Introduction

The purpose of the current study is to explore a detailed and systematic understanding of

the relationship between education and wider issues of globalisation, sustainable development,

new technologies, social justice, social inclusion and knowledge economy. Comparing and

contrasting these aspects of the two countries, i.e. the UK and Finland. Moreover, the

organisational and societal structures are analysed of both these education systems and

understanding how these relate to the political, historical, cultural and economic context.

Furthermore, an understanding is developed of how to interrogate and apply a variety of

theoretical position and weigh the importance of alternatives. Hence, the numerical data is

presented, applied and collected, which is essential to interpret and analyse the qualitative and

quantitative data. The higher education has transformed in many ways over the past decade, and

currently, the education systems are in the era of instantaneous global communications. There is

a dramatic change of environment over the past decade or so, which has revolutionised the

education system and the approaches that are relevant to it. Majority institutions of higher

education observe themselves as international bodies. The amount of international activity for

education systems will certainly be increased by the Globalisation of world trade. The role of

educational systems concerning the globalisation of the world economy in an economic

establishment is crucial as well as establishing knowledge-based society is equally important.

Discussion

Wider Issues of Globalisation

The cultural, political and economic conditions can be defined as a process of

globalisation, as well as the collaboration of people's thoughts, ideas, perceptions, and

augmented the strength during the late 20th and early 21st century. The most common challenge in

the present circumstances is globalisation due to which individual countries are affected by a

variety of factors such as social and economic policy traditions, openness and size of the

economy, labour market institutions and production structure. On international trade, Finland is

highly dependent as an open and small economy. The country, on the one hand, excessively

improving industries as well as providing the major prospects of education systems. For the

globalisation challenges in the education systems, the country's economic approach rests as a

sensible solution, underlining heavily on innovation and skills policy. Considering the

international competition in the domain of the educational system, Finland can succeed only

through the practices of continuous innovation based on solid skills, which can certainly increase

its productivity. In order to assist primary areas of economic activities, especially in education

systems, quality in strategic domains such as innovation, science and technology are developed.

However, the strategy still demands determined execution and establishment in the educational

systems of Finland. Finland demand further advancement, in spite of its solid foundation. To be

able to produce the skills, globalisation and quick technological changes emphasises the need

which is demanded at any time at several educational levels. Hence, solid basic abilities are

required, and in this respect, Finland's foundation seems to be quite good.

Whereas, in the UK, the globalisation has played a significant role in the upbringing of

the education system to the rise and up to the expectations of the society. When highlighting the

established or developed countries, their expansion is not restrained, as the UK had been a "great

doubling" of education systems reaching close to 35 million around 2015. These results show the

substantial increase and rapid growth in the globalisation of education systems as well as highly
educated workers, capable of competing on knowledge. The quality of education varies from

country to country, but the globalisation is the only aspect which varies or distinct the quality of

education and help in understanding the better outcome of social and economic tradition.

Particularly in the service sector, white collar jobs have been increasing, and blue collar jobs

have been decreasing. Currently, the service sector produces 80 per cent of Britain's GDP.

Therefore, highly-skilled and the highly-educated labour force is on rising demand. In contrast,

the unskilled workers in developing nations or robots have taken over the jobs of unskilled

workers. However, at both global and local levels, in order to meet the needs of the

fundamentally changed economy, new realities ought to be adopted by the education system in

the UK. Whereas the necessary skills for the students as required by the employers must be

developed, there is also a need to capitalise and recognise major prospects provided by an

increasingly international world in the UK. For the consideration to the education system, most

of the developing countries have initiated and collaborated with the developed ones, over the

past few decades as this will result in expansion or boost in economic growth and a decrease in

poverty and other social troubles and the quality of people’s life is increased. However, the UK

educational structure still needs to go a long way when it comes to ensuring worldwide primary

educational and competing for the challenges in terms of globalisation with countries all over the

world. Hence, in the last couple of decades, there has been major progress. As more education is

propelled among the developing countries, to endorse higher education, the developed countries

feel obligated not only avoiding the handsome salaries and white collar jobs from moving

overseas but staying competitive in the rapidly transforming world which is undergoing a major

move to the east.

Finland education is high and efficient in terms of technology as they propose a general

and unified learning atmosphere, which is quite flexible according to students in their learning

abilities. In the early years of science and technology policy, the development of higher

education, in general, played a quite significant role. This has led the meaningful changes inside

the educational infrastructures of Finland. One of the reasons for the centric position of Finland

educational system is the modernisation process and awareness of the industrial and economic

development, and consequently, greater demand for personnel with a university education of

strong technological background. Long rapid economic growth is the result of a strong

educational system led by the technological aspects and utilisation of innovative measures of

technologies. The period of the early 1990s were the years of profound financial recession in

Finland which resulted in the policy of science and technology and placed a strong foundation of

the entire national innovation structure on the mobilisation to increase acquaintance and skill

through communication industries and information technology as a significant area.

Moreover, the EU, i.e. "European Union" also adopted new procedures and policies

regarding the scientific and technological field, when Finland became part of the EU in 1995.

Hence, the formal and informal systems of the EU have become a matter of importance.

Furthermore, the EU has more broadly focused on Research and Development in science and

technology policy.

Whereas, the education system in the UK has long been driven by a desire to innovate.

They had contributed a vast amount of their efforts and their work in the advancement of

technological aspects. Within the British education system, innovation is in full flow, and many
fewer people have noticed about its influence. A technological revolution in Britain's school was

the result of a new computing curriculum which was established by the coalition government of

2014. In the last several years, the education system in the UK had substantially grown towards

technological improvement. The educators of British are searching for innovative new ways to

capture the attention of their technological knowledge classes of the public.An enthusiastic

response has been observed from the UK's ongoing technology industry in the extreme. The

aspect of Education technology is really racing ahead as the possibilities for future pieces of

computer hardware are creating interests in the student's activities. Moreover, Android

applications are being developed with the collaboration of new technology companies for

enhancing students' memorising, revising, and organising prospers as well as the teachers are

engaged with the exciting prospects of technology into the classroom in new means.

Accordingly, these technological means are giving a new dimension to learning and teaching in

the UK. These approaches have held towards the better channelling of students in their self-

learning abilities and their self-grooming. The EU is constantly looking to introduce new

strategies and exciting innovations for education systems in the UK.

Social justice

From the very beginnings where the state would embrace economic, social and

educational purposes, Finland aimed to become a social state to develop social justice in

society.In the creation of social justice, education system played a vital role, and social justice is

considered to be a fundamental presupposition for education in the country. The work of the

individual schools could well be coordinated in towns by the joint school boards and considering

the problems like social justice of society in several areas of the town. The social justice was

considered as an essential tool by the State, and they had a clear vision to provide an educational
system in a firm manner and on the basis of equality and justice. Hence, social justice and

understanding are mandatory for that purpose. To establish the necessities of local authorities,

social justice mandated the step towards elementary education and was devoted to promoting the

mandates too.Currently, Finland is said to be a prosperous country due to one of the factors of its

educational systems and, i.e. social justice and equality. Hence, no longer Finland is the

relatively rural or docile country that it was thirty years ago at the far edge of Europe. Therefore,

into the global culture and global economy, the country is vastly incorporated. Among the other

European countries, Finland was consequently producing substantial revenue for a variety of

government activities with the overall tax rate of about 49% of GDP.

Whereas enlightening the impact of social justice concerning educational systems in the

UK, it is observed that in the last 40 years or so, various political ideologies had specified growth

to different concepts that how education can overcome or promote social justice in the UK. The

UK educational system in regards to social justice and its significance were not so keen and were

striving in the early nineteenth century, and there was no equality given among the people of

different classes. The UK had been leading in the majority educational departments due to its

social justice, and equality factor and the rationale behind this is the political leadership and the

governing bodies that are constantly seeking the new modernise ways to influence the society.

The Prime Minister of England, David Cameron laid great importance on social justice and, i.e.

"There can be no social justice without good education". Also, another academic counsellor

Gordon Brown in 2010 stated that; "On the ladder of social mobility, it is education which

provides the rungs". Therefore, above quotations illustrate the importance of education in

reducing poverty and promoting social mobility is a most valuable topic among politicians, and
they certainly believe that the aspect of social justice holds the key in promoting the education

systems well-being.

Knowledge-based Economy

It is argued that, the development of "Information and Communication Technology-

based" was a nationalized project in Finland, even in the establishment of a new industrial

cluster by the business segment which had a dominating role. Thus, by increasing the focus on

the higher education system, the Finnish education system has assisted the knowledge-based

economy, by means of far above the ground strategy, as the Finland education structure is

technology-oriented. The tertiary education was boosted by the development of the polytechnic

structure in particular and not merely by the expansion of universities education competence in

Information and Communication Technology. Commonly, more than 80 per cent of 15-to-20

year-olds go to school in industrialized nations, but in Finland about 40 per cent are the students

among 20-to-30-years old due to which Finnish education system is unique inasmuch as to the

knowledge-based economy.

Whereas, the UK's target is to develop a society of knowledge-based economy. For

planning the future of society, the knowledge-based economy is an integral part of understanding

the better outcome in the future. To the foundations of social justice, as well as social cohesion,

education is believed to hold the key to global competitiveness. However, there is an extensive

argument that whether the higher education system in UK is simply in the process of reformation

to convene the needs of a knowledge-based economy or are they in crisis. Accordingly, in UK a

knowledge-based economy and the higher education system and their perceptions have become

the fundamental aspect for establishing the wealth of nations. The significance of higher
education system as together an investment of human assets and in the production or latest

research or knowledge is acknowledged by the UK government's white paper "Our Competitive

Future: Building the Knowledge-Driven Economy" which states that:

"The production of wealth is possible only if the education system is based on knowledge-

based economy in which the utilization and production regarding knowledge has to play a prime

part".

Therefore, the country is still striving to occupy its place as knowledge-based economy and has

quite succeeded in the past decade or so, but more efforts are demanded to move out of a broad

and compulsive obsession with skill contribution, and deal more openly to the small level of

demand for proficiency in the knowledge-based economy.

Organisational/Societal system and their relation to political, economic and social context

The organisational system of Finland seems to be quite effective and efficient, as the

principle of devolution on which the Governance in Finland is based on. Although the education

policies are defined by "Ministry of Education and Culture" and for its operation, the "Finnish

National Agency for Education" is accountable but he local authorities also have a prominent

role in establishing responsibility and autonomy. For all publicly funded education in Finland,

the "Ministry of Education and Culture" has the highest responsibilities and authorities to prepare

educational system legislation and its share in the budget of state Government. Hence, various

bodies who are assisting the Ministry work, comprising "State Youth Council", "National Forum

for Skills Anticipation" and "National Sports Council". These organisations had been established

by the "Finnish Education Evaluation Centre". In collaboration concerning the local authorities

inside their state authorities and particular region, the Regional Councils illustrate local
development policies, as well as with legislative body of non-governmental organisations and

economic life. The local authorities manages the local government and these shared municipal

establishment have the right to oblige taxes. To systematize early on childhood care and

education, these local authorities are merely responsible, as well as at basic and primary

education at a regional level. Specifically, in order to achieve ethically accountable membership

of society and expansion towards humankind, the purpose of compulsory basic education is to

assist individuals and for their better grooming and development in later life, pushing them with

obtaining the necessary knowledge and skills. According to the local demand, a statutory

responsibility in the learners area is to manage comprehensive school education by the local

authorities. The registered foundations and associations might be granted by the Government in

order to manage complete school education. VET licence i.e. "Vocational education and training

providers" is granted by the Ministry to offer vocational education which support the training

purposes in learners areas to compete with local labour market needs. Furthermore, regarding

education system there is a strong consent in Finland, and consent among political parties is

resilient. Despite changes in government, medium-term plans for educational systems are

approved. As a result, the educational development is anticipated to progress in a predictable

and stable manner. The main agenda of political, social and economical context is equality in

education system in Finland, that all people must have equal access. To all nation, regardless of

their wealth, ethnic origin, where they live and age; same prospects for education should be

obtainable.