Saudi teachers to be trained in best global practices in Finland

RIYADH: In a major move to improve the teaching quality in Saudi schools and learn the best global practices in teaching, the Kingdom has finalized plans to send hundreds of teachers to the world-class Finnish training facilities to undergo intensive training programs.
This was disclosed by Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, Finland’s minister of education and culture, here Tuesday.
After holding wide-ranging talks with Minister of Education Ahmed Al-Issa and Minister of Labor and Social Development Mufrej Al-Haqabani, Grahn-Laasonen said that “about 80 Saudi teachers will be enrolled in different Finnish training schools in the first phase shortly ... The teachers will be sent to Finland twice a year in batches,” she added. Finland’s Ambassador Pekka Voutilainen was also present.
Spelling out the details of the training programs, the Finnish minister pointed out that the duration of the course will be six months. The Saudi government has been focusing on infrastructure improvement of schools for the last several years. “Now, it’s time to improve the educational quality in schools,” said Grahn-Laasonen, who wrapped up her two-day visit to the Kingdom on Tuesday evening.
The Finnish minister, who was accompanied by a business delegation of almost 30 representatives from Finnish universities, schools and companies in the field of education, said that the Kingdom and Finland are also working on a few other major proposals. “I will definitely disclose them, once they are matured,” she said, while adding that the two sides have agreed to set up a working group.

She pointed out that the working group would be entrusted with the task of preparing a “roadmap.” “The aim of my visit and my talks with top Saudi officials is to seek common ground for collaboration between the educational sectors in the Kingdom and Finland,” Grahn-Laasonen observed. She said that the international interest toward the Finnish educational system has been continuous, especially due its competence and results on learning.
On the role of teachers, Minister Grahn-Laasonen pointed out that teachers are recognized as the keys to quality in education. “Education in Finland is free of charge for every citizen and all students are provided free meals in both basic and second-degree education,” she noted.