MBO Rijnland

Sanna Puustinen visiting the Netherlands from 19.2-21.2.2020 MBO RIJNLAND in Woerden.

Sanna Puustinen came over from Finland to visit me in Woerden. She received a detailed program from us about the visit. Sanna (Dutch national) has studied to become a childcare practitioner in Finland and wanted to come to the Netherlands to learn about the Dutch daycare system and learn more about the Dutch education “Pedagogisch mederwerker” in the Netherlands. She also hoped to have a chance to talk to teachers and students and learn more about the different sorts of daycare that are available in the Netherlands.

On Wednesday the 19th Sanna had a chance to get familiar with MBO welzijn onderwijs ( vocational health care education). Sanna gave several guest lessons about the Finnish daycare system to the students. They were very interested in what Sanna had to tell. Sanna told the students in an enthusiastic and interesting manner and that way the students got a good impression of the Finnish daycare system.

On Thursday 20.2 Sanna visited a daycare. Learned about the “VVE-language” program in the nursery and saw the afterschool club. On Friday 21.2 Sanna joined some lessons, spoke with the students and me and Sanna brainstormed for a new module. Sanna and myself thought it would be very interesting to make a few modules for class assistants since the school system in the Netherlands is very different from the Finnish system. For example the compulsary education as also the age when kids start to learn to read and write etc.

1. We could make a module that is based on a research about the differences and similarities concerning the school system in both countries. The idea would be that the Dutch class assistants would do a research about the primary school system.

2. Sanna mentioned that she had noticed that Dutch kids don’t play outside as much as Finnish children. Also nature education is a big thing in Fnland as also protecting nature.In Finland it is very common for childcare workers to take a course called: ”Metsämörri “. It’s a nature education method used to teach the children about the importancy of protecting nature and learning to appreciate being in nature. The method is being taught through a story about a friendly forest troll and his animal friends. This method would work well also in the Netherlands even in the winter or on a rainy day. The Finnish students could come and teach about this Metsämörri method to our Dutch students.

We will start working on the modules in the near future. I think that it would be necessary for Sanna to visit the Dutch primary school. She got a good impression of the Dutch daycare system but she doesn’t know enough yet about the primary school.