PUTRAJAYA: Finland is prepared to send its experts to Malaysia to help empower the country’s education system, said Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik yesterday.
He said this was conveyed to him by the General Manager of the Finnish National Agency for Education, Olli-Pekka Heinonen, during a meeting yesterday.
“During the meeting, Olli-Pekka Heinonen said if Malaysia could not send officers to Finland because of financial factor, Finland is prepared to send their officers to Malaysia.
“Malaysia hopes this cooperation will help us to learn from the Finnish experiences and good practices in improving the standard of the education system in Malaysia,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
On Wednesday, the Education Ministry, with the cooperation of the Malaysian International Islamic University, organised a seminar on the Finnish Education System, held at the university’s main campus in Gombak.
The seminar was held following a discussion between Maszlee and Finland Ambassador to Malaysia Petri Puhakka, who paid a courtesy call on the Education Minister last July 13.
On the seminar, Maszlee said it was the best platform for the Malaysian teaching workforce to learn from Finland on teaching and learning towards improving the country’s education system.
This, he said, would be in line with the country’s effort to promote high quality education and become one of the three best countries in the international standard assessment, such as the programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).
“The exchange of ideas and knowledge between Finland and Malaysia can bring Malaysia on par with Finland in various disciplines of knowledge, including training for teachers, as well as create a more conducive environment for learning,” he added. — Bernama