The message of the white cap. Public discourse concerning the Finnish Matriculation Examination after the Second World War

Authors

• Minna Vuorio-Lehti Turun yliopisto

Abstract

The Finnish matriculation examination is a nation-wide school graduation examination at the end of upper secondary schooling. It has had – and it still has - a very respected and (over)valued position in the Finnish school system and culture for more than 150 years. Until the 1990s, the matriculation-examination system changed very little, even though at the same time other parts of the school system underwent far-reaching changes. The author explores the secret of the popularity of the matriculation examination. How has the matriculation examination managed to preserve its position as a high-status examination? The focus is on the period after the Second World War. Source material was collected from three Finnish periodicals published from 1945 until the turn of the century. Twenty-two committee reports have also been used as sources.