Abstract
Finland is often praised as a leader in equality and education and is known for promoting human rights. Its national school curricula even include equality and human rights. However, research shows that integrating these topics into teacher education has been slow, despite numerous projects aimed at improvement over the past 50 years. In this study, we analyzed existing literature, policy documents, and responses from 311 student teachers to understand why they feel they still receive too little education on these subjects.
Our analysis, based on critical and feminist theories, explores why Finnish teacher education, despite its reputation for excellence, continues to perpetuate inequalities. The country's self-image as "exceptional" may actually be hindering progress in achieving equality and human rights goals in education. We used a theoretical framework to examine how ignorance and "innocence" allow these inequalities to persist. Through this lens, we highlight the disconnect between Finland's public image and student teachers' experiences when it comes to equality and human rights education.
Our findings suggest that Finland’s education system needs more self-reflection and continuous efforts to tackle structural inequalities, rather than resting on its reputation as a human rights champion.
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