where they could embrace the outdoors and have a different experience.  

(Pictured above: classroom yurt at the LMS SARYNKA Forestry Kindergarten.) 

Our personal favorite thing about the school were all the physical outdoor activities in place for the children. They were climbing ladders into trees, swinging on ropes, and mending the gardens. However, the outside area was not the only part that was impressive. The two yurts that held 16 kids each contained heaters for the harsh winters, sleeping bags for nap time, and were covered in artwork. Each yurt had an outside patio area where class were held. This forest school was the last school visit of our trip!! 

During the second part of our day, we learned about the history of the Jewish people in Prague with Dr. Robert Řehák. In a seminar-style presentation, Dr. Řehák showed us how intimately Judaism is intertwined with Czech history. The first written mention of Jewish people in Prague comes from the traveler Ibrahim Ibn Yakub in the year 965 CE. From there, a very solemn history takes place. In the year 1254, King Přemysl Ottokar II declared that all Jewish people would be considered his property. While this meant that any harm that came to Jewish people would not be tolerated, it also dehumanized the community altogether. In later years, this attitude shifted, and many Jews were given a sacrilegious and dire choice: they could either convert to Christianity or be killed. This resulted in the deaths of thousands of Prague’s Jews. 

To put this history into context, Dr. Robert Řehák led us on a walking tour of the Jewish Quarter. We visited the Old-New Synagogue, which is the oldest operating synagogue in Europe. Its name is derived from a Hebrew phrase that translates into “on condition,” meaning that the stones used to build the synagogue must be returned to Jerusalem on the condition of the Messiah’s return. The synagogue has also historically been referred to as a “Schule” (German for “school”), showing the interconnected nature of religion and education in Jewish Prague. 

(Pictured above: The Old-New Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Prague, Czechia.) 

Final Thoughts: 

We were grateful to have experienced such a unique forestry preschool in Prague. It reinforced that there are many approaches to education that can benefit children everywhere. We were also thankful to Dr. Robert Řehák for leading us on an insightful journey through the history of Jewish Prague. 

Claire and Ellie

Today’s visit included 1) a visit to Smysluplná škola, where we sat in on lessons as well as taught a lesson of our own and 2) a lecture by Anna Donovalová on discrimination against the Roma people in the Czech Republic. 

Pictured above: Smysluplná škola. Fun fact–despite resembling a mansion, this building was designed to be a school. It’s hard to believe royalty never lived here!

School Visit

After breakfast at the hotel, we took the tram and metro to Smysluplná škola, a pre-primary and primary school in Karlín. The school, which dates back to the early 1900s, serves over 1,000 children from preschool through ninth grade. There, we had opportunities to observe lessons and teach our own. 

We (Kayla and Cass) taught a lesson on idioms to a group of 9th graders. Our first class period, we ran a trivia-night style game, while the second class period had something closer to Family Feud. Both classes, we gave the students an English idiom and had them compete to puzzle out what they meant. 

Some highlights:

• Learning that a lot of English idioms have Czech equivalents. For example, “breaking the ice” has a pretty direct translation, while “to kill two birds with one stone” is “to kill two flies with one swat.” 
• Learning that several students knew the word “beef” (as in the slang synonym of “grudge”) but not the word “grudge,” which we used to explain the idiom “to have a chip on your shoulder.” 

After our lessons, we got to sit in on some classes. Kayla observed a Czech class while Cass observed an IT class. Some of our classmates got to observe three different classes, as they didn’t teach their own. Kayla, a French major, is very sad she didn’t get to observe the French class due to schedules not lining up. Luckily, some classmates were kind enough to take notes for her.

Pictured above: Cass (left) and Kayla (right) hosting our idiom game. In the moment of this photograph, Kayla has just drawn out the idiom “to kill two birds with one stone.”

Lecture

After a tasty lunch near the school, we took the metro back to the CET center for a lecture on the Roma people by Anna Donovalová, a current PhD student in the faculty of education at Charles University (a university in Prague). While Donovalová’s primary area of study is gender (in)equality, she also became interested in the experiences of the Roma people when she learned from a colleague about the prejudice they have historically faced in the Czech education system. She first provided us with some context on the history of Roma people in the Czech Republic. We learned that the Roma people, who migrated from (probably) India to Czech territory around the 15th century, were met with an initial welcome; however, in centuries to follow, they faced eviction laws, persecution, extradition, and segregation throughout Europe. Roma people living in what is now Czechia were subjected to labor camps and then to concentration camps. During the Holocaust, ninety percent of the Czech Roma population were killed. More recently, toward the end of the 20th century, Roma people in Czechia experienced over a thousand racially-motivated attacks, with few of the attackers facing legal consequences. 

Next, Donovalová went into a more specific presentation about inequalities in education. For years, Roma students have been disproportionately placed in “special schools,” which are separate schools for students with learning disabilities. However, in reality, most of them do not have a disability that would warrant this separation from their peers. Donovalová explained why this happens: the diagnostic assessments used to determine students’ intellectual abilities were based on a homogeneous Czech majority population and failed to take into consideration differences in Roma children’s cultural and social experiences. This segregation of Roma students into special schools was finally ruled an unlawful form of discrimination in 2007, but since then, little has been done to address the issue. Furthermore, over half of Roma children in the Czech Republic don’t complete secondary school, and less than one percent graduate from university. As one of our classmates pointed out, this can make it difficult for Roma children to see themselves represented in professions requiring high school and university degrees, which they might otherwise aspire to. 

The key takeaway from the end of her presentation was a call for Czech society–especially the school system–to move from the current “Roma neutral approach,” which focuses on equality of treatment without regard for differences, to a “Roma sensitive approach,” which would encourage thoughtful consideration of individuals’ backgrounds in figuring out how best to support them. Donovalová credited her studies in gender inequality with teaching her this equality vs. equity framework, which she adapted to target inequities faced by Roma students in Czechia.   

Overall Reflection

Today, we found new insight into the Czech school system through first-hand observation and learned more about structural inequality in the Czech Republic. Many of the people we have spoken to on this trip have talked around inequality and prejudice, some even denying its existence in the schooling system. Donovalová provided a refreshingly frank look into the truth of the matter, opening up new questions to ask ourselves about what we have learned and will learn going forward.

To begin our day, our group attended a speech given by the Czech minister of education. This talk was incredibly enlightening, although (and this is anecdotal, but I think I speak for a majority of our group when I say this) it was not what I had expected. We have typically focused on the Czech and Finnish equivalents to K-12 schooling, and the minister seemed especially interested in Czech universities. He was very open about the problems facing the education systems in Czechia (among these, the most striking to me was brain drain away from the more impoverished areas towards the large urban centers), and discussed how he plans to take a very active role in the amelioration of these issues. One thing he mentioned that I found particularly insightful/unique was a concept of a truly European university. This idea has begun as ‘university clusters’, where schools from multiple different European countries partner together and create common curriculum and shared resources, so a degree in science (for example) at one university in the cluster is the same as a degree in science from another school in the same cluster. The end goal of this program is to create a ‘European degree’, where if a student meets certain standards they receive a unique degree alongside their degree from their university. This is in response to a general weakness (for lack of a better word) of European universities when compared to prominent schools in the United States (where the minister claimed a majority of the world’s best universities reside). All in all, it was a very eye-opening experience to come face-to-face with institutional thinking at the university level.

Next, we travelled to the Art School which was named “Zus Taussigova.” While we were there, we were fortunate to have an in-depth conversation with a visual art/painting teacher who explained some of the complexities of art school in the Czech Republic to us. He talked to us about methods to keep students from experiencing burn-out, entrance exams and auditions, and future career paths for students who graduate from the school. We were lucky to observe some examples of the students art which they had made during the school year, including some excellent examples of pottery and drawing. We walked through the school and heard music through the walls as students studied, and even had the chance to see their auditorium! We are so very thankful to the school and staff for being welcoming to us!

Finally, we had a short, informal talk given by a primary school teacher. This talk was immediately interesting, as she had come from a unique background both as someone who had briefly studied in the United States and as someone who teaches at a private school (Czechia has very few, public school is DEFINITELY the primary focus). Some points that were especially interesting were that her school is marketed as a school with Christian values and receives many students from Catholic families, despite Prague being one of the more agnostic/atheist cities in the entire EU. Additionally, it seemed like Czech teachers face a lot of the same problems as American teachers, faced with low incomes, nearly no gender diversity in the profession, and limited social mobility. This talk served as a nice way to descend the levels of Czech schooling, starting the day at the university stage, moving to secondary, and then to primary schooling. It seems as if we had a very encapsulating experience when the totality of our experiences today is tallied.

After another early wake-up call and the consumption of delicious donuts in the hotel lobby, we set off to see Obchodni Akademie (gymnázium bubenec), a business and airport services specialized high school located in a charming area of Prague. We were guided through the beautiful school while observing students change between classes and prepare for their matriculation exams. We then listened to a variety of Czech students present and answer questions on various information about, educational pathways, Obchodni akademie, and even life in the Czech Republic. Through the Q&A session and presentation, we learned how schooling for English-speaking individuals is more expensive and less accessible for certain people. The students also discussed the difficulties of moving between schools, adding weight to deciding which school or pathway to take. However, the students and professors highlighted the unique experiences such as ski trips or German foreign exchange programs that individuals have access to in high school (gymnázium). Additionally, the distinct options that the Czech Republic education system offers, provide pathways that allow students to specialize in certain topics or subjects, improving future outcomes in certain career paths. With these academic specialized schools it helps in the students decision-making process for whether or not they plan on continuing their education at a university level. 

Pictured Above: Obchodni Akademie, used to be a town hall.

We then went to the park to enjoy cake and converse with some students about their experiences in the Czech education system. The students emulated their dislike of Obchodni Akademie expressing the underwhelming support by teachers and administration. They discussed the social structure and how teachers went on strike in Prague for one day to improve salary and teacher support, however, they were unsuccessful in any structural changes. Students believe that this has unmotivated teachers which has resulted in less support and guidance, which can have negative implications on outcomes for students, especially within an education system that is very decision-based.

After our conversations with the Czech students and lunch, we ventured to the National Museum in the city center. The museum furthered our cultural capital by capturing the importance of communism in the Czech Republic and even dinosaurs! Overall, the great exhibits and timeless architecture made for a cool experience. 

We ended our day by listening to a Furman Alumnus, Seth Marks, who is high up in the business world here in Prague and internationally. He described his perspective on navigating the education system with children of his own and even gave insight into the business world here in Prague. He then goes on to describe how parents devote resources and money into tutoring so their kids can test high and get into higher-rated elementary schools. He then discussed the strong inclusion efforts of some businesses he does within his company and ideas of more cultural inclusion in Czech-specific businesses. Overall, it was a long, yet intriguing day in Prague!

We are excited to see what the rest of the week brings, 

Landon and Greg

On our first official day in Prague As the sun beamed in our hotel room this morning we got ready and headed down for breakfast around 8:00 A.M. We left around 8:15 A.M, and rode the tram to Sos Jarov Vocational School. 

When we arrived at the school, we were greeted by one of the teachers. He gave a brief overview of the school and the Czech education system. Sos Jarov offers many fields of study including bricklayer, gardener, plumber, and more. The school offers a 3 year program and 4 year program. For the three year program, the students graduate with a certificate of apprenticeship. With the four year program, the student will move on to university. We also learned that the Czech education system has multiple tracks and differs greatly from the Finland education system. This includes general secondary school, secondary technical school, secondary vocational school, and conservatory. After the presentation, a group of students took us on a tour of their school. During the tour, we got to see classrooms, their pool, and multiple workshops. 

We also started to have enlightening conversations with the students and staff about the Czech education system. We learned from the teacher that presented that many Czech teachers experience burnout. This is because of the lack of emotional support and the decrease in respect for teachers within Czech society. While speaking with a student of color on her experiences as a Black woman in a Czech school, we learned that there is a lack of diversity and acceptance within this school particularly surrounding migrants, students of color, and lgbtq+ students. Administration and faculty do little to handle complaints of harassment and bullying which results in feelings of alienation of students within communities that differ from the norms of their society. 

After the school visit, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant. We both had the gnocchi with turkey meat, and it was absolutely delicious! After lunch, we hopped back on the tram and headed to the CET Center for a lecture on refugees. While at the center, we received a lecture from Jan Heinrich on the education of children with migration background in the Czech Republic. Heinrich educated us on how his team META focuses on integrating and advocating for migrant populations in the Czech Republic. Jan disclosed with us that immigrants in the Czech Republic often have low intergenerational mobility and socioeconomic status. META works to decrease barriers for immigrants surrounding language, social relations and discrimination.

We look forward to the rest of our time in Prague! 

We started the day bright and early for a long trip to the arctic circle. The first stop on the way was the Pudasjärvi log campus where we were greeted by the vice principal and got a quick overview of the campus. It is the first and the biggest log school in the country (and possibly the world) it is also a school for pre-primary through high school education. It is mostly made of wood, over 28km of stacked logs, and while that might seem like a fire hazard, they assured us that it takes a while to burn and the sprinkler system is effective. 

Students came to take us on tours around the school where we saw the arts and crafts room, cooking classroom, woodworking class, and gym. They told us that they enjoy the classes and the freedom to pick what they want to do in the future. Though the academics are hard, they told us that the extra classes, such as art and cooking, help to de-stress and take away from the pressure of homework. This school shared similar themes to the other schools we visited, where we saw the same ideas of trust, autonomy, and individuality. 

Next up on our journey, we stopped at a Zoo for lunch and then continued on to Santa Claus village where we met Santa and took a group picture. Then we had a bit of free time to shop and take pictures. Even though there are still many days until Christmas, we soaked up the warm weather and good company. We were able to write postcards and get souvenirs for our families in the Christmas shops. It was also funny to wave hello to some of our family through the live camera feed. 

A quicker drive this time to the reindeer farm where we were able to feed and pet the reindeer. There was an adorable 3-4 day old baby reindeer who made a quick appearance. We then practiced lassoing a (fake) reindeer and then headed to dinner. Our dish for the night was reindeer meat with mashed potatoes, sour berries, and pickles. We were also given some fun facts about reindeer mating and racing. Did you know that there are no wild reindeer in Finland? All of them are owned by people but allowed to free roam on the farms. As this was our last night here, we all received a certificate of course completion from Finpeda. As we are writing this, we are on the way back to the hotel and sad to have finished the Finland portion of the trip but excited to head to Prague tomorrow. What a great day to end our trip to Oulu!

Today we began our day bright and early by going to the University of Oulu. We toured their campus and were amazed by the lounges for students to work in, as well as a beanbag room to take a quick power nap. Then, we listened to a lecture from Iiris Kivioja about the University and its education programs. We learned that it was very competitive with only 120 spots open in their education department. She also talked about improvements they wanted to make in terms of social justice and equality. After this, we went to another FabLab, one of many studios for large scale printing, 3d printing, and woodwork that we have come across here. 

Next, we went to VTT to learn more about the advancements they are making in the realm of technology. Their main focus was consolidating the technology needed to operate cars, planes, and medical devices into something small, lightweight, convenient, or even able to be worn by the user. We thought it was cool that they used plastic for their products, but were also making an effort towards sustainability, as that is one of Finland’s main values. 

For lunch, we rode over to the University of Oulu’s Teacher Training School where we ate alongside students in their cafeteria. The staff here was the most friendly out of any of the schools we have been to. Lunch was followed by a lecture from Dr. Raimo Salo about mentoring, how it works at the University of Oulu’s TTC, and how to apply it to our educational careers. Although one of us wants to be a teacher, the other still found the advice insightful for situations outside of the classroom. 

After a well deserved nap, we went to dinner where we debriefed the day. We went to Hanko Sushi, which is located in a nearby mall! We all enjoyed different kinds of food including poke bowls, sushi rolls, Korean fried chicken and more! One topic of discussion at the table was the DEI policies and procedures found in the schools so far. The general consensus was that although Finland is making efforts, due to their history and attitudes towards immigrants they still have a long way to go before they can add cultural diversity and inclusion to their long list of successes in their education system. 

We ended the day in the most Finnish way possible: karaoke and a sauna. 

Kiitos!

Morgan and Paisley

Hello from Northern Finland! Today we started off by taking a bus to Rantarousti School in Tyrnävä, which is a kindergarten and primary school, grades one through six, with a special education department. After we removed our shoes, the principal showed us all around the facilities, which included many wings of differing grade levels. The spaces were organized by grade level and had large rooms that could be used for group lessons or divided into smaller rooms for more individual study. What we enjoyed about this experience is that we got to discuss with students and teachers, whom were eager to answer our questions. All of the teachers frequently mentioned their constant collaboration and their efforts to make their classrooms feel like home for all of their students. We toured many areas of the school, such as “Handicrafts,” where students learn woodworking and art skills; the transition areas, where they keep their bookbags; and finally, the mainstream and special education classrooms.

After lunch at a famous Oulu fish restaurant (where we took a photo with a reindeer), our group visited Kempele School, which contains grades one through nine and a daycare facility. As in the last school, we immediately removed our shoes upon entry. While walking through the building, we noticed the vibrant colors scattered throughout each room. School projects such as self-portraits and bucket lists lined the halls. We even got to listen in on an English lesson, where they were doing a Kahoot on English grammar (which I may have joined). It was interesting to watch them learn our native language, similarly to how we learn in the United States. Lastly, we toured their state-of-the-art music and craft rooms, where students typically spend about two to four hours a week. Overall, we were blown away by the emphasized importance of arts, collaboration, special needs education, and innovation shown at both schools.

After we toured, one of the guides gave us a presentation on emerging technologies, including the metaverse (megacities and 6g technology). It was neat to see new technologies and ways that they can be used in schools, and for adaptive learning. The software we were shown included avatars, streaming abilities, and uses the cloud. We were even shown how the technology can navigate to Furman from where we were currently! It was nice to see a little glimpse of home from so far away!

We ended the day by visiting the ‘French Riviera’ of Finland. Although we were exhausted from a long day, our group was excited to visit this beachy area and take a picture in front of the legendary Nallikari Lighthouse. After climbing many steps, grabbing delicious ice cream, and exploring an outdoor gym, we reboarded the bus and returned to our hotel to get some rest before tomorrow’s adventures. Kiitos for reading – follow @megandalexisabroad on Instagram for more photos!

– Alexis Akers and Meg Sabo

After a night of healthy rest at the Best Western, the group ate a Finnish hotel breakfast and walked to the Oulu 10 building for our first event of the day, a lecture about how assessments are handled in the Finnish education system by presenter Maikki Manninen.

The presentation focused on assessments at the national, school, and student level, and gave insights into how educators collect data and evaluate standards without the use of standardized examinations like in the US. The simple answer to this is that there are national tests to evaluate learning outcomes, but they are done on a voluntary basis by schools and teachers and do not directly affect students. “Quality assurance” is also done by providing in-service training for school staff. We also learned about the education administration system in Finland which includes entities such as the Ministry of Education and Culture, The National Agency for Education, and the Finnish Education Evaluation Center (FINECC), which are responsible for national standards and evaluations but less “oversight” than US federal or state equivalents. Through this workshop, we heard that many issues that the US faces, like budget cuts and book shortages, are also problems in the Finnish system.

After the presentation, the group got lunch at a buffet and hopped on the bus to go to the Rantaroutsi Primary School. Here, we got a up-close look at stratagies that Finnish educators employ which might not be present in the US. We first met with the school principle to discuss these stratagies and the school’s values. Through this, we learned about concepts like team teaching, where traditional classes are combined into a collaborative effort between teachers and students. After this discussion, we took a tour of the school and its classroom and saw many things which are typically lacking in US schools, like vibrant classrooms and equipment.

The group then traveled back to a park in Oulu by the hotel to debrief and discuss different ideas/perspectives that we hold. This conversation included topics such as equality vs. acheivement, the merit of gifted and talented programs, liberalism vs. social democracy, what it means to be truly free, and DEI.

Looking forward to more school tours tomorrow!

Walker Smith and Mengsrun Nit

We started our day with a midnight walk to see the northern lights. They were not as visible as we were hoping for, but we still enjoyed the walk! Maybe we will see a better Aurora in Oulu…

In the morning, we attended a workshop on phenomena based learning and design pedagogy by Ilona Taimela, an Education Consultant. She talked to us about student centered learning and how the Finnish education system promotes collaborative, positive learning experiences to make students excited about school. Some of the main takeaways were the importance of autonomy for students and teachers in the lessons and activities, how the education system encourages sustainability, and Finland’s emphasis on lifelong learning.

Our next stop was the Design Museo, which showed innovative designs in fashion, technology, furniture, and other consumer goods. The museum had several interactive exhibits that allowed us to see the importance of creativity in all spaces, beyond just education. Some highlights were the virtual reality experience, Angry Birds game, and Princess Leia’s necklace.

Our final stop of the day was the Oodi Library, arguably the coolest library ever. This library made the majority of us decide that we will be moving to Finland as soon as possible. Library cards are free, and they give people access to study spaces, sewing machines, vinyl printers, laser cutters, 3D printers, recording studios, video game rooms, a kids play area, several cafes, books in many different languages, and more. Long story short, the Oodi Library is an incredible place that offers way more than just books. 

We ended the night with one of the most European experiences you can possibly have: watching the Eurovision 2024 finals. (At the time of writing, we currently have Ukraine slotted as the winner, but we’ll see.) This final has turned us all into Eurovision fans, and a few of us now have several of the songs on our playlists. 

Today, we have constantly come back to one huge point: many of the ideas we have seen in Finland’s education system we know all too well. Things like giving students and teachers choice, lessons based on students interests and lives, etc. The difficulty is applying these different ideas in a completely different school system that has different values.

Kendall Betz and Lucy Oxford