摘要：In this paper, the author describes the Finnish national curriculum for compulsory schools. Particular attention is paid to an analysis of the model of monitoring and grading of students’ activities and achievements in Finnish compulsory schools. The author seeks to answer the question of why Finnish students are so successful in the international PISA project. At the beginning of this millennium, around 600,000 children in Finland were included within compulsory education which lasts for nine years. In the fi rst six forms of compulsory school, all school subjects are taught by the class teacher, with the assistance of specialist teachers for certain school subjects (e.g. Music, Physical Education). In the last third of compulsory education, each school subject is taught by a subject specialist teacher in charge of the respective subject. The school year lasts 190 school days, between mid August and mid June. The weekly school load on students is from 19 to 30 hours, from the fi rst to the ninth form. Lessons are 45 minutes long, with a compulsory break lasting between 10 to 15 minutes between each lesson. The basic grading scale during compulsory education has seven grades (from 4 to 10). Grading in general is descriptive for students from the first to fourth form, and numeric in other forms. The basic grade according to which the national criteria and standards are set is 8. Grades 9 and 10 are used to highlight certain features of students and to commend those who stand out in terms of their efforts, way of work and results in relation to other students. Grades 6 and 7 are given as a reminder that the student should put in extra effort to reach the necessary standard, and grade 5 describes a final warning to the student and his or her parents that a change must be made in the approach to learning. Grade 4 marks unsatisfactory results. In the last two assessments of the knowledge and competences of students at the end of compulsory education, Finnish students were ranked at the very top of the list.
