Call to abolish mandatory Swedish in school

Education director at Confederation of Finnish Industry says other languages more important

Markku Koponen

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Markku Koponen, the director of education at the Confederation of Finnish Industry (EK), says that the mandatory teaching of the second domestic language (Swedish for Finnish-speaking schoolchildren) is an impediment to the acquisition of diverse language skills in Finland.
      He notes that few are able to study three foreign languages at the same time.
      “It is understandable that nearly everyone wants to study English, as it is demanded as a working language around the world.
     
Advance information from an EK inquiry on education and personnel suggests that the importance of Russian has grown, but that there is also a need for people speaking German, French, Spanish, and Chinese.
      Koponen is calling on a working group that is examining the curriculum of comprehensive school to keep an open mind to the aim of getting Finns to learn other languages than just English and Swedish.
      “All those who arrange teaching should be obligated to offer basic education in at least three languages, to be chosen by the pupils and their families. On eof them should be Swedish”, Koponen proposes.
     
Such a model would mean that each pupil should choose at least two languages, beginning already in the lower grades, between the first and sixth year of school
      Teachers of Swedish have proposed that mandatory Swedish, which starts in seventh grade should start earlier - in the fifth grade.
      The proposal has been supported by Minister of Education Henna Virkkunen (Nat. Coalition Party).
      Neither Virkkunen nor Timo Lankinen, the Director-General of the National Board of Education support the idea of turning Swedish into an elective subject.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Professor wants to eliminate mandatory Swedish and Finnish from schools in Finland (17.10.2008)

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