FAQs Recruitment 2024

Requirements/Qualifications 

• In general, a qualification from a Finnish university and sufficient, relevant experience of working in the profession meet the requirements.
• Check school-specific requirements on each school’s page. (See above)

Open Positions  

• Mostly Class Teachers, Special Education Teachers, Subject Teachers and Early Childhood Education Teachers.
• Check school-specific requirements on each school’s page. (See above)

Who are the Employers? 

• The contracts are made between the school and the employee.
• Check school-specific details on each school’s page. (See above)

Work Contract

• All work contracts are made between the employee and the school according to the local labour law.
• Many schools hope the employee could make a commitment to work for a minimum of two academic years.
• Taxation, working time, and holidays are based on local regulations.

Salary and Compensation Package 

• Each school offers a competitive salary and compensation package. Details will be reviewed with candidates within the recruitment process. 
• Schools assist with living arrangements and finding an apartment.

Children’s schooling

• Employees can enroll their children in the on-site daycare/school, subject to availability. School admission follows the standard application process, and school related benefits are outlined in the work contract, varying by school.

Recruitment Process 

• The application period is 2 – 31 January 2024.
• Applications will be processed throughout the application period – submit your application earlier rather than later!
• Applications are submitted through the link below.
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview either online or on-site in Helsinki, depending on the school the candidate has applied for.
• Interviews will be arranged mid-February, (check school-specific details on each school’s page), after which the schools aim to complete their staff selection promptly.

Sanna was a teacher trainee at the Qatar-Finland International School in early 23. After the training period, she applied in ECF’s teacher recruitment and was selected as a class teacher for the Q.F.I. School, starting on August 2023.

Who am I?

My name is Sanna Messman, and I was a student at the University of Oulu. At the beginning of the year 2023, I was a teacher trainee at Qatar-Finland International School. For four weeks, I was part of grade 4 and school’s everyday life. This teaching practice was the last course before I graduated, which was the perfect ending for my studies at the university.

What motivated you to apply for a training placement abroad?

I have always been curious about where I could possibly work as a Finnish class teacher when I have a master’s degree in education. Before my trainee period, I didn’t have much experience in teaching in English, but I wanted to challenge myself as a teacher. Also, I wanted to consider what kind of teacher I am and what kind of teacher I wish to be in the future.

How was your typical day (during the placement practice)?

I started my days at 7.30 am, and my days ended around 3.00 pm. During the first two weeks, I took my time to get to know students, teachers, and the school’s daily routines. I observed as many lessons as I could, and during the breaks, I had conversations with my supervisor. When I participated in lessons, I was able to help students with their lesson work. I usually ate my lunch in the canteen with students and other teachers. Last two weeks, I planned and taught lessons more independently.  Then my typical day was to organize upcoming lessons and make sure that all necessary lesson materials were prepared.

What were the highlights of your trainee period?

I had absolutely the best time in Qatar. If I need to choose a couple of highlights of my trainee period, I would say an opportunity to meet many talented and professional teachers doing very important and influential work abroad. Also, I consider myself lucky to meet so many wonderful and skillful students. My trainee period was a perfect mix of developing myself as a teacher but also exploring a foreign country and its culture.

To whom would you recommend a teaching practice abroad?

To anyone with an adventurous mind and an interest in working abroad one day. Teacher practice abroad is a great start for your career path because it expands your knowledge of which professional skills are required for a teacher, how the Finnish National Core Curriculum is implemented in school pedagogy around the world, and you can create connections with teacher colleagues abroad.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Whether you choose to apply for trainee placement at Qatar-Finland International School or other EduCluster Finland’s partner schools, you will gain valuable teacher experience in a multi-linguistical and multicultural environment. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone develops you as a person and offers you life-long memories. At least my experience was one of a kind and unique.

• Planning and teaching according to the school curriculum in collaboration with other teachers and learning assistants
• Co-teaching and mentoring local educators
• Maintaining pedagogical documentation
• Substitution
• Continuous student assessment, follow-up, and recording of student development
• Student supervision
• Participation in the Professional Development programme
• Contributing to school development work
• Communication with parents
• All other duties allocated by the School Principal and Vice Principal

• Provide individual and group counseling as well as classroom support
• Provide counseling to students who need support with personal or social issues that may affect their academic performance or well-being
• Facilitate group and classroom sessions for students
• Develop and implement a comprehensive and proactive school counseling programme that promotes student well-being
• Provide crisis intervention for students who are in need
• Collaborate with teachers, other professionals, and parents to address concerns and provide recommendations for support and intervention.
• Maintain confidentiality and ensure that student information is kept private unless there is a risk of harm to the student or others.
• Maintain proper documentation on students’ incidents, parents’ meetings, and intervention plans

• Planning and implementing teaching according to the school curriculum in collaboration with other teachers and learning assistants
• Keeping pedagogical documentation up to date
• Substitution
• Continuous student assessment, follow-up, and recording of student development
• Student supervision
• Participating in the Professional Development programme
• Contributing to school development work
• Communicating with parents weekly
• All the other duties allocated by the school admin

Finland International School Thane is in the city of Thane, which is a suburb of Mumbai, India. The curriculum and practices of the existing comprehensive school with nearly 1500 students will be transformed into Finnish in stages, starting with early childhood education and primary grades. The first batch of Finnish Mentor Teachers, the Finnish Academic Principal and the Head of School will start working at FIS Thane this summer. Their main task is to mentor the school’s 80 local teachers and support the entire work community towards Finnish operating culture.

Open positions:

• Special Education Mentor Teacher

This position offers you a completely unique opportunity to utilize your Finnish pedagogical expertise in special education in the international setting.  You mentor and guide your local colleagues in detecting students’ need for support and implementing systematic support. In addition, you get to create and develop school-wide support processes in collaboration with your colleagues and school leadership.

The job involves working with students and teachers in grades 1-9.

The main responsibilities of the Special Education Mentor Teacher:

• Co-teaching and mentoring local educators
• Planning and teaching according to the school curriculum in collaboration with other teachers and learning assistants
• Supporting students in collaboration with teachers, learning assistants and parents
• Communication with parents together with local teachers
• Consulting pedagogical staff in student support related topics
• Maintaining pedagogical documentation with local teachers
• Contributing to school development work, especially student support procedures
• Being an active member in the student welfare team
• Substitution
• Student supervision
• Participation in the Professional Development programme
• Implementing and supporting student testing according to school policies
• Providing expertise to student admission through student testing and result analysis
• All other duties allocated by the Academic Principal or the Head of School

Finland International School South Mumbai is in the city of Mumbai, India and will be launched in August 2023 to start with grades from nursery to grade 4. The school’s curriculum is based on the Finnish National Core Curriculum with local adaptation and additional content to align with Indian  standards. The school’s Finnish Principal and Finnish pedagogical staff members will be working closely together with local and international educators co-teaching, mentoring, and learning from each other.

Open mentor teacher positions:

• • ECEC Teachers
  • Class Teachers

One of the class teacher positions is planned to be upgraded with Vice Principal duties. Priority for this position is given to an applicant with previous experience in administrative and/or Vice Principal duties. Please let us know in your application if you are interested in the position in question.

The main responsibilities of the ECEC teacher:

• • Planning and teaching according to the school curriculum in collaboration with other teachers and learning assistants
  • Co-teaching and mentoring local educators
  • Maintaining pedagogical documentation
  • Continuous student assessment, follow-up, and recording of student development
  • Student supervision
  • Participation in the Professional Development programme
  • Contributing to school development work
  • Communication with parents
  • Taking care of the everyday needs of the children
  • All other duties allocated by the School Principal and Vice Principal

The main responsibilities of the Class Teacher: 

• • Planning and teaching according to the school curriculum in collaboration with other teachers and learning assistants
  • Co-teaching and mentoring local educators
  • Maintaining pedagogical documentation
  • Substitution
  • Continuous student assessment, follow-up, and recording of student development
  • Student supervision
  • Participation in the Professional Development programme
  • Contributing to school development work
  • Communication with parents
  • All other duties allocated by the School Principal and Vice Principal

Finland International School Pune locates in the city of Pune, India. The first of its kind in India, the school opened its doors in August 2022. The Finnish National Core Curriculum is at the heart of the school’s operations, with best practices from Finland merged with local requirements. Currently hosting grades from nursery to grade 4 (ages 2–9), the school will gradually expand to a full K12 model. The school Principal and half of the staff is from Finland.

Open positions:

• • ECEC mentor teacher

The main responsibilities of the ECEC mentor teacher:

• • Co-teaching and mentoring local educators
  • Planning and teaching according to the school curriculum in collaboration with other teachers and learning assistants
  • Maintaining pedagogical documentation
  • Continuous student assessment, follow-up, and recording of student development
  • Student supervision
  • Participation in the Professional Development programme
  • Contributing to school development work
  • Communication with parents
  • Taking care of the everyday needs of the children
  • All other duties allocated by the School Principal and Vice Principal

Sini Parampota is a global citizen with more than 20 years of diverse experience, sitting on several national, regional and international technical committees and career development professional bodies, including the APCDA Board of Directors and the Program Committee, as well as the NCDA Ethics Committee.

Her work centers in developing career guidance ecosystems through cross-organizational collaboration, innovation, exchange of knowledge and research, with a particular interest in untapping career guidance potentials to improve the transition of People with Disabilities into Labor Market systems and encourage employers to create more inclusive workplaces.

Through her work she realized the formation of strategic relationships with key institutions such as UNESCO, ILO, OECD, EduCluster Finland, US Embassy in Doha, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Qatar, as well as Qatar Foundation’s Higher Education Division among others.

For the last decade she worked with the Qatar Career Development Center, a member of Qatar Foundation, where she coordinated the development of a set of national level projects including the National Career Guidance Framework and a Qualification Programme for Career Practitioners. She co-developed and lead the biannual Career Guidance Stakeholders Platform. She was also the lead expert of QCDC’s inclusive programs; her Career Readiness Program for students with special needs was integrated in 2022 into the Awsaj Academy Empower Class curriculum, giving students the opportunity to obtain a High School diploma recognized by the Qatari Ministry of Education & Higher Education.

Sini has authored and co-authored various publications and delivered numerous presentations that enrich and support career planning practices, as well as influence policymaking in the State of Qatar. She is an alumna of INSEAD and Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education, and a doctoral student of Social Care, Management and Leadership at Tavistock & Portman, NHS Foundation Trust.

Programme for both events

• 4 pm Opening words by Heli Parhiala (Lead Expert, ECF). Recruitment timeline and process.
• 4.10 pm Introducing the schools
  • 4.10 pm Qatar–Finland International School, in Doha, Qatar
  • 4.25 pm Finland Oman School, in Muscat, Oman
  • 4.40 pm Finland International School, in Pune, India
• 4.55 pm Chance to discuss with school representatives in school-specific meeting rooms
• 5.30 pm Meeting rooms close

Job description for a Vice Principal

• Acting as a supervisor to designated staff members
• Leading pedagogical processes together with the principal
• Leading student welfare work
• Coordinating substitutions and supervisions
• Implementing and developing recruitment processes together with the principal
• Participating and contributing to the operational and development teams

Who are we?

Annulotta Marjanen, a special education teacher, with a background as a class teacher.
Joonas Marjanen, a music teacher, with a background as a class teacher.

What motivated us to apply abroad?

For both of us, this is not the first experience living abroad. Annulotta has lived six years in Thailand back in the 1990’s and Joonas has lived in Sweden for the first four years of his life and later a year in Mexico as a high school exchange student.

We were somewhat familiar with the Arabic culture before applying to work for EduCluster Finland. Annulotta’s brother used to work in the United Arab Emirates and working in the region seemed to be an interesting challenge to take on. We both have an international mindset – getting to know different cultures and understanding them have always fascinated us. Qatar-Finland International School and Finnish education export was something we wanted to know more about.

It was time to test and develop ourselves in terms of professional growth. Both of us had a few years of teaching experience but we were still under 30. Working and living in an international environment was a step we both desired to take.

What is/was a teacher’s workday like at your school?

We wake up around 6:00 am in the morning and leave to work before 7:00 am. Everyone needs to be at workplace from 7:30 am until 3:00 pm. During the working hours we have usually 4-6 lessons and possible break supervisions. Break supervision is also an active duty especially when supervising the younger students. As educators we need to stay alert, be involved, and guide students with their self-regulation skills. Rest of the time is allocated for planning with the units we work with, own planning and assessment, contacting and meeting the parents as well as participating in professional development programmes.

Some days it may take longer to get the work done. There are people who prefer to leave punctually and complete unfinished tasks in the evening. Sometimes, we stay at work a little longer if needed to get the important work-related tasks done. During the 15-minute commute back home we usually de-brief how our workday has been.

Work is in many ways more intense here than in Finland. Here we are not only working as teaching professionals but also representing Finland and promoting the Finnish education system.

Day of a SEN (Special Education Needs) teacher

My usual workday begins by checking the Teams application already on my way to work. There might be important information and messages I need to be aware of.

When we arrive to school, I collect and prepare the teaching materials according to my SEN schedule. First, I will go to Unit 3 and support 3rd graders in their English lesson. When arriving to any Unit, I have a habit of greeting the students and asking how their morning or day has been so far. I take the time to listen to them if they have something on their mind or need an adult support. After the first lesson I gather a group of 3rd graders and we go outside for a half an hour break time. In

November, the weather is getting very pleasant and the break time gives the students a great opportunity to move, run, play, and relax.

My day continues in Unit 2, working with 2nd graders and supporting them in their Math lesson. My work includes supporting students both individually and in groups, co-teaching together with the class teachers, screening and following up on students’ skills in various ways. Days can be very different and during the week I am participating in admission processes, multi-professional student welfare meetings, support team meetings, parent meetings, Unit meetings and planning time with the other teachers.

Collaboration with different teams and Units is the very essence of what I do. Listening to my colleagues and providing help with the students’ support needs builds the foundation and guides the planning of my work.

Usual day of a Music Teacher

When arriving at school, I sit down for a cup of coffee in the staff lounge. While catching up with colleagues nearby, I check Teams on my laptop. Usually, there are a few notifications that require my attention from the admin or colleagues. I teach mostly the upper grades where students are generally more self-oriented.

I go to the music room to set everything ready for the first lesson starting at 8:00 am. I have two 45-minute lessons back-to-back for two groups of Grade 7. Our curriculum is very close to the Finnish one with some local adaptations, so we usually sing and play together while learning bigger entities about musical elements, music history, or for instance different musical genres. Even though music may not play as big role in everyday life and in the community as it does in Finland, all students across the grade levels are very engaged and eager to participate and learn.

I have a 25-minute break before the grade 8-9 elective music lesson to set up the classroom and to make sure I have my presentation slides in order. During a skip lesson around 11 am I have my lunch in the canteen. Canteen offers good quality food for both students and staff for a reasonable price. After lunch I have my half-an-hour break supervision at the football field where I ensure that the students play fair, take turns, and respect others.

Last lessons of the day are high school World Music module MU3 for ten motivated students. At 2:00 my teaching for the day is done. I have time to do some planning for the next day, prepare learning material, and tidy up the classroom.

What competencies are the most valued in an international environment? (global competencies & knowledge)

Social and communication skills are most definitely in the very core of everything we do. Teamwork is a large part of our everyday school life, and collaboration skills are very much needed.

As educators in an international setting, it is important to have pedagogical creativity and ability to apply differentiation in you work – in planning, teaching, and assessing. Teachers need to have a strong professional self-confidence and classroom management skills.

We need to be flexible when facing any kind of changes. Ability to learn new competencies and putting those skills into practice is highly important. Organizational skills and the ability to manage

large entities are valuable strengths to have. Professional development and positive challenges keep you awake and ready for what is coming.

What are the highlights of your job?

Cultural diversity is one of the best parts of working at Qatar-Finland International School. There are over 60 different nationalities in our school community. It is very eye-opening as well as fascinating to get to know people from so many different backgrounds.

Students are motivated to learn new things: seeing their growth and working together towards the goals is highly rewarding. Constructive collaboration with parents and working in a community of educational professional and experts is motivating.

Challenging yourself professionally is encouraged and supported. Different kinds of responsibilities and positions (i.e., being a team leader, curriculum development work) have given us valuable experience for the future.

As a Finnish teacher you may not see you are special. Having grown in Finland, gone to school in Finland, studied to be a teacher in Finland, it is obvious that the only education system you know. When you get good feedback from international colleagues or visit other schools with different education system, you will notice that our child-centred, learning-by-doing approach is actually quite unique.

What kind of new challenges have you faced working abroad? (challenges)

We are here not only to offer good education and top-quality lessons, but to educate our students to be polite, tolerant, empathetic human beings and influence the way this generation thinks. The society in Qatar is very heterogeneous as most of the population are expats. The culture is different in many ways and obviously you need to respect the local customs and traditions.

Teachers create most of the learning material by themselves. Together with all the aforementioned tasks and of course teaching, our workdays are quite packed. Over the years we have become more and more efficient in planning our own work.

All in all, we have been able to challenge ourselves professionally as much as we have wanted to.

Who would you recommend your job to? How would you advice your future colleagues? (suitability /do’s & don’ts / tips)

Life itself is very pleasant in Qatar. It is sunny around the year, the school community is amazing, and there are many things to do on your free time. English is more widely spoken than Arabic which may come as surprise.

Teaching abroad is a great, eye-opening opportunity to refresh your idea of Finnish pedagogy. You need to have the intrinsic motivation to develop yourself and do your part for the good of the whole work community. Step out of your comfort zone until it becomes your comfort zone.

“If it excites you and scares you at the same time, it probably means you should do it”. I think this quote tells quite a lot about the whole process when beginning to think and apply for the school projects abroad, until you notice you are really sitting in the plane heading towards an unknown adventure. I might have wondered sometimes what on earth am I doing here but never regretted it. I have a family with 3 children. That causes a few scares and challenges but probably you can solve them and learn about life while doing that.

I am the lucky one since my husband is also a teacher. Even with the same competences with me. We both have been teaching in CLIL classes many years in Finland and we both have studied English subject teacher qualification. We are both able to work in the same projects which makes life in many ways simpler. Who wouldn’t like to have variation in life by taking a 1 – 2 years contract in a warm and sunny place? It is in these kinds of places that these projects usually take place. But if you have children and especially if they are already of school age like our children were (12, 10 and 7) when we at the first time in 2012 participated in Abu Dhabi project, it might cause in the beginning more worries than positive excitement. 

As a comfort I can say after facing all those worries together with my family, it only has increased our togetherness and made us stronger as a family. The first half of the year is highly challenging, I would say horrible. Adapting to the new country, culture and environment takes a lot but nothing you cannot get over. Usually with these challenging steps comes one of the best things in these foreign projects – your Finnish colleagues as well as your local colleagues. Naturally there will be other Finnish teachers with the same enthusiasm to develop themselves and their work, with the same values, spirit and ideologies and that means a lot. Getting to know new amazing personalities is absolutely the salt of these foreign projects.  

For me maybe the hardest part in these adventures has been being apart from the rest of your family. In this last project of ours, our older children stayed in Finland and only the youngest (15 years old) came with us. After one year she decided to stay in Finland and continue her high school in Finland. The great thing is how easily you can stay connected to your dear ones wherever you are in the world nowadays. In our case being separated as a family has turned out to be a positive thing when talking about the “children” becoming more independent persons.  

Absolutely the best thing about project work is team teaching. We can’t bring any education system just as it is to any other country. That is why the cooperation and planning with the local teachers is essential. Learning hand in hand can be very motivating and fruitful at its best. At the same time you are given an opportunity to learn from a different culture a lot.  

A Finnish teacher is an expert in Finnish education but it doesn’t mean you just bring in your expertise. The idea is that you adjust Finnish education with the local expert teachers to their needs and culture. This offers the teachers fruitful learning opportunities. Sometimes it is challenging to find the right ways to apply education to the new environment, but desire to solve problems together as well as honesty are the key elements. Personally I believe I am spreading goodness when applying Finnish Education system in new environments. Any education system is not perfect and Finnish education has its own challenges too. But basically the child centered, holistic approach with the Finnish way to support child’s learning is really working in real life. 

I would recommend school project work for all those teachers who are ready to face their weaknesses but also recognize their strengths. This is for the teachers with a good attitude! Attitude is the most important thing. Professionally cooperative skills are essential and of course sufficient English language. The rest depends on your own passion and interest. My passion has been, and still is, CLIL teaching and cooperative learning. Thanks to the last project abroad, I am very interested in how to develop the students’ thinking skills. Whatever your passion is, bring it into these projects.  

My name is Leena Veräjänkorva. In spite of being in “an adult’s age” 51 years old, I am still an adventurer teacher who wants to learn new things. These adventures have just strengthened my desire to learn more about life and myself. I am so grateful for those people who are working for education export. What an opportunity for us, teachers! 

Helena Kasurinen PhD, has specialized in developing advice and counselling services for citizens in educational settings and working life, processes and standards on practitioners competences, alongside quality assurance of career development policy and provision. Having been instrumental in designing solutions at the University of Eastern Finland, Finnish National Agency for Education, and Ministry of Economy and Employment, she has published extensively authoring 35 articles and editing 9 books in this field, and is currently engaged with national and international career guidance initiatives.

Raimo Vuorinen, PhD, has been working as a Project Manager at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research, University of Jyväskylä. His research interest is on evidence based lifelong guidance policy development and the use of ICT in guidance. Over 30 years he has acted as expert in international working groups with the European Commission, Cedefop, European Training Foundation, ILO, OECD and Unesco as well as in promoting national career development support systems through training and consultation. In 2007-15 he was the Co-ordinator of the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network, ELGPN , in 2012-19 a Vice President of International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance, IAEVG and 2019-21 the Chair of Board of the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policies, ICCDPP.

My name is Nelli Numminen. I’m a class teacher at Qatar Finland International School in my first year. I graduated from the University of Turku. Working at Q.F.I. School had been my goal since I did my teaching practice here in early 2019. I moved to Qatar at the beginning of August 2022 and work started straight away. Luckily the school itself was already familiar to me, and in a sense, it felt like coming home. I’ve used a lot of the information and knowledge that I got during my training period here, and it has really helped in the beginning whilst the days are quite hectic.

What motivated you to apply for a trainee placement abroad

I visited the school for the first time during the winter of 2018 by attending a school tour. It was obvious to me from the moment I stepped in and visited some of the lessons being held by some of the teachers that this is the place where I want to work in the future. Working at school wasn’t at that time obviously possible for me because I hadn’t finished my studies yet. Luckily, I had one teaching practice remaining as a part of my bachelor’s studies and I started to look whether it would be possible to do it at Q.F.I. School.

Teaching opportunities abroad are not something that are advertised or talked about a lot at university, and I wouldn’t have known about the school or the opportunity to do teaching practice there if my husband’s mother hadn’t worked at the school. She gave me the push and convinced me to apply by saying that Q.F.I. School would be the perfect place for me to learn and grow as a teacher.

How was your typical day at school during the teaching practice?

I typically started my days at the same time as the other teachers which meant that I was present at the school by 7.00 am at the latest because the first lesson starts at 7.30 am. During the days I got to teach on my own, co-teach, and observe my trainee mentor’s lessons. I also got to be a part of the amazing team of teachers who were teaching at that grade level, and they took me in as one of their own, not merely as a trainee. In this team, I got to share my thoughts and ideas and I felt that if I say something it is as equally valued as any of the other team members’ opinions.

My days ended when the students left so around 1.00 pm. After this, I was free to go but I usually stayed at the school to prep materials or plan the upcoming lessons.

What competencies are the most valued in international teaching practice?

I would say that the most valued features while doing teaching practice abroad are being social and ready to get to know a lot of new people in a short period of time. You also need to be friendly and kind to the children and the parents and respect the local culture. Obviously, it doesn’t hurt if you are also hardworking and ready to give your own ideas and thoughts about teaching.

What were the highlights of your trainee period?

There were quite a few highlights during my trainee period, but I would say that the positive feedback from the teachers (not only from my trainee mentor) was one of the biggest highlights during the period and made me feel more confident that I’m studying the right profession for myself. I also got to be a part of the parent-teacher conferences and practice the home-school communication that we don’t get to practice at the university or during the trainee period in Finland.

All in all, I would say that the experience in total was a highlight for me and pushed me forward in my studies and later on applying to work here.

For whom you would recommend a teaching practice abroad?

I would recommend doing a teacher practice abroad for anyone who feels that they can manage to teach and get around using English. You also need to be ready to work in a different culture and work setting than you might have been experiencing in Finland. You need to be ready to put yourself out there, so to say, to get the most out of the experience. If you have ever dreamt of working as a teacher outside Finland, a practice period is a good way to get a taste of that and to also learn whether working abroad is something that you really want to do in the future.

What significance did the trainee period have for your current work situation?

Like I’ve previously emphasized the trainee period had a HUGE impact on my current work situation. I don’t think that I would be here today without the trainee experience that I had. I think it made it easier for both parties (myself and the school) to apply and hire me when I had the experience from the school, and I had an idea of what was I getting myself into when applying.

Something else you wish to say?

Doing the teaching practice abroad was something that made my future and helped me get to where I am today. I couldn’t be happier about the fact that I am able to work in an international setting alongside some of the top teachers in the world. If you have even the slightest ambition to apply, I highly recommend you to do so based on my own experience! 😊

Dr Tajalsir Kardaman is a bilingual university educator, trainer and career guidance expert, with more than 32 years of teaching in a wide range set of universities and colleges in Sudan and in the State of Qatar. He enjoys extensive and rich experience in designing, delivering and assessing powerful curriculum in the field of business management in light of situational peculiarities. His academic background is in cross-cultural management with concentration on application of participative, reflection-in-action, approaches to organizational change, group dynamics and individual development. As a Faculty member at Qatar University’s College of Business and Economics, he held several leadership positions through which he figured out prominently as the key person in creating and effectively managing its Continuing Education Function and rebuilding and moving its academic libraries as a powerful supporter of program and institutional accreditation, in addition to strategically streamlining its’ Office of Faculty and Instructional Development. This was based on Dr Kardaman’ s experience in developing and implementing institutional effectiveness initiatives including strategic and business planning, policy development, strategic unit self- assessment and program evaluation with emphasis on organizational learning and continuous improvement.

Moreover, Dr Tajalsir has contributed immensely to the development and implementation of a national approach to developing career guidance in the State of Qatar at the national, sector and institutional levels under the umbrella of the Qatar National Vision 2030. Key among such contributions is the creation and successful management of Qatar’s Career Guidance Stakeholder Engagement Platform, his leadership in developing a set of national level projects including the National Career Guidance Framework and a Qualification Programme for Career Practitioners, as well as a concerted effort at transitioning Qatar Career Fair Center, a member of Qatar Foundation, to a full-fledged Career Development Center.

The Responsibilities of a Subject Teacher:

• Mentoring local and international teachers in grades 0-9 (mainly in secondary)
• Planning and implementation of teaching individually and as a part of a multicultural team according to the school curriculum, pedagogical approach, and needs
• Planning and implementation of continuous student assessment, follow-up, and recording of student development
• Development of study materials and tools
• Development of innovative pedagogical practices
• Student supervision
• Substitution
• Development and implementation of home-school communication and collaboration as per school policy
• Contribution to the school development as requested by the principal
• Organizing of and participation in school and community events
• Running training sessions and/or after-school activities if requested by the principal

• Planning and implementing teaching according to the school curriculum in collaboration with other teachers and learning assistants
• Keeping pedagogical documentation up to date
• Substitution
• Continuous student assessment, follow-up, and recording of student development
• Student supervision
• Participating in Professional Development program
• Contributing in school development work
• Communicating with parents weekly
• All the other duties allocated by your supervisor

I would like to get at least one more adventure professionally until it’s too late, I thought when I saw the advertisement of an open position of a principal in Kazakhstan. I am experienced internationally and have been lucky enough to get to know different cultures and different educational systems.  During the last 13 years I have been managing a private language school in Finland, so the concept of the ECF school in Kazakhstan was very close to the work I have been doing. I have experience in starting a school from scratch, conducting CLIL, being responsible for the student intake, marketing etc., so the new challenge was familiar and extremely interesting to me. At the same time, I have a strong desire to pass on the experience and knowledge I have gained during the years to the new school.

When you start a school from zero, the beginning is always challenging. When you add the cultural differences, lack of language skills, and other difficulties, you really must work hard to overcome the situations. The most important thing is to remember that the beginning in every project is challenging, but there will be light at the end of the tunnel. It is a great feeling when you see progress in everyday activities at school. To me personally working as a principal at FASAF (Finland Academic School Al-Farabi) has already given a lot. I have been able to meet wonderful people, work with them, assist, train, and encourage my local and Finnish colleagues as well as learn a lot from them. Working in Kazakhstan has given me a new perspective to the things I do in Finland. So far it has been a valuable experience.

Our personnel consist of Finnish teachers, local teachers, and learning assistants. It has been a wonderful experience working with the local staff who are motivated to learn the Finnish educational approach. The people in Shymkent, Kazakhstan are kind, open, positive, and easy to get along with. The students are mainly local as there are very few foreigners living in Shymkent. The students are delightful, excited to learn new things, and very enthusiastic about almost anything. Our Finnish teachers are mainly mentoring the local teachers, but also teaching some hours a week. I am very proud of our Finnish teachers, their professional expertise, and their ability to adapt to the completely new culture when establishing a new school.

Shymkent itself is an interesting city. There are a lot of things you can do in your spare time. The prices are low, so you can really enjoy some luxuries in life. I have been very happy living in Shymkent and have not experienced any homesickness so far. Nice and warm outside temperature lasts from March until October. During the summer months (June, July, and August) the temperature may rise very high.

If you are considering a work opportunity outside Finland and, for example, in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, you need to have an open mind, the ability to adapt to changes, flexibility, and eagerness to develop yourself and develop others. We have a brilliant staff ready to support each other, help and guide, laugh, and enjoy every day working together. We would be very happy to welcome you to our great team!

David Marsh PhD is Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London. He has experience of tasks in over 40 countries, contributed to over 160 publications, presented over 130 invited keynotes, and received 5 degrees from the United Kingdom, Finland, and Spain.  Experience in Finland and across Europe has been complemented with assignments in Africa (Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa), Central & East Asia (Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea), Iceland, India, Kosovo, Middle East (KSA, UAE, Qatar), Russia, Southeast Asia (Brunei, Hong Kong, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam), North America, (Mexico, USA), and South America (Argentina, Colombia, Peru). Having co-launched Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) under the auspices of the European Commission, his work has been recognized through various awards including the English-speaking Union (2008), Estonian Educational Sciences (2009), Doctor honoris causa VIU (2013), and Honorary Chair, Catedrático Extraordinario de Educación Bilingüe, UCAM (2017). His key current interests are educational change management, CLIL and bilingual education, realizing OECD global competences, and adjusting educational practices for digitally astute young people.

• Home-school collaboration
• Supporting teachers and parents
• Coordinating and registering disciplinary processes
• Keeping pedagogical documentation up to date
• Crisis intervention
• Supporting class teachers and homeroom teachers in case of student absences, tardiness and undone homework
• Liaising with social services and other student support networks
• Student supervision
• Contributing in school development work
• Active member of Student Welfare Team
• Life Skills Coaching
• Coordinating Student Rewards
• Student testing
• All the other duties allocated by your supervisor

Having graduated from the University of Oulu as an international class teacher, Saana Khalil taught at the Vesala primary school for two years before the idea of going abroad became irresistible. She joined us to work as a class teacher in a state school for girls in the city of Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The school had a Finnish principal and some other Finnish teachers, and the students were local children. Saana taught in Al Ain for a total of four years.

The Al Ain school followed a British-style curriculum. Compared to Finland, schooldays were long, and being taught by turns in English and Arabic was challenging for the students. Saana, on the other hand, was challenged by implementing child-oriented teaching. She had to learn to apply Finnish pedagogy to a totally unfamiliar context.

“My four years there included every emotional state imaginable. At times I found it tough, and school inspections put a lot of pressure on us. But I did a lot of teamwork with the other teachers which was really inspiring. The teachers chosen for projects like these are ones who crave challenges and give it their best. They became close friends to me, and the most important memory I have of that time is my gratitude for everything I learned and experienced.”

When Saana returned to Finland, she was equipped with skills to better understand and respond to diversity and interculturality. As she had studied Arabic throughout her four years in Al Ain, Saana was able to talk about basic things with many of the refugee children and their parents at her local school.

Last summer, we sent Saana to Beijing for two weeks to provide further training to local class teachers.

“China is completely different to Europe and the Middle East, and I found the experience fascinating. Whether it’s two weeks or four years, you learn so much from working abroad and take home a lot of practical new insights to apply in your own class.”

Dr. Kari Pitkänen has retired in 2019 from the position of Director of Strategic Planning and Development (also having the title of Professor) which he held at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. His academic education is in social sciences with specialization in population issues, including the role of education in social processes. When taking the position of Director of Education at the University of Jyväskylä (2007-2011) he had had several academic positions at the University of Helsinki since 1974. At the time when he left the University of Helsinki he acted as Professor of Sociology (Population Studies) and as the Head of the Sociology Department. At the University of Jyväskylä he has been the key person in building the University’s renowned student welfare program, Student Life, and has supported the Faculty of Education and Psychology in developing international programs in teacher training and educational leadership as well as in preparing institutional level research grant applications.

Professor Jouni Välijärvi has been Director of the Finnish Institute for Educational Research at the University of Jyväskylä, national project manager of the OECD PISA, and Finland representative at the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. He has acted as expert for the OECD, European Union, and key Finnish administrative and stakeholder organizations including the Ministry of Education, National Board of Education, Finnish Education Evaluation Centre, and the Higher Education Evaluation Committee. His experience includes acting as member or chair for more than 30 expert or advisory groups intended to develop education including pedagogy, curriculum, evaluation, STEM and education systems.

Gisella Langé specializes in curriculum development, intercultural education, language learning solutions, and web-based teacher training. Alongside acting as Foreign Languages Inspector with the Italian Ministry of Education, she has extensive experience of working as an expert on European Commission and Council of Europe assignments. Most recently this has involved advising on the 2024 OECD/PISA Foreign Language Assessment Framework design, and Eurydice Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe. She has also been instrumental in the realization of innovative language learning practices through international project development of early language learning, the European Language Portfolio, and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL).

Our 20/20 Vision for 2020

We enter 2020 celebrating and reflecting on the 2019 OECD PISA results. This is the first time that Growth Mindset is examined. Students are asked if ‘your intelligence is something about you that you can’t change very much’. Believing that we can improve ourselves through effort and reflecting on how to do it is firmly established in Finnish education.  Reflection on ‘lessons learnt’ is a key operational pillar of Finnish learning organizations, including EduCluster Finland.

As we embrace 2020, we reflect on the past decade, recognize the achievements, mistakes and triumphs, and continue our pursuit of developing educational excellence globally with friends, past, present and future.

Enabling high-impact teaching and learning practices

We specialise in two holistic learning approaches increasingly adopted in leading-edge schools globally, both of which were launched in Finland. 1. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), is a highly acclaimed methodology used for teaching through English in bilingual, international, and national schools. 2. Phenomenon-based Learning (PhBL) is a transversal across-the-curriculum technique recently introduced into Finland’s latest National Core Curriculum. On-site workshops provided by CLIL and PhBL experts empower educators with know-how and skills to use these high-impact practices in their classrooms.

Developing teacher agency and competences

In collaboration with our partners and school networks, we provide opportunities to experience Finnish daily school life. These hands-on visits enable educators to see Finnish education in action and make decisions on which ideas could be adopted in their own schools and countries. 1:1 mentoring and a full support service makes these opportunities highly individualised and insightful.

Establishing quality vocational education

As re-shaped working life requires new competences and skills, our educational systems respond by pro-actively providing state-of-the-art vocational education and training programmes. Finnish VET programmes for students in other countries are accredited by the Finnish National Agency for Education, delivered through an authorised provider, and recognised at the European Qualification Framework levels 4 and 5 in the EU and most OECD countries.

Qatar–Finland International School: powered by ECF​

• Established in 2014 on invitation of Qatari Ministry of Education​
• Operated by EduCluster Finland
• Location: Doha
• Grades: G0–10​, expanding year-on-year up to G12
• Students: 700+, from almost 60 nationalities​
• Pedagogical staff: 80+ (around 45 % Finnish), Finnish Principal
• Educator to student ratio: 1:8
• Curriculum: Finnish National Core Curriculum with local adaptations and additional content in line with Qatari standards
• Special features: Serves as a hub for educational know-how, delivering teacher training, and professional development programmes in the region

Self-Confidence as a Professional

• Can stand for and articulate issues relating to professional decisions related to selection of learning content and classroom practices
• Believes in own abilities as an educator 

Managing and Leading Classrooms

• Can identify high-impact methods appropriate for specific grade levels, subjects and learning objectives
• Understands how to use technologies to support learning in and outside the classroom
• Can use a variety of methods and activities to suit context, time, group and individual preferences
• Can deal with highly challenging situations including seriously disruptive behaviour in the classroom setting

Subject Expertise and Transversal Skills

• Has deep subject knowledge, and is aware of breadth of own knowledge and limitations
• Can engage in thematic teaching across subjects in collaboration with other educators

Situating Curricula in International Environments

• Understands how the school’s local curriculum links to the Finnish national core curriculum
• Can incorporate multicultural features of the lives of students and other stakeholders into teaching and learning activities in a variety of ways
• Can contribute to curricular development according to the Finnish educational ethos
• Can articulate why incorporation of multiculturalism into the curriculum is important, and how it can support individual and social progress

Lifelong Learning Orientation

• Sees personal educational and career development as a lifelong long learning process
• Engages in different forms of lifelong learning for development as a professional and as a person
• Can reflect on prior and ongoing learning and experiences to develop further

Enabling Innovation through Creativity

• Can use creative methodologies including problem-based learning, phenomenon-based learning
• Can utilize school assistants’ availability to support student learning in creative ways
• Is ready to identify, propose, share, and launch new innovations and forms of collaboration
• Can manage uncertainty resulting from the introduction of innovation

Managing Educational Contexts through English

• Can successfully combine management of basic interpersonal communication skills with use of cognitive academic language
• Can successfully manage classroom and other related situations in English
• Has an appropriate command of English (pronunciation, stress, rhythm, and intonation, grammatical structures, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency)
• Can manage different discourse, genre and politeness when interacting with different stakeholders

Bilingual Methodologies

• Understands the theoretical and operational principles of CLIL
• Can construct and manage CLIL learning environments
• Is aware of the benefits and limitations of CLIL methodologies
• Can adjust teaching for the individual sociolinguistic profile of students in international contexts
• Can construct varied types of scaffolding to support learning of content and language

Responsiveness to Diversities and Interculturality

• Can reflect on and analyse culture, language and diversity beyond stereotypical assumptions about self and others
• Can understand the way in which power is communicated and asserted in interaction
• Can recognise and proactively combine different pathways to teaching and learning which derive from the complexities of diversity
• Can identify and negotiate common ground in diverse contexts
• Can respond to various contexts where students or others consider themselves to be clients (e.g. when working in a private fee-paying school)

Situational Adaptability

• Can adapt to interacting successfully with people of different backgrounds
• Can be flexible in approaching different tasks and expectations
• Can adapt and perform effectively in uncertain and unpredictable conditions and contexts
• Can adapt and further develop knowledge and skills for the demands of the current context and situation
• Can adopt a pioneering role in managing change, everyday school requirements, and innovation
• Can engage in stress management and find ways to cope with psychological and emotional pressures (e.g. loneliness, physical tiredness, insecurity, and ethical dilemmas)
• Can manage means for maintaining well-being and work-life balance

Constructive Interactional Skills

• Can look for what matters to other people, express empathy, and adapt communication to suit purpose and context
• Can provide constructive feedback and feedforward (with a future-oriented focus)
• Can cultivate constructive interaction through dialogue, respect and focus on student needs and wellbeing

Positive Mindset

• Can look at challenges through a positive lens
• Sees working with differences as an opportunity, not only a problem
• Can live in the present moment
• Strives to cultivate the joy of learning even where the context is challenging

Collaborative & Teamwork Orientation

• Can recognise benefits of co-teaching and/or has an experience of successful co-design and co-teaching, peer observation and constructive use of feedback
• Can work effectively in teams of various composition
• Can cooperate with other professionals and parents involved in the learning process
• Can benefit from analysing learners’ needs with fellow teachers, professionals and parents

Global Open-Mindedness

• Is open to a wide range of ways to think, understand and do
• Is pro-active in learning about different perspectives
• Is interested in living abroad
• Has broad knowledge of the world

Reflective Analytical Mindset

• Can recognise complexities related to upbringing, learning, language, and culture
• Can challenge assumptions on how best to teach and learn
• Can approach students, teachers and parents from different backgrounds with intellectual curiosity which supports finding common ground
• Can critically reflect on own behaviour and teaching practices to identify and activate continuous improvement

Building FINNspire Day programmes

For groups of educators seeking a compact and interactive training package, we have developed a portfolio of FINNspire Days which offer a gateway to Finland’s education concept. Use our FINNspire Programme Builder to create your bespoke learning experience.

Accessing Finnish Higher Education

The University of Jyväskylä offers a wide range of degree programmes in English. One of these is the two-year Master’s Degree Programme in Educational Sciences. The aims of this programme include developing educator competences to enhance the quality of education in global contexts. ECF facilitates study of this programme, and elements of it, for client needs in countries outside of Finland. It also acts to provide tailored university level study programmes according to specific interests across the whole educational spectrum from KG to Higher Education and TVET.

We understand that to succeed in changing markets, you need to have a skilled workforce, no matter the field. This is why we offer flexible and work-based learning opportunities for young learners and adults. The qualifications are accredited by the Finnish National Agency for Education, delivered through the authorised provider Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia, and recognised at the European Qualification Framework levels 4 and 5 in the EU and most OECD countries.

For groups of educators seeking a compact and interactive training package, we have developed a portfolio of FINNspire Days which offer a gateway to Finland’s education concept. Use our FINNspire Programme Builder to create your bespoke learning experience.

For those looking for more comprehensive, longer-term solutions, we also offer cutting-edge professional development programmes tailored to your education strategy.

Our shared journey with University Lecturer Piia Parviainen began with a partnership project in Saudi Arabia where Piia performed the duties of an expert of early childhood education. Several years of collaboration resulted in recommendations for a pedagogically high-quality learning environment and a curriculum that applied Finnish pedagogic principles, while lending itself well to the Saudi culture.

When we founded an international school with a Finnish-style curriculum in Doha, Qatar in 2014, Piia was its first vice-principal. Her workdays in her new home country were filled with creating the school’s operating principles, compiling its curriculum, making student assessments, developing student selection and student welfare services and supporting the teachers.

“In many ways, the work of a vice-principal consisted of doing lots of new things because we were creating an international school that utilised the principles of Finnish pedagogy from scratch. For example, when we needed assessment forms and forms for absent students, we created them ourselves.”

This international posting taught Piia the importance of constructive interaction and supportive managerial work in the everyday routines of a school. The experience also illustrated the significant role confidential collaboration plays in Finnish educational and training know-how.

After returning home from Qatar, Piia went back to her job as a university lecturer at the University of Jyväskylä’s Faculty of Education. Internationality is an obvious part of her work, as her students are future education professionals from all over the world, seeking to learn about Finnish pedagogy and teaching methods.

“When I returned from Qatar I was a different person professionally. I understand what teachers and leaders from different cultures are going through because I have seen and experienced something similar myself. The most exhilarating part about my current job is to see how my international colleagues are inspired by the Finnish way of teaching and encountering students. When professionals take what they have learned here and apply it to everyday life in their kindergartens and schools, I know the effects of my work are far-reaching.”

How long have you been working at Qatar–Finland International School?
“I’m now into my fifth academic year at Q.F.I. School.”
Could you tell us something about your background?
“I got my teaching qualification in Sweden, and then I worked for 5 years as a class teacher in the Helsinki region.”
What is the best thing about your job?
“The students, my colleagues, and my diverse role (which includes lots of project and event coordination). It’s an amazing opportunity to be part of this unique venture of realising an international Finnish school outside of Finland. It’s great being supported by this international working community and getting to always develop myself as a teacher.”
Has your work at the school changed over the years?
“A great deal. For the first three years, I worked as a class teacher but after that, I was given the opportunity to teach crafts (woodwork) full time. This is my second year teaching crafts to Grades 3–9. Back when I first started in 2014, there were only a handful of us teachers for Grades 0–2, which altogether had 120 students. Today, the staff is 100-strong (including teachers, learning assistants, and other personnel) with several classes in each Grade from 0 to 9, and 750 students all in all.”
What do you miss from back home?
“Family and friends first and foremost, of course. When you spend the majority of your year out here in the desert, you do also miss the greenery of Finland (even though it is covered in snow for half of the year…) I do get a craving for pick ‘n’ mix sweets every now and again, but thankfully visits from friends are never too far apart so my stocks don’t get too low!”
What would you say to someone considering Q.F.I. School as a career move? What kind of a teacher do you think would be in their element at the school?
“I would say: Welcome! We are a bunch of experts of our field, but there’s always room for more. The skills you should have when you come here are exactly the skills that can be found in each and every Finnish teacher: team working skills, creativity, flexibility, and the ability to adapt. You want to keep developing your competences as a teacher, and are also keen to share your niche area of expertise with your colleagues.”

Finland International School in Maldives: a unique school transformation

• Established in 2019
• School partner: Educonnect
• Location: Malé
• Grades: G1-5
• Students: 200
• Pedagogical staff: Finnish Principal, total of 17 teachers (35% Finnish)
• Educator to student ratio: 1:12
• Curriculum: Finnish National Core Curriculum with local adaptations and additional content in line with Maldivian standards
• Special features: An existing primary school transformed to a premium learning community offering the Finnish education experience

Finland-Oman School: a school set-up consultancy

• Established in 2018
• School partner: Oman Educational Services LLC
• Location: Muscat
• Grades: KG–G6, expanding gradually up to G12
• Students: 80+, anticipated growth up to 1000
• Pedagogical staff: Finnish Principal, total of 16 teachers (80% Finnish)
• Educator to student ratio: 1:6
• Curriculum: KG Finnish National Core Curriculum with local adaptations and additional content in line with Omani standards, G1-6 Omani Bilingual Curriculum implemented with teaching and learning methodologies from Finland
• Special features: Shares a campus and forms an educational continuum with German University of Technology in Oman (RWTH Aachen)