Not All Students Are Equally Equal: Normality as Finnishness

Abstract

Equality is a foundational theme for the educational system in Finland. This chapter explores the marginalization of migrant students in two lower secondary comprehensive schools. The subtle processes of exclusion, of being considered not normal or too different, are explored through interviews with teachers and other personnel. Even though teachers talk about all students being equal, they often have different behavioral and achievement expectations of migrant students. However, while the school is presented as an equal space for all individual students, the ideal or ‘normal’ student includes expectations of Finnishness. Hence, migrant students are seen as causing the problems themselves by being too different from ethnic Finnish students, rather than seeing the problems as caused by the school structure and culture.