Finland among Future Policy Award Recipients

On 20 October, the Government of Finland received the Future Policy Award for its 1998 Basic Education Act. The award is given by the World Future Council, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UNICEF to policies, rather than actors, that “create better living conditions for current and future generations.” The World Future Council selects a new policy item for the award on a yearly basis to raise awareness for policies that promote sustainability and peace.

Finland’s Basic Education Act requires that all have access to pre-primary education, compulsory schooling (for nine years between the ages 7 and 16), textbooks and other materials, support and guidance and a daily meal free of charge.

The government of semi-autonomous region Zanzibar, Tanzania and the State of Maryland, USA were also recipients. Zanzibar won the gold award for its 2011Children’s Act, which establishes requirements for child protection, services (such as healthcare) for children and guardianship.

The state of Maryland won the silver award for its 2008 Environmental Literacy Standards, established as part of the state’s environmental education programme to enable students to make decisions that are environmentally sustainable.

Photo credit: “Students at the new school” by United Nations Development Programme in Europe and CIS (CCBY 2.0 via Flickr)