Study visit in Helsinki-Espoo – Local context and cultural policies 1. About the two cities Espoo Number of inhabitants 267,906 Area in Km² 528.14 km2 Annual budget of the city 2 220 525 693 euros (2016) Annual budget for culture 48 704 000 euros (2016) Helsinki Number of inhabitants 626,305 1 Area in Km² 715.49 km2 Annual budget of the city For 2016: Annual budget for culture 108 335 000 euros (2015) The local/regional context Helsinki and Espoo are situated in the region of Uusimaa in the South-East of Finland. Helsinki being the capital city of Finland and Espoo its second largest city, the Uusimaa region is by far the most populous region of the country. The metropolitan area of Helsinki is the economic, cultural and political capital of Finland. With 1,455,677 inhabitants, the metropolitan area of Helsinki is recognised as one of the leading creative cities in the world. It is part of the UNESCO creative cities network since 2014, and was World Design Capital in 2012, in recognition of the use of design as an effective tool for social, cultural, and economic development in the city. In choosing Helsinki, the World Design Capital selection jury highlighted Helsinki's use of 'Embedded Design', which has tied design in the city to innovation. The Finnish educational system: keyfacts . In Finland education is free at all levels from pre-primary to higher education. Adult education is the only form of education that may require payment. Most education is publicly funded. Most institutions providing education are maintained by local authorities or joint municipal boards. Responsibility for educational funding is divided between the State and local authorities. Private institutions also receive public funding. Universities receive funding from the state but they are also expected to raise external funding. 2 . Pre-primary and basic education is part of the municipal basic services that receive statutory government transfers. This transfer is based on the nuber of 6-15 year olds living in the municipality and the special conditions of the municipality. The national education administration is organised at two levels: education policy is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Culture. A national agency, the Finnish National Board of Education is responsible for the implementation of the policy aims. Local administration of schools is the responsibility of local authorities. Municipalities have also the autonomy to delegate the decision-making power to the schools. Teachers have pedagogical autonomy. Schools inspections were abolished in the early 1990s. National evaluation of learning outcomes are done regularly. There are no national tests for pupils in basic education in Finland. One task of the basic education is to develop pupils’ capabilities for self-assessment. Every child has a subjective right to attend early childhood eduction. Pre-primary education is compulsory for children of the age of six. Learning through play is essential. Basic education starts in the year when a child turns seven and lasts nine years. The national core curriculum for basic education is determined by the Finnish National Board of Education. The education providers draw up their own curricula within the framework of the national core curriculum. There is room for local or regional specificities. The syllabus of general upper secondary education is designed to last three years, but students may complete it in two or four years. Instruction is organised in modules not tied to year classes and students can decide on their individual study schedules rather freely. General upper secondary education ends with a national matriculation examination which comprises four compulsory tests, including mother tongue. Teaching is an attractive career choice in Finland. The most common pre-service requirement is a Master’s degree: class teachers have Master’s degree in education, subject teachers have Master’s degree in the subject they teach as well as pedagogical studies. More : Brochure: Finnish Education in a Nutshell (PDF: 28 pages) http://www.oph.fi/download/171176_finnish_education_in_a_nutshell.pdf Video: Finnish Education - Equal Opportunities for All (mp4: 6 mins 50 secs) http://www.minedu.fi/opencms/export/video/finEDUsmall.mp4 Brochure: Espoo - Top of the Class (PDF: 20 pages) http://www.espoo.fi/download/noname/%7B832FB8A9-00B3-4D00-BB1A-4A0B4FD00E63%7D/63935 Brochure: New national core curriculum for basic education: focus on school culture and integrative approach (PDF: 2 pages) http://www.oph.fi/download/174369_new_national_core_curriculum_for_basic_education_focus_o 3 n_school_culture_and.pdf Brochure: School Meals in Finland (PDF: 8 pages) http://www.oph.fi/download/47657_school_meals_in_finland.pdf Specific competencies/governance system Municipal self-administration has been guaranteed in the Constitution of Finland. The cornerstones of local administration are representative democracy, i.e. municipal elections; direct influence of residents and service users; the right to levy taxes; responsibilities imposed by law as well as the flexibility to organise one’s own operations and administration. Helsinki The City of Helsinki’s highest decision making body is the City Council, elected in municipal elections every four years. Helsinki City Council has 85 permanent members and an equal number of deputy members. The Mayor manage, supervise and develop the City administration in their respective fields of responsibility, ensuring that the objectives defined for the operations are achieved. The current Mayor is Jussi Pajunen. The City Council’s responsibilities include the definition of City strategies and other important objectives, the bases of service fees and the bases of the organisation of the City administration. The City Council appoints other City bodies and the highest City officers. It also decides on the main financial matters including the City budget, on the appropriations of different sectors and on the municipal tax rate. http://www.hel.fi/www/helsinki/en Espoo The highest decision-making authority in the City of Espoo is held by a Council comprising 75 members. The Council is elected by residents every four years. The Council decides on city matters and is responsible for the city’s economy and operations. The Council appoints the City Board, which is responsible for the practical running of municipal administration and finances. The City Board is the head of city administration and prepares the matters handled by the Council. It also supervises the city’s interests and represents the city. In 2010, the Council appointed Jukka Mäkelä as Mayor of the City of Espoo. He serves under the City Board and manages the city administration and economy as well as other operations. http://www.espoo.fi/en-US 4 Key cultural indicators/facts As capital of Finland, Helsinki boasts several cultural assets, such as a collection of museums and a vibrant musical scene. Its architectural ensemble is also of touristic interest, while a unique Design District has made a name for itself around the world. As the second largest city in Finland, Espoo owns some of the most recognised centres and companies related to the knowledge economy, such as Aalto University, Nokia, the video game developers Remedy and Rovio, and the Espoo Museum of Modern Art. Espoo’s development is a microcosm of Finland: strong population growth, an increasingly affluent society and modern development as part of a growing, connected and international metropolitan area. Local cultural priorities Development strategy Helsinki 2013-2016 Helsinki City Council has outlined a development strategy for the years 2013-16. The main areas of the strategy are the well-being of residents, the attractiveness of the town, urban development and the balance between economic development and sustainability. The vision is that Helsinki is a “community for all its residents and a capital with good services, open decision-making processes and flourishing science, art and creativity”. Culture has a place across all fields and is instrumental to tourism, leisure activities, and entrepreneurship, in addition to cultural services. The cultural policy of Helsinki has the overarching aim to increase the residents’ wellbeing and foster their sense of citizenship, as well as the vitality of the city, by means of art and culture. The dynamism and vibrancy of Helsinki, as outlined in the Strategy Programme, refers not only to international recognition, attractiveness and business friendly attitude, but also to the development of Helsinki’s distinctive urban culture. Culture provides enjoyment, quality of life, jobs and opportunities for participation, but it is also one of the sources of the city’s attractiveness. Keeping sight of the objective to provide a rich cultural offer across all of its territory, Helsinki strives to reach out to its suburbs. In fact, in the articulation of cultural policies, the “Helsinki model” pursues cooperation between cultural institutions and the suburban region. The strategy can be read here: http://hel.fi/static/taske/julkaisut/2013/Strategy_Programme_2013-2016.pdf City of Helsinki Urban Facts has issued thematic statistics on arts and culture approximately at five- years intervals. You can find the present comprehensive Arts and Culture publication from: Arts and Culture https://issuu.com/tietokeskus/docs/arts_and_culture_in_helsinki_issuu Espoo’s strategy 2013-2017 – Espoo Story 5 Espoo’s strategy is contained in the document Espoo Story (2013-17). The strategy