Greetings from Brussels: a thumbs up for Finland’s education

This spring, I worked in Brussels for two months. My aim was to study the European Union’s educational policy agenda, which did not take long – there is no agenda, or it is in such a state of disarray under the current Commission that it did not lend itself to a deeper analysis.

When it comes to educational policy debate, the place to go is Paris and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). I went there too and learned that Finland will finally participate in the PISA financial literacy assessment in 2018. The results and recommendations will follow a few years later.

Luck or not, two exceptional circumstances coincided with my time Brussels: a terror attack and the coldest spring in living memory. The latter is no shock for a Finn, but terrorism certainly was. And getting used to it is not an option. I learned that it’s good advice not to let fear take over, as long as the source of the fear does not come too close. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

My agenda also included networking and raising awareness of the activities of the organisation I represent, the Economic Information Office (TAT). It was delightful to see how genuinely thrilled people were about our services related to working life, financial skills and entrepreneurship targeted at schools. It convinced me that we are a forerunner in this field.

We should take what we have achieved and proudly shout it from the rooftops. At some point it could even lead to actual business, but whatever happens it will make us instantly feel good about doing things right. Go us!