Education, culture cross paths during principal's visit to Finland

Published: 2008-01-02

INDIANAPOLIS (CNS) -- Walk in each morning, pull off your shoes and slip into something more comfortable -- like slippers. Take time for a daylong hike to study and discuss nature's beauty right outside your classroom window. And if you're a preschool student, don't forget the special chewing gum provided after lunch. Welcome to a few of the unique elements at the heart of Finland's education system. Thanks to the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program sponsored by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Annette Jones recently had the opportunity to travel to northern Europe and see a Finnish school operate firsthand. She also spent a few days visiting a school in Ireland. "It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Jones, the principal at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Indianapolis. "The purpose of the visit was to look at education in another culture," added Jones, who is in her eighth year as principal. "I hope to incorporate some of their strengths into our school."

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