Perceptions of the changes in the Finnish art education curriculum

Abstract

In this article, I discuss the need for curriculum changes in Finnish art education and how the new national curriculum for visual art education has tried to respond to contemporary artistic, social, cultural, and educational conditions. I describe the major changes in the Finnish National Core curriculum for art education in the future, and contemplate the possibilities of the boundary breaking phenomenon-based learning for the long-term plans in the future and beyond. The need for a shift in art education evolves from social changes and reflects contemporary art and cultural practices. I describe how the change from a mono-cultural society to a relatively multicultural society has been slower in Finland than in many other European countries, and how celebrated notions of Nordic democracy and equality are not as untainted by colonial legacies as is often assumed. I continue to discuss how increasing cultural diversity requires action from art educators.