Finland to fortify role in addressing global learning crisis

A working group consisting of development and education specialists proposes that Finland should adopt education as one of its development cooperation and development policy priorities and significantly increase its funding for the cause.

Ministers Anne-Mari Virolainen and Sanni Grahn-Laasonen supported the proposal and decided to set up a broad-based steering group to promote the working group's recommendations and to foster closer cooperation between operators in the field in Finland, said an official press release.

A vision of Finland's strengthened role in fixing the global learning crisis was submitted to Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen and Minister of Education Sanni Grahn-Laasonen on Thursday.

Development and education specialists in the working group propose that Finland should make the education sector one of its development cooperation and development policy priorities and significantly increase funding and resources for development cooperation in this area. Other national measures and resources will be needed, too.

"I endorse the working group's vision for making education one of the key themes in Finland's development cooperation. We have much to offer, education is the foundation of all other development, and this is a question of Finland's country image, too. Let's respond to the demand even better than before, as it is what we are expected to offer in any case," said Virolainen.

The working group also underlines the need to strengthen synergies between Finnish operators in the field by means of closer collaboration and more flexible practices.

"Finland has succeeded in combining the provision of both high quality and equality in education. We have the world's best and most highly educated teachers. In terms of educational expertise, we are a super power. It is important to make better use of our special competence in, for example, teacher training also in development cooperation. Through our strong educational expertise we will be able to create opportunities and stability in the developing countries, too," said Grahn-Laasonen.

The Ministers reminded that Finland has significant opportunities for expanding its education exports and for strengthening the use of innovative solutions in efforts to overcome the global learning crisis and to promote Goal 4 (SDG4, Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning) of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.