The capital's Helsingin Sanomat is among the papers that looks at a study on distance learning in Finland this past spring carried out by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre.
As the paper points out, the coronavirus epidemic brought what it calls an "unprecedented upheaval" in Finnish schools when they suddenly switched to distance learning for two months. The evaluation covered primary, secondary and higher education.
Among the study's findings is that distance learning weakened the equality of teaching and the conditions for learning. There were shortcomings in the support received by students during distance learning, in the IT tools available to students, and in the ability of some students to effectively learn through distance teaching. students. The role of parents and guardians in supporting distance learning was found to be of key importance.
On the other hand, distance learning also brought some significant benefits. It accelerated the spread of digital skills of basic education, which have now been further exploited since schools reconvened in the autumn.
Helsingin Sanomat interviewed a number of teachers and pupils at all levels of education about their experience with distance learning and asked them to grade it on the school scale of 4 to 10. The average experience came out at a quite positive 8+.
Surge in Turku
The Swedish-language Hufvudstadsbladet reports a dramatic upswing in the number of coronavirus infections confirmed in the southwestern coastal city of Turku over the past week, writing that the situation is now "as bad as in Helsinki" and may overtake the capital region.
Following a slight decline in the number of cases at the end of November, the epidemic has gained new momentum. The number of cases in Turku over the last 14 days stood at 246.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, close to the rates recorded as Helsinki and Vantaa.
Esa Rintala, Chief Physician for infectious diseases at Turku University Central Hospital, says that there are several factors that have contributed to the strong spread of infection in Turku.
About a third of infections occur within the family and immediate circle of friends and acquaintances. However, the virus has also spread in workplaces. Schools and other educational facilities have also played a role in the spread of infection. Rintala told the paper that cases of infection within the family and close contacts are mainly among immigrant groups in the city
Finland's first coronavirus control bus started operations in Turku on Tuesday. It is a mobile testing station and is initially servicing two suburbs where there was no coronation test station.
The latest control measure by the City of Turku is the reintroduction of distance learning for students in grades 4-9 as of Wednesday. Some schools are already starting distance learning on Monday. Upper-secondary education students are already restricted to distance learning.
On Friday, a ban on outdoor gatherings of more than ten people came into force. The same limit applies to indoor events. Esa Rintala says that a last resort could be a total ban on gatherings of any size in the region.
Record grocery sales
The local Helsinki daily, Helsingin Uutiset reported over the weekend that grocery chains are expecting a record-breaking rush by shoppers to stock up for the holidays this year.
In order to cut down on crowding and help ensure safe distancing, most supermarkets will have extended opening hours during the run-up to the holidays.
Elanto's Prisma chain manager Anu Tuomaala told the paper that she expects that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Christmas week as well as the the weekend before Christmas will be an especially busy time for supermarkets.
She suggests that if you want to avoid crowds, aim at doing your grocery shopping at night or first thing in the morning.
Supermarket chains expect that online orders will hit new highs, but many people will still go to markets for perishable items such as fish and fresh produce.
Temperature divide
According to the tabloid Iltalehti, the weather this week will show a stark contrast between the north and south of the country – with rain and temperatures up to +5C in southern areas, and bone-chilling temperatures of as low as -30C in parts of Finnish Lapland.
The change, its writes, will start on Wednesday as the skies clear in Lapland and more cold air moves in from the north.
There are likely to be wide local temperature variations, however, with differences in cloud cover, airflows and terrain leading to a situation in which locations only twenty kilometers apart can have a 10-20 degree difference in temperature.