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We have talked about the school systems of our countries at different times and through different occasions. It became clear that we all have similar values, wishes, motivations, but also stickig points and problems (e.g. too large classes, too few teachers).
However, many of these barriers are not caused by the people who go to school or work in it. Rather, the school system often provides bad or insufficient conditions - this is something frustrating, but something we cannot change so quickly. Regular exchange about this and raising awareness of sticking points - and also common ground and opportunities - is an important first (and second and third...) step towards improvement.

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I learned today that the educational systems in Germany, Finland and Spain are very similar to each other. We all worry about too large pupil groups, and rejoice when we make contact with our pupils. Differences arise from the population; the extent of multiculturalism, the eduaction of immigrant children, and from the sheer difference of national population. It is easier to manage and to develop a school system in a nearly monocultural society of 5 million people than in a diverse population of 60 million with many regional differences.

I think the more significant differences are to be found in the teacher eduaction sector. All three countries struggle with finding enough qualified, motivated teachers. In Finland, teachers education is a popular, highly sought-afters education choice, and students are selected by entrance exam. In Spain, the ”selection process” takes place later on in form of a civil servant exam. Teaching practises are quite different. I can’t say that one system is better than the other, but we all can make improvements in the way we present teaching as a career, and in how we mentor future teachers in their early years of professional development.

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We had a lot of discussions about other schools and what is good and what is not working in the system. I think there is quite many similarities and everyone is concerned about class sizes. Also in every country there is problems with teachers not coping with the demands of the job and changing their track.

What I learned was about how to become teacher in every country. As a teacher educator I guide teacher students almost every day and I also have to develop the system for my school. So it was interesting to learn that spanish students decide after three years of basic studies if they wan´t to become teachers and they have many exams to pass on the way. In Germany there is a teacher practice of 18 months just after the studies. In Finland we try to put the practice in every year of studing so that the school system is going along with more theoretical studies all the way. I think we have good teacher in every country but what can we do about our teacher studies to build up the foundation and make it even better?

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I learned today that children with special needs in Spain also attend mainstream schools at upper secondary level. Special needs teachers accompany these pupils and teach them in parallel to the other pupils in an extra class. If the lessons allow it, usually in subjects like music or art, they have lessons with their classmates who are not special needs pupils. What I liked best was Maryam's comment that the ones who learn the most are not the special needs pupils, but their classmates.
(I hope I explained everything correctly, Maryam) ;-)

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The best thing I learnt from my colleagues is that our education systems are very similar. I also find many small differences in many aspects: inclusion, salaries, ways of accessing the job of teacher, different access to the management team, educational stages, ...
We have shared many educational aspects of our different countries, but not only that. Also about other personal aspects such as whether we have more family members with the same job, the reason why we decided to become teachers, etc.

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Teachers are like the different inhabitants of the coral reef we saw this morning in the Cousteau Reserve. We are all different but we all have the same goal and swim in the same waters. No matter which country we come from, the 7 members of this week's team share our passion for teaching and learning. As a proverb says in Spain, he who dares to teach must first dare to learn. Today I have learned a lot about the different education systems in Europe. In Germany they have good salaries and you can get promoted in your job by passing different tests and proving your worth. The government helps their students to be independent, but they have to pay back some of that help when they finish their studies. Moreover, from a young age they can decide their career path and study at vocational schools, there is no need to go to university. In Germany, however, pupils with special educational needs in ordinary secondary schools do not receive support from qualified staff. In Finland it is not necessary to pass exams to become a teacher at school. But you have to do a traineeship under the guidance of an experienced teacher and prove yourself as a teacher. The salary in Finland is not as high as I imagined, being a very prestigious country in terms of education. Teachers' working hours are similar in all three countries and we all agreed on how hard it is to teach.

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Schools all around the world are the same with only little differences.
Whether it is the different types of schools, types of students, styles of teaching, subjects, teachers' salaries, school hours or inclusion of students with different needs.
While talking to my colleagues today I learned that somehow there is a basis with only minor different notions.
In the end it comes down to one main common ground: raising responsible humans ("responsible European citizens").