The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) plays a crucial role in monitoring and assessing Finland's education system. Established in 2014, FINEEC has earned a reputation as an impartial and credible institution, providing invaluable data and insights that support educational institutions and policy makers. As Finland faces evolving challenges such as declining performance in international assessments, unmet employment outcomes for vocational education and training (VET) graduates, and the integration of new technological tools, it is essential to examine how FINEEC can adapt and enhance its contributions to policy making.
This report, Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC): OECD Centre for Skills Evaluations, presents a comprehensive analysis of FINEEC’s scope, quality, and usefulness, focusing on areas for improvement. Through self‑assessments, in-person visits, workshops with international experts, and extensive research, the evaluation identifies key findings and suggests pathways for strategic enhancement.
The report highlights the necessity for FINEEC to clarify its role in policy making, ensure flexibility in its Evaluation Plan, and balance its ambitious undertakings with available resources. It also emphasises the importance of producing causal evidence to support policy decisions, leveraging data to understand the impact of institutional policies on student outcomes, and improving learning assessments in VET.
While the focus of this study is on identifying areas for improvement, it is important to acknowledge FINEEC's significant contributions to the Finnish education system. FINEEC’s enhancement-led evaluation approach has been instrumental in fostering a culture of quality within schools, higher education institutions, and municipalities. Its thematic reports provide valuable insights into educational trends and its assessments of learning outcomes help institutions benchmark and improve their performance.
The relevance of this study extends beyond Finland. As a benchmark in education, Finland’s experiences offer valuable lessons for other countries facing similar challenges. By sharing its approaches and strategies, Finland contributes to the global dialogue on education, fostering collaborative learning and continuous improvement.
The OECD hopes that this report serves as a valuable resource for policy makers, educators and stakeholders, providing insights and practical tools to strengthen the governance and quality of education systems globally.
The OECD can support countries in their efforts to improve education systems through comprehensive evaluations. The OECD Centre for Skills Evaluations provides rigorous and independent analysis that leads to meaningful insights and recommendations, helping align educational practices with evolving societal and economic needs.