Reflecting first benchmarking visit

After a few days rest at home it is time to get back to work, and this time again in Finland. The benchmarking visit to Prague went well and we got a lot to think about concerning the project themes as well as developing and applying a model for benchmarking in educational institutes.

The most interesting part of this benchmarking visit was meeting the local hosts, visiting different schools, working with students and discussing with the staff of different schools. It was interesting to hear and discover both similarities and also the differences within the school systems in Finland and in Czech Republic and within the organizations in terms of guiding students and pupils with special needs.

Discussing with students of councelling programme (upper), Hanna trying to make a nail in blacksmith workshop (Vocational School of Hadicrafts Prague).

The gardening school in Kopidlno cooperates with the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague for example in terms of teacher practice.

The delegation and local hosts from the left: Emil, Milan, Hanna (with a strange light effect), Päivi, Maija, Annikki and Sanna (Sari taking the picture).

Because the time of our visit was limited and there is a lot to reflect and think about, we agreed with our project partners to meet online by Skype in January. Before that meeting we have had a little time to make conclusions and discover the high-lights of this benchmarking process so far. The next step is to advance the analysing of the benchmarking process and the materials connected to that process.

First days in Prague

The benchmarking workshop has started and programme has been busy. Our delegation arrived in Prague on Sunday, which was spent by planning and organizing final arrangements. On Monday we met our local hosts, Barbora, Jiri, Milan and Emil and spent some time with studetns of the new councelling programme in Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague. On the next day we had a visit to Stredni Skola Zahradnicka in Kopidlno (about 70 km from Prague). In Kopidlno we had a chance to meet some students, teachers and the head of the school. In the afternoon we had a brainstorming with the Finnish delegation, and in the last picture you can see the stage of our analysing concerning the benchmarking this far.

Jiri and the students of councelling programme at work.

Gardening school in Kopidlno.

Students making beautiful christmas decorations.

Maija at work.

The first thoughts about the benchmarking and its results so far.