New Nordic School debuts new education system in 20 schools in India, Singapore, Portugal, and Finland
The company helps schools move away from ineffective test-driven education to a new system designed to nurture purpose and individual growth.
New Nordic School announced today 20 newly signed agreements with schools in India, Singapore, Portugal, and Finland to implement their turn-key Nordic Baccalaureate educational system, with the first opening in April 2020. The system is designed to prepare students for a world that requires soft-skills such as collaborative problem solving and excellent communication skills.
New Nordic School has developed a new concept of interdisciplinary, multi-age, and mindful teaching using pedagogical techniques taken from around the world to provide a competency-based approach that develops 21st-century skills for life.
“Traditional educational models were built for the challenges of the past using traditional methods such as studying subjects in isolation and limiting their learning simply based on their age,” says Pia Jormalainen, CEO and co-founder of New Nordic School. “Our international team is inspired to create a system that is designed to better help children discover their true passions, find their purpose, and shape their own future. We have been inspired by our own experiences in education having seen the best and worst from around the world for many years,” adds Jormalainen.
The Nordic Baccalaureate, while new in its approach, does not compromise basic educational skills and academic learning outcomes. The program is rooted in the seven core competencies of the Finnish curriculum, a system globally recognized as the leader in quality primary education and the delivery of education that provides future-skills. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals bring purpose to learning in the form of real-life problems that students solve in interdisciplinary lessons by linking together core competencies and subject content.
“The biggest challenge for schools in India is fighting the mindset that obsesses over scoring top marks in exams, a pursuit which has cost many children's lives. Marks don't measure intelligence, they measure a child's ability to memorize and regurgitate information. By the time today's children grow up, AI and other technologies will automatically provide the information they require to complete their next task," says Raghav Podar, Chairman of Podar Education, opening 10 New Nordic School preschools in 2020 in Mumbai area. "My interest in the Finnish education model was especially piqued by Finland's approach to how they make learning stress-free and joyful, and also the value and trust Finland places in its teachers. These are features we need to bring to the Indian education system."
In addition to their curriculum, New Nordic School provides essential professional development to help schools prepare their teachers.
“With these new agreements in place, we have started working with each client in preparation for the upskilling of local teachers with new methods and tools that empower them to teach with confidence,” explains Jormalainen. “The purpose is not to replace the existing methods of the teachers but to expand and enhance their skills with the best practices taken from around the world,” she continues.
New Nordic School’s international and diversely skilled team is located in Espoo, Finland, Gurgaon, India, and Dubai, UAE. In 2018, the company completed a seed financing round and is currently raising a new round of financing to build their team in support of their rapidly growing global client base and inbound interest in the school.
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For additional information:
Media kit with pictures
Pia Jormalainen, CEO & Co-founder
+35 40 803 2726
pia.jormalainen@newnordic.school
Founded in 2018 in Espoo, Finland, New Nordic School transforms outdated educational practices to empower students, unleash their creativity, and shape their own future. We integrate interdisciplinary, multi-age, and mindful teaching practices taken from around the world into the renowned Finnish education curriculum to deliver a turn-key Nordic Baccalaureate program for early years through to grade 12. New Nordic School works currently with 20 schools in Singapore, India, Portugal, and Finland. For more information, visit: www.newnordic.school.
