Teaching|The city of Helsinki is investigating whether the procedures for hiring substitutes for elementary schools are clear to everyone. The principal suspects that the workload of the staff may be the cause of possible neglect.
Dozens got on the substitute teacher lists of primary schools in Helsinki with a fake identity. It became clear when MTV News applied to all elementary schools in Helsinki as a substitute teacher with a fake identity.
According to the report, a total of 35 primary schools accepted a fake person for their substitute teacher lists without calling, meeting or, for example, an e-mail interview with more individual questions.
The article pointed out that it is good to go over the common operating methods with everyone, Director of Basic Education in the Education and Training Industry of Helsinki Outi Salo says to HS.
Salo assesses as “unlikely” a situation in which a person applying with fraudulent intentions would be able to become a primary school substitute, even if he ends up on the substitute list.
According to the instructions, a criminal record extract must be requested from all substitutes, Salo says. The procedure also applies to individual substitute days. In addition, schools should meet the substitute teacher before the first substitution.
According to Salo, the city still plans to go over the instructions with the schools. Typically, however, schools use people they know from the past, such as their former students.
“If there are new substitutes, it’s good to have a discussion and orientation, as well as go over the school’s customs,” says Salo.
According to Salo, the thoroughness of the process is also affected by the length of the deputation. Long substitutions often involve a traditional recruitment process, while short substitutions use substitution lists.
In all cases, however, according to Salo, it is good for schools to meet a possible new substitute well in advance.
Salo admits that MTV Uutisten’s substitute may not have been able to thoroughly inform all schools about what they go through before the placement. For now, Salo is unable to give more detailed assessments about the recent case.
Inter alia In Töölö co-educational school (TYK), pupils and parents have been informed about the MTV Uutisten article.
The school principal Marja Mikkola tells HS that he is grateful for the MTV Uutisten article, which, according to him, acts as a “wake-up call in this matter”. According to Mikkola, TYK did not include a fake person in its substitute lists.
Mikkola says that the school will discuss the matter with the management team and the information security expert at the next meeting. In addition, TYK plans to check whether there is room for improvement in its practices.
Mikkola however, do not want to blame the schools where the fake profile has gone through.
“An acute emergency means that you haven’t had time to focus on the processes,” says Mikkola.
According to the principal’s assessment, the large elementary schools in Helsinki in particular are burdened by both the great need for substitutes and the lack of administrative staff.
He adds that the sickness of students makes a lot of work at schools, which takes attention away from other things, such as finding substitutes. Many schools are in a rush to find substitutes for, for example, unexpected sickness absences.
“Students cannot be left alone in class, so an adult must be brought there,” Mikkola reminds.
According to Mikkola, trust may also have influenced the application of a fake person.
“At school and in the world of education, we work for people and we may be a notch up in gullibility. You should also be alert all the time regarding everything like this”, reflects Mikkola.
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