Finnish education in Oceania
Australia and New Zealand both run well-established, well-funded school systems of their own, so Finnish pedagogy tends to arrive as a specific school-level choice rather than a system-wide shift.
- Australia and New Zealand each run their own national curriculum, the Australian Curriculum and the New Zealand Curriculum, and both took part in PISA 2022.
- New Zealand's early childhood sector has a comparatively high share of private providers, which creates room for Finnish, play-based models to operate.
- Smaller Pacific nations generally follow curricula inherited from, or closely tied to, Australia, New Zealand or regional examination bodies.
- Most Finnish-pedagogy activity in the region so far sits at early years and primary level, in line with a K-5-first approach.
Two established systems, one shared region
Australia and New Zealand are both already high-performing, well-resourced systems by OECD standards, so a Finnish approach tends to be chosen for specific pedagogical reasons, such as play-based learning, wellbeing or phenomenon-based projects, rather than as a fix for weak outcomes.
Where the openings are
New Zealand's larger private early childhood sector and Australia's established independent school tradition are the two easiest entry points for a Finnish, K-5-first model, since both already sit outside the fully centralised state system. See Finnish education in Australia and Finnish education in New Zealand for country-level detail.
The wider Pacific
Smaller Pacific island nations largely follow curricula and examination systems tied to Australia, New Zealand or regional bodies, and Finnish pedagogy has not yet established a presence there. Any growth is likely to follow, rather than lead, developments in the larger Australian and New Zealand markets.
Frequently asked questions
Do Australian or New Zealand state schools teach the Finnish curriculum?
No. Both follow their own national curricula. Finnish pedagogy appears in specific private schools and early years settings rather than the state system.
Is Finnish pedagogy more common in Australia or New Zealand?
Both are early-stage markets, but New Zealand's larger private early years sector currently gives Finnish, play-based models more room to enter.
Related reading
Bring Finnish pedagogy to your school
OPPI affiliates a selective cohort of schools each year for its K-5 Finnish-pedagogy programme, backed by Education Finland. Tell us about your school and our team will reach out.
Backed by Education Finland. Over 20 schools have already affiliated, including DPS, Radcliffe and Sanctus. Places in each cohort are limited.
Apply to the affiliation cohort →