Weird electives at Kouvola – Even the principal doesn’t know what the children are being taught – 2024-08-24 08:49:50

In addition to the students and their parents, it is unclear to the principal what the optional courses contain. Illustration picture. Mostphotos

from Kouvola Noora Haimi was surprised when her fifth-grade son brought an elective report card from school.

Among other things, courses called Tsempppiklubi and Hyvinvoiva mina were offered. Based on the names, it was difficult to judge the content of the courses, and the boy did not remember what had been said about it at school.

Nevertheless, choices had to be made. The courses had to be put in order according to which one was the most preferred.

Haimi was surprised by the matter in the social service Threads.

– Help, where are the music, sports, pictures and crafts… the traditional ones? My son wouldn’t want to choose anything from the label, and I don’t mind at all, she wrote.

Principal: No information

Haim’s social media snooping sparked a lively online discussion, where people wondered about courses with strange names and speculated about their possible content.

Iltalehti asked the principal of Inkeroinen unified school about the contents of the elective courses for elementary school students From Jari Eros. He was not available by phone, but answered questions by email.

Eronen reveals that even he does not know what is studied in the courses. Eronen says that the content of each optional course is planned by the teacher implementing the course.

– The course descriptions will be included in the school’s academic year plan in Wilma, which the city has given until the end of September. So I don’t have exact course content at this stage, Eronen writes.

According to him, the teachers have verbally told the students about the content of the courses “in outline” in the introductory information.

After this, the students were given selection forms, on which they had to mark the courses in order of preference and which had to be returned to the school signed by the guardian.

“Boys are boys”

Noora Haimi says that her son chose the Well-being me course first because his friends also chose it.

Haim had to sign the choice without knowing the content of the course. He is amazed at how telling about the matter has been left to the children.

– The children have probably been told at school, but my own child and his couple of friends had at least not remembered it. Maybe they had felt that none of it resonated and maybe then they stopped listening.

Haimi admits that it is not unreasonable to ask a fifth grader to listen and tell about it at home.

– But how would you say it, boys are boys.

One hour a week

Rector Jari Eronen says that this year one of the priorities of the school year plan of the city of Kouvola is well-being. According to Eronen, it is also reflected in the optional subject tray.

Fourth, fifth and sixth graders participate in elective courses for one hour a week. The courses change every semester, so in total during elementary school students participate in six courses.

Eronen says that he has not received negative feedback from parents about elective courses.

– I personally feel that the guardians have been quite satisfied with the optional offer.

Noora Haimi says that she doesn’t want to criticize the school or elective courses either. He considers the school to be excellent and believes that the courses can be interesting.

– And I don’t resent them at all, but I also don’t resent the fact that an 11-year-old boy didn’t really know how to rank them.