After the balmy weather of Sicily in November, we were plunged into the coldest, darkest winter weather in Tampere, Finland. Tampere often likens itself to the Manchester of Finland, albeit with slightly more snow! The hosts at the Tampere Lyseo, a sixth form college in the heart of the city were extremely welcoming and had planned an extensive programme for our pupils. The aim of this visit was to research the educational opportunities available in Tampere and the local area. Our teachers and pupils were surprised (and a little jealous!) to discover that education is completely free for all in Finland. Many courses at universities are taught in English, with no fees, giving our pupils something to think about for the future. With direct flights from Stansted to Tampere, it definitely is an option to consider when it comes to applying for further education.
Our pupils braved temperatures of -24C to visit the Tampere School of Forestry where they took us on a forest hike and then to a frozen lake. We had a “picnic” of tea/coffee and bread on the lake, but you had to be quick – within 20 minutes the milk had frozen; black coffees all round then! Next up was ice-swimming; roasting yourself in the sauna and then jumping into a frozen lake as many times as you could bear it! The pupils proved themselves much braver than the teachers who passed on this activity, with numerous excuses; not all of them believable!
Next stop is Malaga in March where our pupils will present educational opportunities in England and will lead a sporting event to raise money for a charity of each country’s choice: the money that we raise will go to Cancer Research.