Finnish upper secondary schools compete for students by offering special courses

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Karli Kalpala, 18, lifts his golf bag from his car and frets. He has just heard that the points he received for his matriculation examination test for mathematics may be a fraction or two shy of earning him a “laudatur” grade.
      Is the young man joking? After all, he wants to become a professional golfer. But there is more to upper secondary school than putting.
      Kalpala wants to get good grades to be able to apply either to the Helsinki University of Technology or a medical school: “In case the golf thing will not happen.”
     
The Haukilahti Upper Secondary School in the southern city of Espoo is one of many seats of learning in Finland that are trying to reel in new students by offering attractions other than just a high school diploma.
      In the capital area, and elsewhere in Finland, there are a number of upper secondary schools offering education with additional emphasis in sports, visual arts, or media.
      In addition, there are 70 upper secondary schools in Finland with a Ministry of Education special teaching assignment. This group includes, for example, the Kallio Upper Secondary School of Performing Arts, and the Mäkelänrinne Senior High School, which is one of the twelve sports schools in the country.
     
In the countrywide general application for the intermediate grade educational institutes that ends on Thursday, there are over 50 different titles to choose from in the section for upper secondary education.
      “The aim of this specialisation of upper secondary education is to offer students choices based on their interests. Some may already have career visions, and they want to try out these fields to see if it is what they might want to do for a living”, explains teaching consultant Mervi Pekkari from the City of Helsinki Education Department.
     
One such experiment is to take place at the Swedish-language Sibbo Gymnasiet in the autumn, when the school will commence its first-ever horseback riding and equine care course, in conjunction with a local riding stable.
      “The aim is to offer our students something new”, says rector Hannu Ollikainen. “If this persuades someone to choose our school, then that is an additional plus.”
      Today, Wednesday, Karli Kalpala will attend his matriculation examination test for Swedish. Later in the evening he will fly to Spain with his clubs, for a golf camp.
      After all, instead of becoming an engineer or a doctor, he might still end up a professional golfer.


Links:
  Kallio Upper Secondary School of Performing Arts
  Mäkelänrinne Senior High School

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