New School

Had my frist day at the new school today. All of my compulsory basic school school is now over - so I decided to go to an upper secondary school, that is where most of us went. Some went to a vocational school when they wanted to specialize in some profession.
We get everything for free from the state for the basic school, which is 9 years. Food, books, pens and other stuff, and if the schoolway is long they pay your bus or other transportation. Also free health care. Nice isn't it?

Now when school isn't an obligatory anymore, we have to buy everything by ourselves. Healthcare is still free I suppose. Food at least. I spent 130 € (160 $) for the books and notebooks for the first period - thanks to my friends and brother who gave me some of their old books, it wasn't more than that.

I started studying Russian, now when it is finally possible. I love that language. I also continued my studies on other languages (English, Swedish, French and German). And of course we have Finnish lessons like you have English lessons ;)

Pheww, the system is so different from basic school, and it will mean a lot of studying for me - wish me luck..

Mitjo went to an upper secondary school as well, but it was an IB-school, so everything is in English there. Wonder how his first day will be, I suppose the school hasn't started for him yet, as he lives in other province.

Wow, school starts early for you. When I was in school, it started the last Tuesday of August, but in the U.S. it is traditional for it to start the day after Labor Day (day after the first Monday in September. When I was in school (1970s, mostly), books, paper, and other such supplies were provided by the school, but it sounds like nowdays, only books are provided. You don't get to keep the books, of course. In elementary school (5 to 11 years old), nonconsumable things like scissors and a ruler were provided by the school, but you had to turn them back in at the end of the year. Everyone also got crayons and an eraser. In the later grades, they provided a few pencils a year, and loose-leaf paper, but you had to buy your own notebooks to hold the paper.

How many days are in your school year? Ours was 180 days.



This message was edited Aug 11, 2004 3:58 PM

Well, our Summer holiday began on 27th May this year.. :)

How many days.. ehmm, I don't know. I think about the same amount as you. Around Christmas we have a 2-week vacation, and our Fall vacation is 2 days + weekend. And Easter is usually the same. Independence day and May Day are day-offs of course.

I think 180 days is the norm here in the states. NEVER had a school supply paper, or anything but books... at least until college where we paid for everything.

Wow, Evert! Medical Insurance Free??

Districts in the State of Arkansas can opt for August 19th as the first day back. Teacher's are feeling the rush :)

In Big Bear California, the kids went back to school last week! Yuck!

Evert, Sounds like you have some interesting classes. Our schools started today also, and we have much the same schedule that yours has...vacations and such. We have 13 years of school, including Kindergarten.

I just called my DGS, Andrew....He was excited about starting the 4th grade!! Said it was for "older kids", and was much more fun and interesting. Also, he described his teacher: Tall....wears glasses...hair sorta grey,..no...like blonde /grey. I said "frosted"? He said Oh yeah, frosted. I hope he continues to find it exciting. Jo

A friend of mine in Clark County, Kentucky, wrote that her daughter went back to school Monday (August 9). I think we always went back in late August, like the last week of it or something.

School here starts August 23rd. Jaden starts football practice tomorrow though, depending on the results of the ultrasound on his spleen. He's been battling Mono almost all summer and the doctor won't release him to for any contact practice until he knows his spleen isn't enlarged anymore. He will be in the 11th grade.

We have to pay for sports participation, computer lab use, classes that count as college credits, (Jaden is taking phycology this year at the cost of $235), hot lunches, and all notebooks, pens and such. The school supplies the teachers, the building, and the books.

I wish you Good Luck in your new school. How many of your classmates continue to be with you now in this school? Do you miss some old friends who have gone elsewhere? Everything free .... that's so heartening to hear! How I wish such things were 'thinkable' in India! How many are in your class? What are the subjects you have to study? Is this school a 'pre-degree'? Here, after the 10th grade (we call it 'standard or class') it is called college here.

Just a couple of days ago, I read in the paper that someone has won a competetion in hot suana bath. It seems to have been held somewhere near Helsinki. Some lady won it by enduring the conditions for a few minutes. Did you know about it? How was the temp. this summer there?

Here in Los Angeles, I think school starts the day after Labor Day. They get off Thanksgiving and the day after, at least two weeks at Christmas, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, a week at Easter, Memorial Day. I'm not sure if they get off any more days. The last day is about 2/3 into the month of June. I think that books are the only supplies supplied by the school. Every year at work they have a drive to collect school supplies for poor kids. Legally, I think everyone has to attend school until he/she is 16 years old, but most everyone goes on to complete all 12 grades. Kindergarten and grades 1 through 12 are paid for by the government (i.e. the taxpayer). State-run colleges are probably government subsidized to some extent. Students still pay tuition (and books and supplies of course), but the tuition is a lot lower at a state college than at at private college.

Evert, I hope you will apply yourself diligently! What course of study do you want to follow, like math, science, social work, teaching? I know that a lot of students start out with one idea in mind and then get interested in some other course of study and get their degree. Others just keep changing their major and become professional students for years! Some people I know ended up with a job that doesn't fit their degree at all, my neighbor for instance has a degree in Fisheries Biology (may not be the right term for it but it describes it), and he raises sheep and cattle for a living, not remotely connected to his degree except that there is the science aspect of it. Another fellow we know has a degree in Forestry and drives a delivery truck, he makes more money doing that and doesn't have to deal with government bureaucacy. Comebody else with a degree in English literature has an office job but I guess the language study helps her there. With all this free stuff, your taxes must be out of sight. What would the average worker pay in taxes there. Give us some examples if you can.

Shad and Cindy go back to school the middle of next week. Jack's sister is a teacher in the K.C. area and she said the teachers are already back to the schools and the children arrive on next Thursday. Shad says the schools now supply all the books but personal supplies are the student's responsibility.

When I was in school in the 50s thru 1960 elementary books were supplied but all other materials had to be furnished by the students' families. In high school I think I remember that we bought our books in the fall and could resell them in the spring. We had to furnish all our own paper, pencils, etc. and there certainly was no free health care.

By "health care", are you talking about free medicines, and free "regular doctor's appoinments", or are you talking about free visits to the nurse's station when your lunch disagrees with you, or you've got a fever & need to go home? I think most schools here offer a nurse, who will perform basic care for things like bed to lay on for an upset stomach, or a band-aid for a cut, but that's about it. I read here there's a lot of amazement at the "free health care", that's why I would like you to clarify.

I know most schools here only provide a copy of textbooks to last the student a year, then they are returned to the school's property. Supplies like notebooks, paper, and writing utensils, are the responsibility of the parents and students. Besides, what would any of us do with that 3rd grade history book on the shelf if we had bought it?

Speaking of that ... a news article on a "not so accurate" American history text ... LOL
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,128454,00.html

"Malcolm Forbes - Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one."

For health care in Finland, see http://countrystudies.us/finland/72.htm It sounds like it's a lot like an American HMO system. You are assigned to a certain health center based on where you live. (Most services at health centers are "free".) If it is determined that your ailment cannot be cured by the health center, then you are sent to a hospital.

I'll start in my school 9.17.2004, so I still got few days vacation left:)
I am really excited about the new school, like Evert told I will start in IB-school, which is international. Wíth that higher school certificate I can study in almost in any country I want, so I hope can get good certificate and go study to abroad. Our first year will be in Finnish, but the two lasdt years we will study in English, so it's very exciting.

Sending very best wishes to you both, Evert and Mitjo :oD

All very exciting and I hope you both enjoy the new schools you have chosen.

The schools in France finish the year at the end of June and start again at the beginning of September. My oldest granddaughter will be starting at the nearby College, which is the rough eqivalent of secondary school in the UK - 11 - 16 ish
However, this is a year early, despite her not having much french. This is how she was assessed though at the school she was at in May and June. She's understandably a bit nervous, but I'm sure will be fine once she starts.

Once again, good luck to you both. I hope the schools turn out to be all that you want. It's so important to be happy and enjoying things while you're learning!!

Thank you all. :)

Our taxes are high, but I think it is much "cheaper" to pay them than school fees for each children individually. Free health care means free dental care, and we have a school nurse who gives us vaccinations and we have an annual health control. Dental care is the thing which we save most I guess, private dental care is very expensive here. I got braces in the lower-level classes and the state also paid them. Kelli's link has got some good information.

Here in our area, kids started back to school as early as the 5th and some as late as the 11th. I have a nephew close to Evert and Mitjo's age. He's going to be 16 on the 9th of Sept..He's taking Advanced Placement classes in History and Math that will give him college credit. He will have 3 more years of High School, counting this one. As everyone has stated, nothing is free but the teacher and the building. He does, however get money from the state when he graduates. This is from the gambling lottery that the State of Kentucky has. One of the ways that it was allowed to be held here, was that part of the money had to be used for education. With hard study and very good grades, he can have about 4000.00 dollars given to him by the State for use at any State University when he graduates. The amount of money a child gets is determined by how good a student they are. You get credit for A's. Korey is an exellent student,so will have the maximum amount waiting for his college when he graduates. He's not sure what he wants to be yet, but is looking at a great number of career possibilities. Right now, he is an advanced guitar student taking private lessons after school and is also learning how to teach guitar. He's hoping that he can make extra money teaching while in college. A good guitar teacher can make over 20.00 an hour. Not shabby for a 16 year old kid.....beats flipping burgers!

Hey Mel...Is C
Korey going to make it to the KY RU again this year? He is a very nice youngman.

Mitjo, sounds like you "have a plan". GREAT.....I am proud of both of you. Jo

Yes Jo, Korey is planning on attending the RU for Friday night and Saturday. He will be bringing his guitar, as will his Uncle Keith. You will be amazed at how well he plays now...he was good last year, but he can outplay most professional musicians in the area now.

Tell him I plan to REQUEST something like....hmmmmm Spanish Guitar....anything played with a spanish flair....A special number just for me!! Jo

Wow, now have been in the school for two weeks, and it is amazing. I couldnt even imagine anything like this:)
All the new students are great! And I was very happy that only one person who I knew from elementary school came with me:) It is really been great to meet these all, and the teachers are great also! Everybody are so motivated, and it makes the studying much better. The the interesting part is, that we have video-conferenses with Imatra everyday. Imatra is small city near Lappeenranta. Because here is only one IB-school in South-Karelia so it's possible to study in Ib-school in Imatra or Lappeenranta. But because there are not enough IB-teachers some of the lessons we must study together. So, we have a large tv in our class and on the tv is a camera. And in Imatra they got the same thing. So the teacher must be there or here, and he or she can teach both classes at the same time.

It has been really amazing and interesting, but also not very easy:) We get plenty of homework and we started to do lots of things that must be ready on the end of this cource. Like our portfolio in History, and book essay in Finnish. So, it has kept me really busy:) :D Well, it's fun.

The one thing where I was wrong is that the first year is in Finnish, nope, that's what they told us, but it seems to be false:) All lessons are in English expect Finnish, of course:) So, it was kinda a shock because I was ready for Finnish lessons:) Well, it is not hard in English either, and much more fun. So that is a positive thing too:)

It's great to hear that you are enjoying the new school so much, and finding it so stimulating.
Always so much easier to learn when the atmosphere is open and lots of new and interesting things going on.
Your English is so good that I'm sure the lessons won't be bothering you and what a fantastic way to learn a language in more depth!

I'm still looking for French classes here :(

Good for you, Mitjo! I think kids here in the US would get into less trouble and would excell more if they were challenged like this from day one. I know I was bored in school - it was not challenging to me -- and I found my attention drawn elsewhere a lot.

Sounds interesting Mitjo, especially the tv-teaching. Is it easy to concentrate on it?

Our Swedish teacher is the greatest ever, she is really nice in her own way, the lessons are all different from my last school. The Russian is also nice :)

New alphabet then Evert....
Do you already know some Russian, or is this new to you?

Is your school the equivilent to our high school? Ages 15-18 or grades 9-12?

Philomel, yes, you're exactly right, if the atmosphere is good the studying is much easier and much more fun.
GW, hehehe, maybe:) But you got many Ib-schools in U.S.A too:)

Evert, yes, it's very interesting. Well, when they are teaching through tv you must keep concentrading harder than normally, but it's not hard.

Woodspirit, here in Finland highschool is for ages 15-18.

This message was edited Aug 29, 2004 4:14 AM

Philomel, I've already taken one course of Russian in the Espoo worker's institute before I went to school.. the alphabet is no problem for me, I read and write it quite fluently.

Oh, that's OK then Evert ;)
How do your lessons differ from your old school? Do you mean the subjects are different or the way they are taught?

I did some TV link learning a while back Mitjo. It's good fun if you concentrate. We had it set up so there were people from 4 or 5 centres sharing a teacher. It was good fun to have question sessions and strange to have pupils asking questions from another place altogether. Made the learning interesting and certainly opened up more possibilities for sharing ideas etc. It was a shame not to have cameras in the different classes, but we could at least hear each other

Philomel.
Well, this whole school system is different. And these lessons we are having in highschool are little bit more like lectures than normal lessons. Also we must study much more independetly than in elementary school. Also, we must buy everything our selves, books, notebooks, pencils, pens, rubbers etc. We can choose courses more than before.

Anna starts college on thursday - she's 10, will be 11 in November.
It's the first time she and her sister will be in different schools. Zoe started last thursday - new school too, but with friends she made last term, and still junior school. Anna will only know one other person

They much prefer the schools here to those in the UK so far. More stimulation and socializing. Less sticking to exact formulae for lessons and less strictness for its own sake