The Best and on the Brink of Collapse?
A Rhetorical Analysis of the School Shopping and Segregation Debate in Helsingin Sanomat Spring 2023
Keywords:
school segregation, education policy, rhetorical analysis, equityAbstract
In this article, we analyse the rhetoric of the public debate regarding school segregation and school choices in early 2023. The discussion started in January 2023 after the publication of the Bildung Review by the Ministry of Education and Culture and faded away during March. The data consists of texts published by Helsingin Sanomat. The material is analysed using rhetorical analysis, with a focus on equality-related argumentation. According to our findings, the discussion on school choices and the differentiation of education is connected to a broader discussion on equality. Finnish education and the concepts of equality connected to it are in transition, and the debate is characterized by contradictions. The Finnish school was presented simultaneously as the best in the world and failing in its mission. Another key result is that Helsingin Sanomat directed the discussion with its own editorial choices. Based on the results, we argue that a new discoursive space has emerged around education, which may have implications for future political choices.
