Sustainable Development: A Comparison between the Finnish and the Italian Education Systems

Abstract

The quality of education is a political priority. The European Union contributes through the principle of subsidiarity. In the Finnish and Italian education systems, assessment becomes fundamental and is closely connected to qualitative organization and to the objective of providing reliable information to plan effective policies with an increase in learning outcomes at various levels (i.e., local, regional, and national). This research explores the Italian and Finnish education systems to outline how they facilitate creating schooling systems that follow the objectives set by Agenda 2030 and are increasingly aimed at sustainability, an essential element in the relationship between humans and the environment. This study was enriched by new ideas and further research perspectives through field experience from a methodological point of view, starting from the international debate linked to the issue of sustainability and examining the OECD survey (PISA, in which European countries took part, specifically the experience of job shadowing in the city of Oulu). This investigation has highlighted the actions carried out in the Finnish educational path with the aim of tracing a “sustainable path” as an international model to follow.