Many lessons to be learned from Finland's National Plan for Educational use of ICT

Finland's school system is held up in the UK as a system to emulate, and it is often portrayed - wrongly - as one that works without much central intervention.

This well thought out, costed, comprehensive, thoroughly referenced, and just plain sensible five year National Plan [1.15 MB PDF] was over 2 years in the making, and looks like it has drawn upon a wide enough range of interests and expertises to be taken seriously.

The plan summarises, in simple language (correction - the English is simple enough to make one believe the Finnish will have been extremely clear accessible) eight areas for action, with cost estimates for each between 2011 and 2015.

1. National objectives and systemic change
2. Learners’ future skills
3. Pedagogical models and practices
4. E-learning materials and applications
5. School infrastructure, learning facilities, purchases and support services
6. Teacher identity, teacher training and pedagogical expertise
7. Operational culture and leadership at school
8. Business and network co-operation

I hope it is not too late in the English Department for Education's rethinking of the National Curriculum, for the wisdom in the parts of the this Finnish document that relate to the schools curriculum to be drawn upon.