PIRKKALA KIRKONKYLÄ SCHOOL – ENTIRE SCHOOL WITH LEARNING ZONES

How did it all happen?

One of the most important aspects of FCLab’s initial phase was to create a learning zone model suitable for the Finnish education system and curriculum. This model was launched in the spring of 2019 and it immediately aroused interest. One of those interested was Mikko Salkinoja, who was the principal of the Kirkonkylä school in Pirkkala at the time. In the june of 2019 mr Salkinoja contacted FCLab Tampere and we met in the August. That was a start of something, which eventually led to the situation we are in now – there is a a new school inspired by FCLab!

The cooperation with the principal and teachers of FCLab Tampere (KAKS10 56) and Pirkkala expanded into an interesting educational cooperation, where the staff of the planned school visited KAKS10 in 2019 and 2020 to consider the design of the premises, the cooperative model, co-teaching and their future operating model. FClab consulted and sparred e.g. determination of furniture, co-teaching. Pirkkala’s teachers were able to participate in the planning in its various stages very well, although not all of the ideas that came up could be implemented. One exceptional feature in Pirkkala’s case was that the school principal had a strong vision that teachers, as teaching professionals, would have a lot of say in decisions concerning the school. An architect simply cannot know the school’s practical operating methods and needs as well as a teacher.