Introduction

This anthology is about Finnish basic education, more precisely about the pursuits and coincidences, contradictions and paradoxes that have constructed it as it appears nowadays: a celebrated case in the global education policy space, created by international rankings, primarily the PISA studies. Monographs on the Finnish Comprehensive School, Peruskoulu, have been published in several countries. Many of the world’s great newspapers and broadcasting services have reported on this educational phenomenon. Countless official delegations have visited Finnish authorities, schools and communities to learn about the drivers of excellence in education.