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Finland’s Niinistö expresses “grave concern” over Ukraine in call with Putin

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Niinistö expressed grave concern over the tense situation at the borders of Ukraine and stressed the need to find a diplomatic resolution.

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Finland’s Niinistö expresses “grave concern” over Ukraine in call with Putin

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Niinistö expressed grave concern over the tense situation at the borders of Ukraine and stressed the need to find a diplomatic resolution.

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Our audience had many ideas for improving the system as Finland heads into a healthcare vote.

Foreigners in Finland said language barriers were a problem in accessing services. Image: Derrick Frilund / Yle

Finland's health and social care providers are to be controlled by new county councils from next year. Voters go to the polls at the end of January to elect the new bodies.

We asked our audience what they think should be the big issues on the agenda for politicians elected to these new councils, and they had plenty of ideas.

Language barriers

Lots of people mentioned language difficulties when trying to navigate the system.

Many would-be patients said they don't know which service to contact, reported being misunderstood when describing the help needed and said they did not receive required help, in addition to many other challenges.

One respondent, Sara**, recalled how she ran into a multitude of unnecessary and wholly avoidable problems when she attempted to solve a particularly sensitive personal problem in English. This included being misunderstood and receiving erroneous advice that further exacerbated her problem-until her Finnish spouse stepped in to help.

"I should be entitled to receive help without discrimination, but that did not happen. I should not have to bring [my spouse] just to get someone to listen to me," Sara said.

Henna Leppämäki, a Senior Specialist with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, told Yle News that Finland's Language Act as well as the Administrative Procedure Act entitle a person to interpreting services if they cannot speak Finnish or Swedish. This provision will be continued, and potentially improved, under the Sote reform, she added.

"Most municipalities have contracts with interpreting service providers and remote services are more common and widely used especially during and after the Covid-19 pandemic," she said.

The social or healthcare service provider should arrange and pay for the interpreter, Leppämäki added, but it is important that the patient or client also requests this service.

On a broader level, Anu Castaneda, team lead of public health agency THL's Migration and Cultural Diversity Team, suggested the Sote reform could introduce improvements in how Finnish is used in the provision of services.

"Answers to this problem could be, for example, developing the use of simple Finnish language, supporting people in learning Finnish, developing multilingual and multichannel aspects in health services, and training professionals in areas of equality and encountering cultural diversity and people from different backgrounds," Castneda said.

The introduction of measures such as these, and their extent, would depend on the makeup of the regional councils elected on 23 January.

'Gatekeeping' and the appointments obstacle course

Another recurring problem was the difficulties many people reported experiencing while trying to book an appointment, especially to see a nurse, doctor or dentist.

Difficulties in getting a referral to a specialist was a common complaint, and even initial appointments can sometimes seem hard to come by in parts of the system.

Margarita* told Yle News that she felt "completely dismissed" as she kept hitting dead ends when she turned to a branch of the public services system for help.

Despite all these challenges, Margarita recalls that she slowly made progress and finally received the referral she needed to proceed. However, her case was then further delayed for an additional two months because an official "forgot" to send her referral.

"I was not living, I was surviving, I was in pain. They knew this," Margarita said. "I needed help, and [the official] forgot."

The health ministry's Senior Ministerial Adviser, Tapani Hämäläinen, said that people who feel they are being denied access to services are entitled to escalate the case to the health centre's management or else to the Patient or Social Ombudsman.

"If people feel that they have been treated improperly by social and healthcare services, or if they need advice about their rights, they can consult the Patient Ombudsman or Social Ombudsman," Hämäläinen advised.

Every municipal health centre has a Patient Ombudsman and there is a Social Ombudsman in every municipality. Their contact details can usually be found on the websites of either the health centre or the municipality.

Both of these offices, Hämäläinen added, can also help people to file complaints about social or healthcare services to a Regional State Administrative Agency (Avi), or in some cases to the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvia).

THL's Castaneda also recommended contacting Finland's Non-Discrimination Ombudsman if anyone suspects they are being denied access to services for discriminatory reasons.

"In questions of equality the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman may be contacted with a low threshold and they investigate the situations case by case," she said.

Shortcomings in preventative care

Quite a number of respondents cited the apparent lack of preventative care within the Finnish system. They worried that smaller, relatively less significant issues have the potential to become much larger, more serious problems if not dealt with swiftly and effectively in the early stages.

"Failure demand, meaning how often you have to be in contact to get your problem sorted, is only now being recognised as a problem [by Finnish authorities]," one respondent said.

"Detecting and treating a minor condition early enough can prevent the need to save a life later on."

There are a number of different stages to preventative care, including the patient's own responsibilities, but one key step is early diagnosis and prompt treatment of potentially life-changing or even fatal diseases.

Kirsi Paasovaara, a senior specialist at the ministry of health, told Yle News that switching the focus of services to preventative and proactive work is one of the government's key objectives for the Sote reform.

"The focus of services will be shifted from specialised healthcare to primary health care and preventive work. The role of social welfare will be emphasised more than previously," Paasovaara said.

Knock-on effects

While most of the respondents mentioned so far in this article reported that their issues were eventually resolved to some extent-albeit after a period of stress and frustration-Yle News also learned of a small number of cases which have had very serious knock-on effects for the people involved.

In one case, Anna** relayed to Yle News how a doctor's misdiagnosis almost led to her losing her home.

In the summer of 2020, Anna went to a clinic complaining of severe pains, but was told that it was nothing serious and would soon pass. The pains persisted, however, so she went to a different doctor for a second opinion, where her correct-and very serious-diagnosis was discovered.

Anna's temporary work contract expired at around the same time as the misdiagnosis, but she could not renew her contract or find a new job due to her medical condition. She was also not entitled to any sick leave payments.

While undergoing a series of operations over the first few months of 2021, Anna's financial situation deteriorated rapidly due to continued complications and delays receiving social welfare payments, as confusion over her original diagnosis led to misinterpretation of her entitlements.

With no income coming in for months at a time, the bills began to pile up and were eventually passed on by the creditors to debt collection agencies. This led to many additional problems including repeated threats of eviction.

"I am speechless about how the healthcare and social services system works in Finland," Anna said. "If you are facing financial problems, you will not get any help from anywhere."

According to Kirsi Paasovaara of the health ministry, Anna's case is a prime example of the problems that can arise when different departments work in 'silos', meaning that they operate within their own bubble only, as has often been the case under the previous system.

However, she added that the Sote reform intends to tackle these issues.

"The reform will develop healthcare and social welfare services and reorganise their structure. Basic public services and preventive work will be strengthened. The aim is to ensure that people have smooth access to health and social services and receive help for their individual needs," Paasovaara said.

Check out our simple guide for all you need to know about the upcoming regional election.
* Margarita asked that Yle News not use her surname. ** The names of Sara and Anna have all been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees.

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Can Sote reform improve foreigners' experience of Finland's social and healthcare system?

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Our audience had many ideas for improving the system as Finland heads into a healthcare vote. Finland's health and social care providers are to be controlled by new county councils from next year. Voters go to the polls at the end of January to elect the new bodies.

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The research study found that while there are no significant differences in skills between girls and boys, the gap between the strongest and the weakest students is growing ever wider.

The research and report was compiled by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre. Image: Jyrki Lyytikkä / Yle

The average level of mathematics skills among ninth graders in Finnish schools has declined in comparison to 20 years ago, according to a report by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre.

While the study found that there were no significant differences in maths skills between girls and boys or between students from urban and rural areas, there was a noticeable - and growing - gap between the strongest and the weakest students.

Data for the report was compiled via an electronic test completed by about 12,500 ninth grades - usually aged between 14 and 15 years old - from schools across Finland, and measured the students' skills from basic maths to algebra and geometry.

The results revealed that pupils are now clearly divided into three distinct categories: highly-skilled students at the top, average students in the middle, and very weak students lagging far behind. In the past, the situation in Finland has been much closer to the Gaussian function or "bell curve," with the middle average comprising a significant majority.

No more "average majority"

Jari Metsämuuronen, an assessment analyst at the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre, told Yle that the Covid pandemic is one factor behind the widening gap between strong and weak students.

"Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the student's own autonomy has a greater importance. Top students have been able to develop faster than before without being slowed down by weaker students. At the same time, students who have less autonomy and have not received support at home may get lost," Metsämuuronen explained.

During the remote learning periods triggered by the pandemic, autonomy, self-motivation and family support have played a much bigger role than before.

Metsämuuronen further pointed out that maths skills can be affected by young people's relationship with modern technology: because of the ubiquity of the smartphone, there is no need for young people to memorise formulas or numbers any more. The most important skill in coping with everyday life is to be able to search for information, Metsämuuronen said, not necessarily to absorb and remember it.
Story continues after the photo.

Assessments are carried out at regular intervals in order to monitor the skills and education levels of young people in Finland. Image: Jyrki Lyytikkä / Yle

Metsämuuronen has been involved in the centre's evaluations since 1998, and this is the first time that the level of maths skills has not been distributed in a relatively even way. Future studies will reveal whether this is a one-off result or the "new normal," he added.

"The division of the population into groups that are differentiated in terms of competence can have a significant impact on equality," he said.

Regardless of the effects of the pandemic, the maths skills of young people in Finland are clearly in decline. A similar study conducted by the centre at the turn of the century found the average level of mathematics competence among young people to be around 527. This figure has fallen to 451 in the latest study.

This equates to an average decrease of about two grades in a mathematics test for the average young Finnish person, Metsämuuronen pointed out, meaning that while the average ninth-grade student was getting an eight on a maths test in 2000, they are now getting a six.

"The drop is big. This may be part of a general decline: previously, young people memorised an average of about 20 phone numbers. Today they are all just stored on their phones. But it is also possible that these students have learned something other than mathematics, something that cannot yet be measured in schools," Metsämuuronen added.

"Significant" differences between schools in Helsinki region

The study also found that while there are no huge gaps when comparing groups of municipalities, there are large differences between different regions.

The situation in the north of Finland in particular has raised both eyebrows and questions, Metsämuuronen said. In Lapland, the average level in the 2021 assessment was 395, while the best regions in southwestern Finland averaged about 468.

"The results are radically different. We are now checking whether some technical issues may have affected the outcome," Metsämuuronen said, adding that a more regretful explanation may be that students in Lapland have suffered more from the difficulties caused by remote learning.

Another, and in Metsämuuronen's opinion more significant, regional divergence is taking place within the Helsinki metropolitan area, where notably large gaps have arisen between schools in terms of mathematics skills.

This raises concerns about whether parents in the capital region are going "school shopping," he said, as well as the standard of schools in less well-off districts of the capital. The term "school shopping" refers to parents selecting a top-performing school for their child even if they do not live within the school's catchment area.

"What is the mechanism by which one school in Finland becomes weaker than another? Usually the private school system attracts the most talented students, but our private schools do not explain these differences," Metsämuuronen said.
Story continues after the photo.

Skills gaps developed in school can lead to much deeper disparities in society in the future. Image: Jani Aarnio / Yle

A further cause of particular concern in the Helsinki metropolitan area, also reflected in other urban areas around the country, was the maths skills of girls from an immigrant background.

While the maths skills of students from an immigrant background are generally weaker than those of Finnish-background students, girls of S2 status (Finnish as a second language) were found to be particularly weak in mathematics.

Some 10 percent of young people who speak Finnish as their mother tongue have a low level of math skills, or a level between 300 and 350, while about 22.5 percent of girls from an immigrant background are at this competence level.

"We will probably get more information next spring about the reasons behind this. But whether they are social or cultural or related to language skills, this needs to be addressed," Metsämuuronen said.

A difficult equation

The problems and challenges raised by the report will be difficult to solve, Metsämuuronen conceded, and he and his research team have no direct solutions for any of the issues they presented.
Story continues after the photo.

Although maths skills may have declined, young people may have developed other skills that are not yet being detected by traditional assessments. Image: Tiina Jutila / Yle

Some of the challenges for schools are of the age-old, deep-set variety. For example, Metsämuuronen noted that there is always a difference between the results of girls and boys in the statistics, although this can depend on the subject being studied.

On average, girls get about half a grade higher marks than boys in maths tests.

Metsämuuronen said he thinks that gender roles often affect results, and that these are not easily resolved.

"We still have different expectations for girls and boys," he said.

In terms of the gaps in maths skills, Metsämuuronen said that the reasons are still being investigated.

"During the coronavirus era, an obvious shortage of skills has arisen. We have groups that need help," he said.

Metsämuuronen added that solutions are also needed to tackle some of the issues highlighted by the report in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

"But by what means? I cannot really say. But if the gaps grow too far, national action will be needed. There may be a big political debate about this," he said.

The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre plans to assess competencies in other subjects over the coming two years, and Metsämuuronen said that the results will provide a more comprehensive and accurate picture of overall skills - including how they relate to the results of the report on maths.

The impact of regional, language and background factors on competence will also become clearer when a more detailed analysis is completed.

Metsämuuronen added that he and his colleagues have much to do.

"Finland is a bit obsessed with the issue of equality, and I think that's great," he concluded.

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Report: Finnish children's maths skills in decline

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The research study found that while there are no significant differences in skills between girls and boys, the gap between the strongest and the weakest students is growing ever wider. The average level of mathematics skills among ninth graders in Finnish schools has declined in comparison to 20 years ago, according to a report by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre.

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Matilda

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Finland’s online grocery shopping doubles during Covid era

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Estimates suggest that e-commerce now accounts for around three percent of the country’s overall grocery trade.

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Few passengers as rail service between Finland and Russia resumes

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Train traffic between Finland and Russia, which has been on hiatus since spring 2020, re-started on Sunday.

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Jenni

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Fitness tests indicate a decline in endurance, especially among eighth graders

Eighth graders Crista Hyyryläinen and Sara Rossinen attribute students' decreasing physical fitness to excessive gaming and lack of exercise. Image: Juuso Stoor / Yle

Nationwide fitness tests conducted in autumn suggest that endurance levels among eighth-grade pupils in Finland have continued to drop over the past two years.

Schools across the country carry out the Move! tests, which evaluate physical fitness in fifth and eighth graders every year.

The programme, which assesses aspects such as endurance, speed and strength, collected data from more than 107,000 students this year.

The average results for eighth-grade girls in the 20-metre line run decreased by 14 seconds this year compared to the previous year, while that of boys decreased by 13 seconds. But over the past two years, the results deteriorated by almost half a minute for both girls and boys, according to Mikko Huhtiniemi, development manager of the Move! Programme.

"The past two years have been a challenging period due to the Covid-19 crisis, which could have contributed to these changes," Huhtiniemi stated.

A worrying trend

According to Huhtiniemi, in terms of physical fitness categories, endurance results have deteriorated the most since schools first began implementing the Move! tests in 2016.

"It is a worrying trend, because endurance is essential for basic functioning and managing everyday tasks," he said.

Fifth-grade boys in particular have registered a steady decline in results for the 20-metre line run test over the past five years.

The overall test results, which include data from six sections measuring overall fitness, indicate that 40 percent of fifth and eighth grade students are not fit enough, which means that their current physical condition could have a detrimental effect on their health and wellbeing and would make it difficult to cope with everyday life.

"It can lead to them having such a physically demanding day that they do not have enough energy to play with friends in the evening or engage in other activities. It can result in a vicious cycle," Huhtiniemi added.

According to fifth grader Pauli Lampiaho, the 20-metre line run was the most challenging test in the Move! programme. Image: Juuso Stoor / Yle

Improvements in mobility, core muscles weak

This year's tests indicated an improvement in mobility skills among male pupils. "The long-term mobility results for boys have improved across the board and that is a small ray of hope. There could be a way to close the gap with girls," Huhtiniemi stated.

However, female pupils appear to have significantly better mobility skills than their male counterparts. While a quarter of eighth-grade boys were unable to complete a lower back extension adequately, the equivalent figure for girls was only six percent.

Core muscle strength, on the other hand, has decreased in fifth and eighth grade boys as well as girls compared to the previous year.

"While the number of repetitions for both fifth-grade boys and girls reached 30 nearly every year, it has now decreased by two units for girls and three units for boys. It is nonetheless a significant change in the results of tens of thousands of girls and boys. And unfortunately, the same can be seen in eighth graders," Tommi Vasankari, director of the UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, stated.

Huhtiniemi points out that even small changes should be taken into account when it comes to a comprehensive study such as Move!, which evaluates a large section of the population.

Regional differences in fitness levels

The study also found several regional differences in physical fitness test results. Fifth and eighth graders in Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and North Ostrobothnia scored better overall than other regions in Finland.

Lapland and Kainuu, on the other hand, recorded the worst results in the country. The reasons behind these differences remain unclear.

"Schools in the North might conduct longer field trips and excursions, which would mean long periods spent sitting in a car. This could affect the [physical fitness] situation," Huhtiniemi said.

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Fitness levels of kids in Finland continue to drop

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Fitness tests indicate a decline in endurance, especially among eighth graders Nationwide fitness tests conducted in autumn suggest that endurance levels among eighth-grade pupils in Finland have continued to drop over the past two years. Schools across the country carry out the Move! tests, which evaluate physical fitness in fifth and eighth graders every year.

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The jabs will first go to children belonging to risk groups, with a broader roll-out not expected until next year.

Youngsters are to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine Comirnaty. Image: /All Over Press

As the first Comirnaty Covid vaccine shipments arrive in Finland, the vaccination of children 5-11 years of age who belong to risk groups is expected to begin this week, according to the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

Chief Specialist at THL, Mia Kontio, said 162,000 Covid vaccine doses for children will arrive in Finland this week, with the next delivery of 78,000 expected to arrive during the first week of next year. Kontio said decisions about additional shipments have not yet been reached.

The agency has not formally recommended vaccinations for those in the 5-11 age bracket who do not belong to a risk group, as plans for their vaccinations will be rolled out in January at the earliest.

The THL has however recommended vaccinations for 5-11 year-olds who live with immunocompromised individuals, but a broader rollout of vaccinations for kids not belonging to risk groups cannot begin until legislation about voluntary Covid vaccinations is amended.

Health authorities are awaiting further information about the safety of Covid vaccinations for kids in the age group, particularly about possible rare side effects.

According to THL's chief physician Hanna Nohynek, vaccine doses will be distributed to municipalities as they arrive in Finland, with decisions on administering the doses to be made at the local level.

Pfizer-BioNTech

Youngsters are to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine Comirnaty, according to Kontio.

"Vaccinations for children need to be distributed in a way that does not delay the vaccinations of the most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, Kontio noted in an agency statement earlier this month.

The THL has roughly estimated that if children between the ages of 5-11 are not vaccinated, between 20-40 percent of the entire age group would be infected with coronavirus by the end of March next year, depending on the severity of the epidemic as well as the extent of containment measures.

By November of this year around five percent of 5-11 year-olds in Finland had had a coronavirus infection, out of those 33 children required hospital treatment, with stays lasting one or two days, according to the THL.

The US and Israel were the first countries to roll out Covid vaccines to 5-11 year-olds. Meanwhile, in the EU, Austria has already begun vaccinating kids in the age group, while the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Denmark have decided to do so.

Based on data from other countries, children experience similar side effects from the vaccine as those over the age of 12. The majority of side effects are mild and temporary, including redness and swelling at the vaccination site, headache, fatigue, muscle aches and chills.

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Kids' vaccines to arrive in Finland this week

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The jabs will first go to children belonging to risk groups, with a broader roll-out not expected until next year. As the first Comirnaty Covid vaccine shipments arrive in Finland, the vaccination of children 5-11 years of age who belong to risk groups is expected to begin this week, according to the Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

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The reactor was originally set to begin operations in 2009 but has been set back by repeated delays and cost overruns.

The OL3 reactor is expected to produce around 14 percent of Finland's electricity. Image: Esa Syväkuru / Yle

After more than a decade of delays, the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (Stuk) has finally given the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor the green light to begin operations. It was originally scheduled to go online in 2009.

"The criticality and low power test permission granted today [...] means that the company can start the nuclear reaction in the Olkiluoto 3 reactor (OL3) for the first time," Stuk's press statement (siirryt toiseen palveluun) reads.

STUK added that the commissioning tests, including re-testing after modifications, have shown that the plant is operating as planned. According to estimates, the generator will begin providing energy to the grid in February. The unit is expected to be running at full capacity by June.

Project Manager Essi Vanhanen says that the commissioning process has been "a learning lesson for all the parties involved."

The Olkiluoto nuclear power plant has been operating since 1979 in Eurajoki, near Rauma on Finland's west coast. Its second unit, OL2, went online in 1982. Plans for a fourth reactor were abandoned in 2015.

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The reactor was originally set to begin operations in 2009 but has been set back by repeated delays and cost overruns. After more than a decade of delays, the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (Stuk) has finally given the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor the green light to begin operations.

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Compartment No. 6, directed by Juho Kuosmanen, is in the running for the Golden Globe Award for best non-English-language film.

Compartment No. 6 takes place mostly entirely on a train. The main characters are played by Seidi Haarla and Yuri Borisov. Image: Festival de Cannes

The film's producer, Jussi Rantamäki, told Yle that the nomination came as a surprise.

"There had been no hint, nor were we in the loop about the nomination. It even happened that when Juho (Kuosmanen) received the first message of congratulations, he just replied 'Thank you, that's always needed'. But then, when we found out what the congratulations were for, yes, the mood has been high here," Rantamäki explained.

Compartment No. 6 has already been successful in Europe, where it has won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, and been nominated for the European Film Awards gala. America has not yet taken notice to the same extent, and success in Europe is no guarantee of success in the USA.

"Even though the film has won an award in Cannes, there are lots of examples that it means nothing in America," Rantamäki pointed out.

Kuosmanen's film is based on the book of the same name by Rosa Liksom, which won the Finlandia prize when it was published in 2011.

It focuses on a young Finnish woman, played by Seidi Haarla, and a Russian miner, played by Yuri Borisov, forced to share a small compartment on a train from Moscow to Murmansk.

The Golden Globe nomination is a hard-to-read signal for the American market in the sense that the winner will be decided by an association of foreign film journalists living in the United States.

According to Rantamäki, thanks to the Golden Globe nomination, Compartment No. 6 is now receiving the kind of attention in North America that the success of Cannes did not give it there.

"It's a huge recognition, of course. It's regarded as perhaps the second largest film event in America after the Oscars," he notes.

Compartment No. 6 is also Finland's Oscar nominee for best international film. The film's producer, Jussi Rantamäki, says the process of shortlisting Oscar nominees is a major mystery, but the nomination at the Golden Globes is a "tremendous opening" for the film's Oscar campaign.

More than 90 films are currently in the for an international film Oscar. The shortlist of 15 films will be released on 21 December and finalists will be announced in February.

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Compartment no. 6 a contender for Golden Globe Award

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Compartment No. 6, directed by Juho Kuosmanen, is in the running for the Golden Globe Award for best non-English-language film. The film's producer, Jussi Rantamäki, told Yle that the nomination came as a surprise. "There had been no hint, nor were we in the loop about the nomination.

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Fitness tests indicate a decline in endurance, especially among eighth graders

Eighth graders Crista Hyyryläinen and Sara Rossinen attribute students' decreasing physical fitness to excessive gaming and lack of exercise. Image: Juuso Stoor / Yle

Nationwide fitness tests conducted in autumn suggest that endurance levels among eighth-grade pupils in Finland have continued to drop over the past two years.

Schools across the country carry out the Move! tests, which evaluate physical fitness in fifth and eighth graders every year.

The programme, which assesses aspects such as endurance, speed and strength, collected data from more than 107,000 students this year.

The average results for eighth-grade girls in the 20-metre line run decreased by 14 seconds this year compared to the previous year, while that of boys decreased by 13 seconds. But over the past two years, the results deteriorated by almost half a minute for both girls and boys, according to Mikko Huhtiniemi, development manager of the Move! Programme.

"The past two years have been a challenging period due to the Covid-19 crisis, which could have contributed to these changes," Huhtiniemi stated.

A worrying trend

According to Huhtiniemi, in terms of physical fitness categories, endurance results have deteriorated the most since schools first began implementing the Move! tests in 2016.

"It is a worrying trend, because endurance is essential for basic functioning and managing everyday tasks," he said.

Fifth-grade boys in particular have registered a steady decline in results for the 20-metre line run test over the past five years.

The overall test results, which include data from six sections measuring overall fitness, indicate that 40 percent of fifth and eighth grade students are not fit enough, which means that their current physical condition could have a detrimental effect on their health and wellbeing and would make it difficult to cope with everyday life.

"It can lead to them having such a physically demanding day that they do not have enough energy to play with friends in the evening or engage in other activities. It can result in a vicious cycle," Huhtiniemi added.

According to fifth grader Pauli Lampiaho, the 20-metre line run was the most challenging test in the Move! programme. Image: Juuso Stoor / Yle

Improvements in mobility, core muscles weak

This year's tests indicated an improvement in mobility skills among male pupils. "The long-term mobility results for boys have improved across the board and that is a small ray of hope. There could be a way to close the gap with girls," Huhtiniemi stated.

However, female pupils appear to have significantly better mobility skills than their male counterparts. While a quarter of eighth-grade boys were unable to complete a lower back extension adequately, the equivalent figure for girls was only six percent.

Core muscle strength, on the other hand, has decreased in fifth and eighth grade boys as well as girls compared to the previous year.

"While the number of repetitions for both fifth-grade boys and girls reached 30 nearly every year, it has now decreased by two units for girls and three units for boys. It is nonetheless a significant change in the results of tens of thousands of girls and boys. And unfortunately, the same can be seen in eighth graders," Tommi Vasankari, director of the UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, stated.

Huhtiniemi points out that even small changes should be taken into account when it comes to a comprehensive study such as Move!, which evaluates a large section of the population.

Regional differences in fitness levels

The study also found several regional differences in physical fitness test results. Fifth and eighth graders in Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and North Ostrobothnia scored better overall than other regions in Finland.

Lapland and Kainuu, on the other hand, recorded the worst results in the country. The reasons behind these differences remain unclear.

"Schools in the North might conduct longer field trips and excursions, which would mean long periods spent sitting in a car. This could affect the [physical fitness] situation," Huhtiniemi said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fitness levels of kids in Finland continue to drop

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Fitness tests indicate a decline in endurance, especially among eighth graders Nationwide fitness tests conducted in autumn suggest that endurance levels among eighth-grade pupils in Finland have continued to drop over the past two years. Schools across the country carry out the Move! tests, which evaluate physical fitness in fifth and eighth graders every year.

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The commander of the Defence Forces does not see direct threats to Finland at the moment.

General Timo Kivinen is the commander of the Finnish Defence Forces. Image: Henrietta Hassinen / Yle

Timo Kivinen, the commander of Finland's defence forces, told Yle's weekend morning talk show that he regards the decision to purchase F-35 fighter jets, announced on Friday, as the best possible deal.

It's the biggest military procurement in Finnish history, with 64 planes on their way to Finland in the next decade. The selection process took six years from start to finish, including three separate tendering calls, and four rounds of negotiation with the five candidates.

In the last stage, each bid was scrutinised by working groups composed of a total of around a hundred people. The project's military and financial significance meant everything had to be done thoroughly, and Kivinen says that shows in the final result.

"The group that has done this, has done great work," said Kivinen. "The money that was used for this [preparation] ensured we got the best package."

In the final round there were three candidates: the US F-35s and Super Hornets and Sweden's Gripen. The Eurofighter Typhoon and France's Rafale fell before the final hurdle.

Cost, industrial co-operation and security of supply tests had to be passed for candidates to reach the final round, said Kivinen.

Overall, the procurement will cost some ten billion euros. Between 2025 and 2030 maintenance will be included in the project cost, and from 2031 the maintenance costs will come out of the Defence Forces' budget.

"It has the capability to support ground forces, naval forces and far-reaching firepower," said Kivinen. "With this we're getting air to air missiles, later we can consider other things."

The project won't affect defence co-operation between Finland and Sweden, according to Kivinen.

"In both countries there is still a political will to deepen co-operation," said Kivinen. "I don't see that the decision would have any effect on that. Sweden is our closest partner. We make operational plans together that we don't make with anyone else."

Finland's current fighter jets, the McDonnell-Douglas-made Hornets, will be retired starting in 2025. They will mostly be scrapped, according to Kivinen.

Baltic sea security difficult to anticipate

Kivine says that the strategic situation in the Baltic Sea is not likely to change for the better in the near future. The situation in Ukraine could have ripple effects in the Baltic Sea region.

In itself there has been no significant change," said Kivinen. "In this situation, when there is an exceptional buildup on Ukraine's borders, we are following the situation closely."

The general does not see any military threats directed at Finland at the moment. Russia has concentrated around 100,000 troops on the borders of Ukraine and that has raised interest in Finland as well.

"There is an exceptional buildup there, and it is being followed closely," said Kivinen. "We are looking at different scenarios and evaluations. It is possible that military actions there could start, and there would be broader ripple effects also here, in te Baltic Sea region. I wouldn't say that this is happening, now, but it is possible."

Real threat of war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently repeated his view that Nato should not expand further to the east.

Russia's goal looks to be a security arrangement based on 'spheres of influence' in Europe.

This year Russia has raised and lowered readiness of its forces in the vicinity of Ukraine, and Kivinen says that military action is possible even though all sides would first seek a resolution through negotiations.

"We adjust our own actions according to what is happening in the region and I can say that in Finland's immediate vicinity there is no operation ongoing that we would need to be concerned about," said Kivinen. "There is no military threat directed at Finland."

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Finnish general: If war breaks out in Ukraine, it also affects the Baltic Sea region

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The commander of the Defence Forces does not see direct threats to Finland at the moment. Timo Kivinen, the commander of Finland's defence forces, told Yle's weekend morning talk show that he regards the decision to purchase F-35 fighter jets, announced on Friday, as the best possible deal.

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Fitness tests indicate a decline in endurance, especially among eighth graders

Eighth graders Crista Hyyryläinen and Sara Rossinen attribute students' decreasing physical fitness to excessive gaming and lack of exercise. Image: Juuso Stoor / Yle

Nationwide fitness tests conducted in autumn suggest that endurance levels among eighth-grade pupils in Finland have continued to drop over the past two years.

Schools across the country carry out the Move! tests, which evaluate physical fitness in fifth and eighth graders every year.

The programme, which assesses aspects such as endurance, speed and strength, collected data from more than 107,000 students this year.

The average results for eighth-grade girls in the 20-metre line run decreased by 14 seconds this year compared to the previous year, while that of boys decreased by 13 seconds. But over the past two years, the results deteriorated by almost half a minute for both girls and boys, according to Mikko Huhtiniemi, development manager of the Move! Programme.

"The past two years have been a challenging period due to the Covid-19 crisis, which could have contributed to these changes," Huhtiniemi stated.

A worrying trend

According to Huhtiniemi, in terms of physical fitness categories, endurance results have deteriorated the most since schools first began implementing the Move! tests in 2016.

"It is a worrying trend, because endurance is essential for basic functioning and managing everyday tasks," he said.

Fifth-grade boys in particular have registered a steady decline in results for the 20-metre line run test over the past five years.

The overall test results, which include data from six sections measuring overall fitness, indicate that 40 percent of fifth and eighth grade students are not fit enough, which means that their current physical condition could have a detrimental effect on their health and wellbeing and would make it difficult to cope with everyday life.

"It can lead to them having such a physically demanding day that they do not have enough energy to play with friends in the evening or engage in other activities. It can result in a vicious cycle," Huhtiniemi added.

According to fifth grader Pauli Lampiaho, the 20-metre line run was the most challenging test in the Move! programme. Image: Juuso Stoor / Yle

Improvements in mobility, core muscles weak

This year's tests indicated an improvement in mobility skills among male pupils. "The long-term mobility results for boys have improved across the board and that is a small ray of hope. There could be a way to close the gap with girls," Huhtiniemi stated.

However, female pupils appear to have significantly better mobility skills than their male counterparts. While a quarter of eighth-grade boys were unable to complete a lower back extension adequately, the equivalent figure for girls was only six percent.

Core muscle strength, on the other hand, has decreased in fifth and eighth grade boys as well as girls compared to the previous year.

"While the number of repetitions for both fifth-grade boys and girls reached 30 nearly every year, it has now decreased by two units for girls and three units for boys. It is nonetheless a significant change in the results of tens of thousands of girls and boys. And unfortunately, the same can be seen in eighth graders," Tommi Vasankari, director of the UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, stated.

Huhtiniemi points out that even small changes should be taken into account when it comes to a comprehensive study such as Move!, which evaluates a large section of the population.

Regional differences in fitness levels

The study also found several regional differences in physical fitness test results. Fifth and eighth graders in Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and North Ostrobothnia scored better overall than other regions in Finland.

Lapland and Kainuu, on the other hand, recorded the worst results in the country. The reasons behind these differences remain unclear.

"Schools in the North might conduct longer field trips and excursions, which would mean long periods spent sitting in a car. This could affect the [physical fitness] situation," Huhtiniemi said.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fitness levels of kids in Finland continue to drop

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Fitness tests indicate a decline in endurance, especially among eighth graders Nationwide fitness tests conducted in autumn suggest that endurance levels among eighth-grade pupils in Finland have continued to drop over the past two years. Schools across the country carry out the Move! tests, which evaluate physical fitness in fifth and eighth graders every year.

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Minister: Nursing students could give Covid boosters, Finland tightening entry rules

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“We need to acknowledge that the world already has concrete examples of the tidal wave that’s in store if we don’t protect ourselves,” the Minister for Family and Basic Services, Krista Kiuru, said.

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Police have released one of five men detained a week ago on suspicion of terrorist offenses, saying he poses no danger.

Police announced details of the suspected Kankaanpää terror cell last Saturday. Image: Juha Sinisalo / Lehtikuva

The Southwest Finland police department said on Friday that it had released one of the suspects believed to be members of a far-right terror cell in the town of Kankaanpää.

Last Friday, Satakunta District Court remanded five men, aged 23-26, on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack. This was the first time such charges have ever been filed against a far-right group in Finland.

One of the suspects was arrested conditionally, with the court giving police a week to gather further information on the suspect before possibly extending the detention.

The head of the investigation said that the higher threshold needed to continue the individual's detention had not so far been met based on interrogations and other preliminary investigation material. As a result, the suspect was been released on Friday.

Gag order but no travel ban

As law enforcement officials saw no probable cause to suspect that he might commit a crime, no travel ban was imposed on the suspect.

However, the man is still suspected of terrorist offenses and his involvement in the case is still being investigated. According to police, he does not currently pose any danger.

The suspect's attorney, Jarkko Liljeqvist, said his client was pleased with the decision. The suspect is under a gag order forbidding him to talk about the case.

Kankaanpää is a town of some 11,000 people in the Satakunta region, about 50km inland from Pori.

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One suspect in Kankaanpää neo-Nazi case released, but remains under investigation

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Police have released one of five men detained a week ago on suspicion of terrorist offenses, saying he poses no danger. The Southwest Finland police department said on Friday that it had released one of the suspects believed to be members of a far-right terror cell in the town of Kankaanpää.

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Finland’s Niinistö expresses “grave concern” over Ukraine in call with Putin

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Niinistö expressed grave concern over the tense situation at the borders of Ukraine and stressed the need to find a diplomatic resolution.

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Finland cut training capacity for prison guards a decade ago. Prisons in Finland are staffed in part by personnel who lack the required training, thanks to a reduction in training capacity implemented a decade ago. The problem has been evident for a couple of years, and at Pyhäselkä jail in Joensuu open positions have been advertised without applications from qualified candidates.

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Photos show two locomotives crushed together nose-to-nose, with significant damage to at least one of them.

VR has operated Italian-designed Pendolino 'tilting trains' since 1995 (file photo). Image: VR

Two VR Pendolino trains collided at Tampere railway station around midday on Sunday. VR communications manager Janna Viisterä said that there were no passengers aboard at the time of the collision.

"The collision did not cause any injuries," she told Yle.

According to Viisterä, the collision occurred when the trains were being moved around in the rail yard.

Reader photos published by Tampere newspaper Aamulehti (siirryt toiseen palveluun) showed two locomotives crushed together nose-to-nose, with clearly significant damage to at least one of them.

Viisterä predicted that the impact on rail traffic would be minor.

The morning train connection from Tampere to Turku was cancelled, as was a Turku-Tampere trip scheduled to depart at 3:10pm.

One Pendolino may be replaced with slower InterCity (IC) equipment.

Changes may be made to the Tampere-Helsinki trip departing 5:04pm, but according to Viisterä said this had not yet been confirmed.

Reliability issues

VR has operated Italian-designed Pendolino 'tilting trains' since 1995. In Finland, they operate at a maximum speed of 220 km/h.

VR's Pendolino have suffered from reliability issues, particularly in cold weather.

Earlier on Sunday, before the Tampere mishap, VR announced (siirryt toiseen palveluun) that the Pendolino from Helsinki to Lappeenranta at 1:56pm was cancelled due to a technical problem, as was the return from Lappeenranta to the capital at 4:22pm.

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Two Pendolino trains collide in Tampere, delays likely

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Photos show two locomotives crushed together nose-to-nose, with significant damage to at least one of them. Two VR Pendolino trains collided at Tampere railway station around midday on Sunday. VR communications manager Janna Viisterä said that there were no passengers aboard at the time of the collision.

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While relatively few infection cases so far involve foreign tourists, tourism operators are concerned about the impact tougher measures may have on the sector.

Large numbers of tourists have returned to Finnish Lapland and its winter snowscapes. This shot was taken in Posio in early December. Image: Tapani Leisti / Yle

Finnish Lapland is seeing its highest coronavirus infection rates since the start of the pandemic.

Last week, a total of 276 infections were diagnosed in the regional hospital district, 46 of which were among foreign tourists. The proportion of tourists among all infections in Lapland rose from 3.5 percent to 16.5 percent in a week, according to Markku Broas, chief infectious diseases physician for the Lapland Hospital District.

Meanwhile, 61 infections were diagnosed in the Länsi-Pohja Hospital District last week, the area to the immediate southwest of Lapland, abutting the border with Sweden. So far there have been few among foreign tourists. Instead, cross-border shoppers are being diagnosed with the infection "all the time," says Jyri J. Taskila, the district's chief medical officer.

On the other hand, the need for hospital care has replaced infection rates as a key indicator of the severity of the pandemic. That too has increased.

"We can't talk about capacity overload yet. We currently have five patients in hospital, having previously had one or none at all. There have been one or two patients in intensive care recently," relates Broas.

In the Länsi-Pohja Hospital District, there were seven patients in hospital care as of Monday. A week ago, there were five.

The Omicron variant has not yet been detected in Lapland. However, the delay in confirming cases is one to two weeks. For example, last week's tests in the the Länsi-Pohja district have not yet been analysed for the variant.

Other means before emergency brake

A surge in the number of infections, and the spread of the Omicron variant are creating pressure for the government to impose its so-called emergency brake.

Pasi Pohjola, strategy director of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, has estimated that almost all the criteria for the national emergency braking mechanism were already met over the past weekend.

According to Yle's sources, changes in border practices have been under discussion in the government's ministerial working group. This could mean that the Covid passport alone would not be sufficient for a person to enter the country, but each incoming passenger would be required to provide evidence of two negative Covid test results as well.

In Lapland's tourism sector, the situation is being monitored with concern. For example, the winter tourist season at Lapland Hotels has got off to a good start and the hotel booking situation comparable to the record level seen in 2019.

"If we start demanding these tests before coming here and especially here on the spot, it will in practice stop international tourism," says Ari Vuorentausta, CEO of the hotel chain.
Story continues after the photo.

Ari Vuorentausta is CEO of the Lapland Hotels chain. He says bookings are good well into the spring, but emergency measures would have a serious impact on tourist arrivals. Image: Vesa-Pekka Hiltunen / Yle

Representatives of the hospital district, municipalities and coronavirus testing services held a virtual meeting on Monday to review the organisation of rapid antigen tests for foreign tourists, for example at airports when they arrive in Lapland.

"The private service providers of the municipalities were of the opinion that a solution for testing at the airport, for example, could be found, but municipality representatives agreed with the Lapland Hospital District that it would be best if the test were performed before the trip," explains Markku Broas.

On the basis of previous experience, it would likely take at least an hour to complete rapid antigen tests for a planeload of air passengers.

"Before we start that, we need to take all possible measures to prevent the epidemic from deteriorating further, and overburdening primary care, specialist care and risking the availability of treatment," Broas adds.

This includes maintaining tracing services and stressing the use of masks.

Test before coming

Markku Broas also hopes that in future international tourists to Lapland will be tested in their countries of origin before their trip begins. Among the Schengen member countries, for example, Switzerland requires a negative PCR test no more than 72 hours prior to travel. The test result must be presented before boarding the plane.

"That would be the easiest way to prevent infections," Broas points out. .

Home tests, on the other hand are not as reliable. Finland's THL recommends home testing, but says positive results should be confirmed by a lab.

Lapland Hotels' Vuorentausta hopes that the current restrictions will be given a chance to work before any emergency measures are imposed. He points out that the disease is already prevalent among locals.

"There has been little [coronavirus] transmission to the local population. Contacts with the local population have been brief. Our clients are in practice double vaccinated, of course there are children who have not had the vaccine," says Vuorentausta.

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Covid surge casts shadow over Lapland tourism

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While relatively few infection cases so far involve foreign tourists, tourism operators are concerned about the impact tougher measures may have on the sector. Finnish Lapland is seeing its highest coronavirus infection rates since the start of the pandemic. Last week, a total of 276 infections were diagnosed in the regional hospital district, 46 of which were among foreign tourists.

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Finland's leading health officials struck a concerned tone at Thursday's Covid briefing.

Officials hope to see a quicker pace of vaccination in the coming weeks. Image: Mirva Ekman / Yle

Finland has confirmed 34 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, said health officials at a briefing on Thursday.

The figure is on a clear upward trend in Finland, with sequencing set to continue nationwide.

The variant appears to be more highly transmissible than previous strains, and has led to steep rises in case counts in other countries.

In Finland some 10,500 Covid infections were recorded last week, with 360 infections per 100,000 residents over the last 14 days.

On Thursday the THL said that nearly 2,000 new cases had been confirmed within the past 24 hours, following Wednesday's record daily high of 2,225 new infections.

Three quarters of target group boosted

At the briefing officials also said some 560,000 people in Finland had received their third dose of Covid vaccine, representing some 75 percent of those for whom THL recommends a booster jab.

That group includes those in risk groups, those caring for Covid patients, those working at care homes and those who had their first two doses of vaccine within six weeks of each other.

Those who have had two doses and are healthy have less of an urgent need for a booster shot. Some municipalities have however begun administering third shots to residents under age 60.

Taneli Puumalainen, the head of THL's Infectious Diseases Control and Vaccines Unit, said that municipalities estimate they are able to deliver some 500,000 doses of vaccine a week, with the private sector capacity at around 100,000 on top of that.

The pace of booster jab delivery is expected to quicken now, after the flu vaccination season ended.

The intensive care situation has recently changed in that there are now more cases outside the Helsinki region. The patient load has increased, especially in the hospital districts of Northern Ostrobothnia, including Oulu, and Pirkanmaa, which includes Tampere.

As of Wednesday there were 46 patients in ICUs.
13:30 Updated with details throughout.

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Finland's leading health officials struck a concerned tone at Thursday's Covid briefing. Finland has confirmed 34 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, said health officials at a briefing on Thursday. The figure is on a clear upward trend in Finland, with sequencing set to continue nationwide.

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The reactor was originally set to begin operations in 2009 but has been set back by repeated delays and cost overruns.

The OL3 reactor is expected to produce around 14 percent of Finland's electricity. Image: Esa Syväkuru / Yle

After more than a decade of delays, the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (Stuk) has finally given the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor the green light to begin operations. It was originally scheduled to go online in 2009.

"The criticality and low power test permission granted today [...] means that the company can start the nuclear reaction in the Olkiluoto 3 reactor (OL3) for the first time," Stuk's press statement (siirryt toiseen palveluun) reads.

STUK added that the commissioning tests, including re-testing after modifications, have shown that the plant is operating as planned. According to estimates, the generator will begin providing energy to the grid in February. The unit is expected to be running at full capacity by June.

Project Manager Essi Vanhanen says that the commissioning process has been "a learning lesson for all the parties involved."

The Olkiluoto nuclear power plant has been operating since 1979 in Eurajoki, near Rauma on Finland's west coast. Its second unit, OL2, went online in 1982. Plans for a fourth reactor were abandoned in 2015.

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The reactor was originally set to begin operations in 2009 but has been set back by repeated delays and cost overruns. After more than a decade of delays, the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (Stuk) has finally given the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor the green light to begin operations.

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Finland’s Niinistö expresses “grave concern” over Ukraine in call with  Putin                                 

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Finland’s Niinistö expresses “grave concern” over Ukraine in call with Putin

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Niinistö expressed grave concern over the tense situation at the borders of Ukraine and stressed the need to find a diplomatic resolution.

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The research study found that while there are no significant differences in skills between girls and boys, the gap between the strongest and the weakest students is growing ever wider.

The research and report was compiled by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre. Image: Jyrki Lyytikkä / Yle

The average level of mathematics skills among ninth graders in Finnish schools has declined in comparison to 20 years ago, according to a report by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre.

While the study found that there were no significant differences in maths skills between girls and boys or between students from urban and rural areas, there was a noticeable - and growing - gap between the strongest and the weakest students.

Data for the report was compiled via an electronic test completed by about 12,500 ninth grades - usually aged between 14 and 15 years old - from schools across Finland, and measured the students' skills from basic maths to algebra and geometry.

The results revealed that pupils are now clearly divided into three distinct categories: highly-skilled students at the top, average students in the middle, and very weak students lagging far behind. In the past, the situation in Finland has been much closer to the Gaussian function or "bell curve," with the middle average comprising a significant majority.

No more "average majority"

Jari Metsämuuronen, an assessment analyst at the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre, told Yle that the Covid pandemic is one factor behind the widening gap between strong and weak students.

"Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the student's own autonomy has a greater importance. Top students have been able to develop faster than before without being slowed down by weaker students. At the same time, students who have less autonomy and have not received support at home may get lost," Metsämuuronen explained.

During the remote learning periods triggered by the pandemic, autonomy, self-motivation and family support have played a much bigger role than before.

Metsämuuronen further pointed out that maths skills can be affected by young people's relationship with modern technology: because of the ubiquity of the smartphone, there is no need for young people to memorise formulas or numbers any more. The most important skill in coping with everyday life is to be able to search for information, Metsämuuronen said, not necessarily to absorb and remember it.
Story continues after the photo.

Assessments are carried out at regular intervals in order to monitor the skills and education levels of young people in Finland. Image: Jyrki Lyytikkä / Yle

Metsämuuronen has been involved in the centre's evaluations since 1998, and this is the first time that the level of maths skills has not been distributed in a relatively even way. Future studies will reveal whether this is a one-off result or the "new normal," he added.

"The division of the population into groups that are differentiated in terms of competence can have a significant impact on equality," he said.

Regardless of the effects of the pandemic, the maths skills of young people in Finland are clearly in decline. A similar study conducted by the centre at the turn of the century found the average level of mathematics competence among young people to be around 527. This figure has fallen to 451 in the latest study.

This equates to an average decrease of about two grades in a mathematics test for the average young Finnish person, Metsämuuronen pointed out, meaning that while the average ninth-grade student was getting an eight on a maths test in 2000, they are now getting a six.

"The drop is big. This may be part of a general decline: previously, young people memorised an average of about 20 phone numbers. Today they are all just stored on their phones. But it is also possible that these students have learned something other than mathematics, something that cannot yet be measured in schools," Metsämuuronen added.

"Significant" differences between schools in Helsinki region

The study also found that while there are no huge gaps when comparing groups of municipalities, there are large differences between different regions.

The situation in the north of Finland in particular has raised both eyebrows and questions, Metsämuuronen said. In Lapland, the average level in the 2021 assessment was 395, while the best regions in southwestern Finland averaged about 468.

"The results are radically different. We are now checking whether some technical issues may have affected the outcome," Metsämuuronen said, adding that a more regretful explanation may be that students in Lapland have suffered more from the difficulties caused by remote learning.

Another, and in Metsämuuronen's opinion more significant, regional divergence is taking place within the Helsinki metropolitan area, where notably large gaps have arisen between schools in terms of mathematics skills.

This raises concerns about whether parents in the capital region are going "school shopping," he said, as well as the standard of schools in less well-off districts of the capital. The term "school shopping" refers to parents selecting a top-performing school for their child even if they do not live within the school's catchment area.

"What is the mechanism by which one school in Finland becomes weaker than another? Usually the private school system attracts the most talented students, but our private schools do not explain these differences," Metsämuuronen said.
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Skills gaps developed in school can lead to much deeper disparities in society in the future. Image: Jani Aarnio / Yle

A further cause of particular concern in the Helsinki metropolitan area, also reflected in other urban areas around the country, was the maths skills of girls from an immigrant background.

While the maths skills of students from an immigrant background are generally weaker than those of Finnish-background students, girls of S2 status (Finnish as a second language) were found to be particularly weak in mathematics.

Some 10 percent of young people who speak Finnish as their mother tongue have a low level of math skills, or a level between 300 and 350, while about 22.5 percent of girls from an immigrant background are at this competence level.

"We will probably get more information next spring about the reasons behind this. But whether they are social or cultural or related to language skills, this needs to be addressed," Metsämuuronen said.

A difficult equation

The problems and challenges raised by the report will be difficult to solve, Metsämuuronen conceded, and he and his research team have no direct solutions for any of the issues they presented.
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Although maths skills may have declined, young people may have developed other skills that are not yet being detected by traditional assessments. Image: Tiina Jutila / Yle

Some of the challenges for schools are of the age-old, deep-set variety. For example, Metsämuuronen noted that there is always a difference between the results of girls and boys in the statistics, although this can depend on the subject being studied.

On average, girls get about half a grade higher marks than boys in maths tests.

Metsämuuronen said he thinks that gender roles often affect results, and that these are not easily resolved.

"We still have different expectations for girls and boys," he said.

In terms of the gaps in maths skills, Metsämuuronen said that the reasons are still being investigated.

"During the coronavirus era, an obvious shortage of skills has arisen. We have groups that need help," he said.

Metsämuuronen added that solutions are also needed to tackle some of the issues highlighted by the report in the Helsinki metropolitan area.

"But by what means? I cannot really say. But if the gaps grow too far, national action will be needed. There may be a big political debate about this," he said.

The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre plans to assess competencies in other subjects over the coming two years, and Metsämuuronen said that the results will provide a more comprehensive and accurate picture of overall skills - including how they relate to the results of the report on maths.

The impact of regional, language and background factors on competence will also become clearer when a more detailed analysis is completed.

Metsämuuronen added that he and his colleagues have much to do.

"Finland is a bit obsessed with the issue of equality, and I think that's great," he concluded.

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Report: Finnish children's maths skills in decline

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The research study found that while there are no significant differences in skills between girls and boys, the gap between the strongest and the weakest students is growing ever wider. The average level of mathematics skills among ninth graders in Finnish schools has declined in comparison to 20 years ago, according to a report by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre.