In this paper we examine the objectives and meanings of the career guidance provided in comprehensive education as set out in discussions in the Parliament of Finland. We approach the topic through an exploration of parliamentary sessions concerning three major legislative proposals for reforming compulsory education in Finland. The premise is…

Illustrating the rising trend across education systems, the article examines the socio-historical constitution of the "politics of pupil self-evaluation" in the case of Finnish compulsory education assessment policy discourse. By studying self-evaluation as a 'politics', which, drawing on studies in governmentality, engages in the…

This study dissects the history of Finnish elementary education and the way children were raised during the initial phase of Finnish education in the 18th century. The development of Finnish education was studied through contemporary decrees and laws and studies of Finnish school history. The preliminary aim was to focus on the principles and…

Traditionally, the Nordic curriculum has been viewed as a document with school subjects in focus. This article reports on how two national curricula function as instruments for governing education and explores the possible differences in how national curricula govern education. This investigation was carried out by researching curricula for…

In this paper, the authors discuss the influence of democracy and law on music education in Sweden and Finland, and the potential for music education as training in democracy. The latter consideration can be instructive regardless of the nation, or its laws and paradigms of music education. The theoretical background is based on Jurgen Habermas'…

Presents abstracts of articles about laws on compulsory education in China; legislation affecting handicapped students in Czechoslovakia; laws on comprehensive schools in Finland; educational research on secondary education in Hungary; and reports of the Japanese National Council of Educational Reform. (CLB)