Researchers clash over proposed national tests in Finnish schools

More than 650 education and child development researchers oppose proposed national tests in Finnish schools, while economists say the tests could improve understanding of learning outcomes and help direct support. Yle reports that parliament is considering a committee recommendation to pilot the tests on Thursday.

The debate follows a prolonged decline in Finnish pupils’ learning outcomes, most recently reflected in Pisa results published in the autumn. Both sides say they want to improve those outcomes, but disagree over how.

Researchers in education economics argue that Finland lacks sufficient information about what schools achieve. They say national tests could provide comparable data and make it easier to assess whether measures to develop schools are working.

Hannu Karhunen, a research director at Labore, said current sample-based assessments cannot reliably measure the effects of policy changes on learning. National tests, he argued, could help direct resources to schools with the greatest needs.

Many education researchers say existing sample-based assessments already provide detailed information and show long-term trends. They question whether national tests would improve results, citing mixed or weak evidence from other countries. Some also argue that lower-performing schools have not benefited from such tests.

Opponents say testing every year group would cost more than assessing samples. Leea Lakka, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland and one of the petition’s organisers, said national tests could nearly double state spending on assessment. The National Education Evaluation Centre, which conducts sample-based assessments, has an annual operating budget of about 4.5 million euros.

More than 650 researchers signed the petition against introducing national tests within a few days. The Trade Union of Education in Finland has also said it opposes them. The petition was delivered on Wednesday to Tuula Haatainen, chair of parliament’s Education and Culture Committee.