SGI (FINLAND)
LEARNING FROM THE BEST EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS OF THE WORLD
Within 9 months, EIN Educational Services has taken three batches of Nigerian School Administrators to Finland in three consecutive trips as a way of gaining practical understanding of the workings and operations of Finnish educational system.
Prior to this time, about 100 Nigerian school owners and administrators have been taken to Dubai in three consecutive trips to under-study American, British, Indian, Australian and Arab systems of education.
The purpose of these foreign educational trips is to give African school owners and educators the requisite education, experience, exposure, enlightenment and exchange that are necessary for benchmarking global best practices in school administration and management.
*DAY-BY-DAY REPORTS OF SGI FINLAND SEPTEMBER TRIP*
*DAY 01*
Arrival in Finland
*DAY 02*
The Christian delegates worshipped at Deeper Life Bible Church, Oulu, Finland.
*DAY 03*
*Morning Session: Lectures*
Lectures at University of Oulu. 4 inspiring lectures were held with PekkaEksyma opening the floor with that unforgettable session on Overview of Finnish Educational System.
It was spiced with the guided tour of the University.
*Afternoon Session: Lectures and Field Visit*
Practical field visit and understudying session at the Teacher Training School which also doubles as the Demonstration School. The TTS of Finland is the secret of the country’s colourful educational system. It was a lifetime experience interacting with the faculty, the facilities and the facts in the most practical way.
*Evening Session: Tourism*
Guided tour of the city by one of Saaga’s best: Virpee. Going round the whole city on a bus ride with few stop overs at some landmarks was such an enriching experience for every delegate. A complete dosage of education plus exposure.
*DAY 04*
*Morning Session: Lectures and Field Visit*
Practical field visit and understudying session in one of Finland’s newest and best schools – Hiuvakkaara Schools!
It was combination of lectures and practical interaction as the teachers hid nothing from the prying eyes of the knowledge-thirsty Nigerian delegates.
*Afternoon Session: Lectures and Field Visit*
Another practical field visit and understudying session at Kiiminki Upper Secondary School, Oulu where the delegates were also treated to series of lectures and lesson observations in all the classrooms.
*Evening Session: Shopping*
Shopping time in one of the largest malls in the city – Zeppelin. The delegates had another great time of fun and sightseeing at this beautiful spot. Learning and catching fun indeed.
*DAY 05*
*Morning Session: Lectures and Field Visit*
Practical field visit and understudying session at Kastelli Schools where the delegates witnessed the wonders of Finnish secondary school education. Every nook and cranny of the school was explored with no holds barred interviews with all the teachers in the school.
No door was closed neither was any information concealed. This session showed the delegates clearly how standard compliant schools are run.
*Afternoon and Evening Session: Trip to Sweden*
Tourism and adventure to Sweden – a neighbouring country to the North of Finland. It was another experience entirely as the delegates had a first hand experience of another country entirely in the Scandinavian region.
*DAY 06*
*Morning Session: Lectures and Business Networking*
Lectures and Business Networking Session with 6 leading providers of educational solutions and supplies in Finland. It was such a great icing on the cake as the delegates were given partnership opportunities with leading companies that are producing the latest, emerging and evolving educational materials for driving education in the 21st century
*Afternoon Session: Lectures and Reflections*
It was another explosive session with the highly cerebral educational thinker of Finland – PekkaEksyma as he took the delegates on Comparative Educational System. In this session, attempts are made at comparing the educational systems of Nigeria and Finland with the view of dissecting the strengths and weaknesses of the two systems. It was such a brainstorming session that helped the delegates to have the right perspective of correctly applying the lessons learnt in a way that will suit the peculiarities of Nigerian environment.
*Evening Session: Free Period*
Free period. Delegates used this period for more bonding, reviews and shopping in many of Finland’s shops where quality meets with affordability.
*DAY 07*
*Morning Session: Final Lecture*
The last lecture by Joff is the most adminsitrative and the most practical of all. Having been a school administrator in the UK for years before joining the educational system of Finland, the lecturer brought his vast variety of experience from two leading countries in Education to bear as he poured out his mind on how to be the greatest school administrator ever!
*Afternoon Session: Closing Ceremony and Certificate Presentation*
Everything that has a beginning must surely have an end. 10 lectures were held in total and four field visits of Understudying sesisons.
After such a drilling and intensive session of serious academic exposure, the delegates were all presented with certificates issued and signed by University of Oulu, Finland.
*Evening Session: Preparation for Departure*
Delegates used the last hours to do last minute shopping, exchange of phone numbers and contacts, weighing of their baggages and putting finishing touches to their preparations for departure.
*DAY 08*
There is a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to arrive and a time to depart.
Delegates departed Finland in two groups: while a group left for Nigeria enroute Doha via QATAR AIRWAYS, the other group left enrouteInstabul via TURKISH AIRLINES.
*DAY 09*
Arrival in Nigeria
All the Delegates arrived safely home to the glory of God! No accident, no turbulence, no crash!
To God be the glory
School Growth International SGI DUBAI
CONFERENCE DURATION
One Week
CONFERENCE FACULTY
The training conference was handled by a rich assemblage of over 150 international speakers from more than 50 countries of the world who combine relevant academic qualifications with requisite experience.
The composition of the resource team is skewed towards more of practitioners and researchers in international education practice than lecturing academics.
CONFERENCE CITY CHOICE.
We have carefully selected Dubai as our City Choice for this Conference for two major reasons:
One, Dubai is currently the tourism capital of the world! If anyone wishes to explore all the nationalities of the world in a single location, Dubai is the best bet! Indigenous population of the Emirate in Dubai is less than 4%. This is about the only city in the world where the population of foreigners is more than 95%! So, in the Dubai, we have American schools, British schools, Australian schools, Chinese schools, Indian schools, etc. The best place to conduct Comparative Education Study of different educational systems of the world today is Dubai.
CONFERENCE CONTENTS AND SCHEDULE
DAY 01:
SGI Training on Early Childhood Education
DAY 02:
SGI Visit to NMC Trading and TRI Trading (Educational Materials Suppliers and Companies)
DAY 03:
SGI Visit to University of Wollongong in Dubai for partnership and understudying
SGI Visit to Microsoft Headquarters in Dubai for training on Technology in Education
SGI Visit to The Indian High School for interaction with the CEO
DAY 04:
GESS Lectures and Exhibitions
DAY 05:
GESS Lectures and Exhibitions and International Education Award and Gala Dinner.
DAY 06:
GESS Lectures and Exhibitions
DAY 07:
Shopping and Tourism
Sightseeing around Dubai (6-hour tour of Dubai landmarks)
Desert Safari.
Dubai Mall – the largest mall in the world.
Dubai Aquarium – the largest aquarium in the world.
BurjKhalifa – the tallest building in the world.
Dancing Fountain.
DAY 08:
Departure from Dubai
CONFERENCE VENUES
Microsoft Headquarters, Dubai
Internet City, Dubai.
University of Wollongong in Dubai, Dubai
Knowledge Park, Dubai.
The Indian High School, Dubai.
World Trade Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, etc
