AGORA Research Center for Social Justice and Equality in Education has been selected to implement, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Culture, a nationwide training program on equality, equity, and anti-racism for all teachers and other education professionals in Finland. The comprehensive training program, set to be completed in 2026, can also be utilized in various ways as part of teacher education curricula.
Content and structure of the program:
The program consists of ten modules that explore themes of equality, equity, and anti-racism in the context of education:
- Teachers' Social Literacy as Recognizers of Inequality (Kristiina Brunila)
- Equality and Non-Discrimination Legislation and Tools for Teachers (Elina Ikävalko)
- Democracy and Human Rights: The Social Role of Education (Tuija Kasa & Katariina Tiainen)
- Gender and Gender Systems (Inka Tähkä & Marja Peltola)
- Sexuality and Sexual and Gender Minorities (Tommi Niinisalo & Janni Kurokallio)
- Ethnicity/Race, Racism and Anti-Racism, Religion (Sofia Hilden & Tarna Kannisto)
- Disability and Ableism in Education (Juho Honkasilta)
- Language, Linguistic Equality, and Multilingualism (Heidi Harju-Luukkainen)
- Critical Representation and Hate Speech: Recognition, Intervention, and Prevention (Kristiina Brunila)
- Global Inequalities and Global Education (Riikka Suhonen & Hanna Kontio)
Scope and target group:
- Scope: 5 ECTS credits
- Target Group: Teachers and education professionals from early childhood education to basic education; potentially also staff from secondary education and higher education institutions
- Implementation: Online course, in 2026
- Language: Finnish (with subtitles in Swedish)
The research-oriented perspective of the training—particularly the critical examination of power, distinctions, and structures of inequality—serves as a foundational element of the program. The training provides participants with tools to understand the role of schools and education in contemporary society and to reflect on their own work as part of broader social, political, and cultural developments.
The program addresses an urgent need, as social changes, increasing tensions in public discourse, and the accumulation of inequalities are becoming increasingly evident in the everyday lives of schools. Teachers and other education professionals are expected to be able to confront these phenomena, support learners, and understand the structural factors influencing experiences.
The training program will examine how inequality is linked to the structures, practices, and interactions within education—such as treatment, assumptions, and power relations. Recognizing these phenomena requires social literacy: the ability to see beyond individual situations and understand their connection to broader social developments.
The goal of the training program is that work related to equality, equity, and anti-racism does not remain as isolated projects or individual actions but becomes permanently integrated into teachers' expertise, pedagogical practices, and the structures of teacher education. This training program serves as a key tool in promoting this objective.