Starting Finnish school as a mockery of worldview Bashny.Net

< NadiInc

August 10, my eight-year old daughter went for the second time in the first class. The first time was in Russia a year ago, so the memory is still fresh memories of the lists A4 "need to buy for a first grader" (by the way, everything you need in the form of a diary, palette, colored paper all possible types and pylilos unclaimed by the end of the year) about issues in the questionnaire for parents species - How you can help the school? and receipts voluntary to mandatory financial assistance ... so I was torn purchased "shkolnostyami" from August - pens, notebooks, rulers, erasers, that remains to be in school? And did not want to understand why the husband is responsible for all matters - nothing else.
How "do not need anything," I realized only August 10th.
Gathering near the school at 9 am (lessons also starts at 9). Instead of the usual official line us with an hour of standing and poems eleventh graders, who still, apart from them, no one hears with bows girls half a meter and two-meter gladioli for teachers in Finland, all quickly and with ease. The headmaster came to expect the beginning of students in grades 1-4 (age in another place), to say a few words of welcome and named names of students - in all directions. The last was our class "foreigners." In the group of 18 students appeared - a brother and sister from Taiwan, a couple of guys from Estonia, Ukraine and two Russian girls, Swedes and Arabs. Finnish teacher and three interpreters. Some children attend class for the second year, so they are also "in the wings" to help translators.
Clothing - only child comfortable. Jeans, pants, shorts, T-shirts, leggings ... Many on his feet favorite Finnish spanking Skechersy. At school there is a change of footwear. Children run around the school ... socks. So convenient!
On the first day we were given a large notebook in cell A4 for employment, small notebook for messages teacher parents, timesheet, and so on, eraser and pencil. All free) Finnish first-graders received another gift in reflective cap with the words - I'm a new member of the road.
To school us about five minutes by car, 40 minutes brisk pace, 20 minutes by bike. Somewhere two-something kilometers. Therefore, we are supposed to !!! free taxi from school to home. (I am a long time could not believe my ears, asked again twenty times - Place FREE ??? ????) Taxi minivan takes the child from the house in the morning and to deliver to the school, and after school to go back. The teacher goes out and checks that the child was not lost and got into another car. (Near the school taxi, every driver's list of children (they take three or four children), by car - mandatory sign "Caution, children!»)
A week later, we were given a colorful math textbook in Finnish.
Once a week - gym class. After the lesson - a mandatory shower!
Dining room - a separate issue. The site of the school menu for the month, the child himself imposes himself what he wants from the proposed. Salads, rice, potatoes, chicken, meat, milk or water.
By the beginning of our school residence permit was not yet ready, respectively, identification number was not there yet, but we took to school without question, the nurse conducted a survey, and gave permission to attend school ...
The territory of the school is not fenced three-meter fence with barbed wire, it generally does not fenced, near - parking for teachers and parents, plenty of space for bicycles, everything is clean and well maintained. Only a few cameras in the corners hint that everything is under control)
To be continued :)