And here I thought the Finns were known to think outside the box… Indeed they do (in my opinion), though a recent news item makes that claim seem counter-intuitive.
Apparently, Finnish babies begin their lives in a cardboard box, when it comes to sleeping that is. Not just any cardboard box, mind you, but a maternity package that is a gift from the government to all expectant mothers. This practice has a long history as a helpful tradition, and dates to 1938 for low-income families and 1947 for all new mothers, regardless of income.
Anyone else care to fess up to the fear factor in giving birth? How do you spell “relief?” How about a box filled with everything needed for your infant’s start in life?
Beyond the emotional reassurance, there is time savings in not having to guess at what is required, worry about price comparisons if budget is an issue, not to mention actually doing the shopping. Think of it – whatever your income level and wherever you reside, whether this is your first child or your fourth, this option is yours to exercise – in Finland.
Best Gift Ever for a New Mom?
What’s in the box?
According to an article that appears on the BBC News Magazine, the following items are among those included:
- Mattress, mattress cover, undersheet, duvet cover, blanket, sleeping bag/quilt
- Box itself doubles as a crib
- Snowsuit, hat, insulated mittens and booties
- Light hooded suit and knitted overalls
- Hooded bath towel, nail scissors, hairbrush, toothbrush, bath thermometer, nappy cream, wash cloth
- Picture book and teething toy
- Bra pads, condoms
And more!
The article further notes that the maternity box is considered
… a symbol of equality and the importance of children.
Mother’s Helper: Peace of Mind?
Even though I was in my thirties when I had my first child, amply stocked with baby books by way of preparation, I was basically clueless and quasi-terrified. I found myself healing from a C-section, startled to be back home some 48 hours after giving birth, and staring at a squalling infant along with an equally uninformed spouse.
I would have given plenty for a large box delivered prior to my newborn’s delivery – not only to save time and money, but for the peace of mind it would have afforded. Imagine if everything you need to feed, bathe, clothe and care for your infant arrived as reassurance? And for those mothers who have no insurance, no access to medical care, and no means to purchase these items even if they knew what they were? (Must I really note that 1 out of 5 children in the US lives in poverty?*)
The article continues:
With the mattress in the bottom, the box becomes a baby’s first bed. Many children, from all social backgrounds, have their first naps within the safety of the box’s four cardboard walls.
Early Childhood Education Comparisons – Prepare the Viking Ship!
Looking at OECD data, I’m thinking we could all do with a tour through the fjords! Care to see some comparisons that may shine a light on how we’re doing next to other developed nations, when it comes to childcare and early childhood education?
In the OECD report on Childcare, Starting Strong, as a percentage of GDP, the U.S. spends less than one half of one percent (.5) of GDP on Early Childhood Education and Care services (for children 0 to 6 years old).
In comparison, Finland ranks #4 out of 20 industrialized countries spending 1.3%, Norway at #3 spends 1.7%, Sweden at #2 spends roughly 1.7% and Denmark ranks #1 spending 2% of gross domestic product on these expenditures. (The US ranks #9.)
By way of providing a little perspective, let’s compare Early Childhood Education and Care to, say… military defense, with a 2013 US figure sitting at $682 billion** which is roughly 4.4% of GDP. This is in comparison to the .5% of GDP the US spends on childcare/education in these early years.
Another country-specific example, if you will allow: France is ranked #5 out of 20 (after Finland) on early childhood education and care, spending roughly 1% of GDP, and their military spending accounts for 2.3% of GDP.**
As a percentage of GDP, we spend approximately nine times as much (900%) on military spending than on care for our children ages 0 to 6. In contrast, France spends 2.3% of GDP on military, Denmark’s military spending is 1.4% of GDP, and Finland’s military spending is 1.5% of GDP which is roughly equivalent to what they spend on their nation’s children ages 0 to 6.
And that’s before they enter the national education system.
Are We “Fin(n)ish(ed)” Yet?
A few more facts and figures on Finnish education, both early childhood and in the later years:
- Like most developed countries, there are national standards of education
- Per student expenditure is $7,500 per year, 16% less than the US
- That is not a good statistics for the US; more money is not necessarily better quality
- To put those expenditures in perspective, according to the OECD, Finland ranks #2 in science (the US ranks #23); Finland is #6 in Math (the US ranks #31); Finland ranks #3 in reading (the US ranks #17)***
- Preschool is free in Finland, with emphasis on self-reliance, social skills, and self-reflection in the first 7 years of life
- Teaching is considered a prestigious profession; 100% of teachers come from the top 25% of their class as opposed to 14 to 23% of teachers in the US come from the top 25% of their class
- Education policy emphasizes flexibility, broad knowledge and culture of trust in teachers’ professionalism****
From an OECD report on the Finnish education system:
While there is a national core curriculum in Finland, over the past 20 years it has become much less detailed and prescriptive. It functions more as a framework, leaving education providers and teachers latitude to decide what they will teach and how… The teachers select their own textbooks and other instructional materials, for example. Because the only external testing in comprehensive schools is done on a sampling basis and is designed to provide information on the functioning of the system as a whole, assessment in Finnish schools is a classroom responsibility…
… a major focus in Finnish classrooms is also on helping students learn how to assess their own learning…
I repeat: Time for the Fjord Tour of Schools via Viking ship?
Is anyone else in favor of a cardboard box starter program in order to foster greater thinking outside the box in later years? A show of hands for keeping the needs of our most vulnerable and precious citizens in mind as we pick and choose our budgetary battles, and more importantly, look at how we’re spending those early childhood education dollars? What about providing the best possible start for all our children during their most critical developmental years?
*Source – OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development): Better Policies for Better Lives
** Wiki: List of Countries by Military Expenditures
*** Programme for International Assessment (PISA), OECD Better Policies for Better Lives
**** Data gathered from a variety of OECD sources including OECD PISA (2006) The Finnish Education System and articles at The Daily Riff: The Finland Phenomenon.
OECD: Excellent Resource on History and Structure of Finnish Educational System: PISA
Replica of Viking Ship, Wiki, Public Domain
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My hand is up in favor of the Finnish model and the humane, people-first Scandinavian model more generally when it comes to most issues. No surprise that their more progressive school system reaps the benefits the data shows. My sons went through an excellent school system but at three years apart, I saw a real difference between the way older son was educated compared to younger son. The difference? Older son wasn’t required to pass a standardized statewide test — his education was much more about learning than the teaching to the test that younger son experienced.
And as for that cardboard starter box program? How well I remember my 28-year-old self leaving the hospital after an emergency C-section while older son, who was born 5 weeks early (with 2 minutes to spare before disaster) was still in intensive care, and going shopping for baby stuff. With no mother or other female relatives to shop for us, husband and I were definitely on our own.
By the way, that first son is hale and hearty and will celebrate his 30th birthday next week!
Sorry to be so long-winded, but also wanted to point out an op-ed on core curriculum in today’s NY Times about the importance of keeping the emotion in reading, something that the new ‘core curriculum’ ignores: “No Learning Without Feeling.”
The cardboard box part of this story made me laugh. I wasn’t the nicest big sister as a kid. I used to tell my little sister that she was adopted because she was in a cardboard box as a baby. She went to verify this story with my mom by asking if she slept in a cardboard box. My mom didn’t know the context of the question, so she responded yes because we were in the process of moving when my sister was born and there was a short time when her crib was not assembled. I guess my sister wasn’t the only one sleeping a cardboard box; she was following the Finnish system!
Excellent, Ms. Half Empty!
(I checked with a friend who grew up in Normandy, France – and there was some cardboard box time in his early childhood as well – and when you think about it, why not? Of course, what’s truly important here is everything that comes in the box – a whole lot more than I excerpted – and the reassurance that any expectant mother would receive it. The contents of the box are an education in and of itself, and that early presence in every child’s life of a “caring” government, signs that those critical early years will include the necessities for safety as well as headed toward a functional education. Note the inclusion of a book, even for an infant.)
I think this is a fabulous idea, though in America, there would probably be too many people screaming injustice that a box isn’t comfortable enough, and that their children deserve more…they’d be pushing for legislation to provide “real” cribs in place of the box…and the condoms? Geesh, how many people would cry foul over those?
We are, unfortunately, a product of too many who believe that freedom means entitlement and luxury… Could America stand up and say ‘no?’, or convince everyone just how worthy this platform is?
The condoms are (I believe) in the contemporary box contents. Do click to the original article – it’s fascinating. It includes pictures, how the contents of the box have changed over the years. It’s a terrific article with much food for thought.
Like you, I am somewhat skeptical of how this would play out here, in practicality. I worry about our tendency to be litigious as well. Still, couldn’t we learn a few things from this approach – and try them? (You’d think it would be possible.)
I agree in our lawsuit-crazy culture, the cardboard box crib probably wouldn’t fly. Although it’s better than nothing! I’ve always been disgusted at how much money we throw at public education with the expectation that more money means better education. And the Finish numbers show that excessive spending is not necessary to achieve excellence. And this extends all the way to higher education as well.
I agree on all counts, Lisa.
Great job. There’s a NYT article “Who’s Minding the Schools” where I note you left a comment. The Times suggests that there is a nonpartisan basis for criticizing the system. However, it was the Republicans who pushed the trend toward the factory model of public education. The Dems then quickly got on board with it. It’s a two party system; the Democrats should have dug in their heels and said hell no, it won’t work.
The tracking of students in the days of yore was not all bad. While it often reinforced racial and economic prejudices, it at least provided for investment in education of the kind that is desperately needed by those whose intelligence and skills are better suited to hands on tasks — i.e., “making and fixing things”. Unfortunately, employment of these skills in the labor force has shrunk as many of those jobs have been exported.
What to do? I am a simple person who sees salvation, as you do, in honoring the profession of teaching with respect, pay and benefits, autonomy, and trust. It would be interesting to see what could be accomplished in the pay and benefits area by simply shifting the balance toward increasing the investment in those who have daily student contact, and away from administrators.
I know how difficult that is because of the demands of compliance, conformity and reporting, having spent years in an academic environment. Eliminating the staff to do these tasks would probably precede the elimination of the tasks (a good thing!) and I think the results would begin to show up very quickly in a better prepared labor force and college student. The elimination of the tight controls and reporting would constitute no small part of the basis for the improvement.
Screw the tests. Every teacher tests at the end of the course. That should be enough.
Our hospital sent us home with loads of stuff (of course probably from sponsored companies hoping we’d keep using the items) but that was pretty helpful. No mattress though! And yes, I would love to have free, quality preschool for my kiddo. I spend so much on childcare and education on my three kids that I swear I could drive a sports car if I didn’t have to throw all that money into those two things.
I hear you on those costs, Nina. And imagine the drain on those who can’t afford them and are scrambling to find options so they can cover the bills. That Finnish box sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?