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Equality – a Nordic experience

Staff Reporter

The Nordic welfare state model to be discussed at seminar

J.P. Roos of University of Helsinki to speak
Strong emphasis on public sector education system

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The experience of the Nordic countries in ensuring economic development and social equality through an overwhelmingly public sector education system will be among the education paradigms that will be delineated at an international education seminar that will begin here on December 4.

The Nordic welfare state model — which has similarities with what is known as the Kerala model of development — will be discussed in the paper ‘State and Education: The Nordic Model in Action’ to be presented by J.P. Roos, specialist in social policy from the University of Helsinki, Finland.

Strong role

The paper points out that the State has played a strong role in the education system in Nordic countries and that private alternatives have been few and their role negligible, especially in Finland and Sweden. “Religion has little role in providing education although all countries have a State church or churches,” the paper notes.

The Nordic system of education is very relaxed, there are shorter hours at school but with good results and a strong emphasis on equality. National history and culture is strongly emphasised as are the languages.

“The main function of education has to be two-fold,” Dr. Roos argues in his paper “economic development and social equality, eliminating the class society.”

The role of education is increasingly important in economic development, the paper argues.

Positive impact

However, the positive impact that education has on the health of a society also results in social inequality with regard to health: the better educated have improved their health much better than the lesser educated, the paper points out. The equality between the sexes has a strong education component, the paper says. Nowadays the academic achievements of girls are much better than that of the boys.

A specialty of the Nordic school system is its emphasis on lifelong learning. More than half the population of these countries take part in adult education courses. Here, the paper points out, the difference between the sexes is very pronounced. Women study actively while men are less active on this front, the paper says.

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