Perceptions of the changes in the Finnish art education curriculum Mira Kallio-Tavin* In this article, I discuss the need for curriculum changes in Finnish art education and how the new national cur- riculum for visual art education has tried to respond to contemporary artistic, social, cultural, and educational conditions. I describe the major changes in the Finnish National Core curriculum for art education in the future, and contemplate the possibilities of the boundary breaking phenomenon-based learning for the long-term plans in the future and beyond. The need for a shift in art education evolves from social changes and reflects contemporary art and cultural practices. I describe how the change from a mono-cultural society to a relatively multicultural society has been slower in Finland than in many other European countries, and how celebrated no- tions of Nordic democracy and equality are not as untainted by colonial legacies as is often assumed. I continue to discuss how increasing cultural diversity requires action from art educators. Kulcsszavak: art and design education, curriculum design, phenomenon-based learning Te new curriculum for the visual arts As this article was being written, the new national core curriculum for comprehensive schools and pre-schools in Finland for 2016 was being revised.1 For a small country like Finland, the national curriculum is an important political text that describes the current notion of what is understood as important in teaching. Simultaneously, it is an important tool for teachers. As a text, the national curriculum is a framework to help with planning teach - ing, rather than any kind of given standard for teachers to follow strictly. Revision of the entire comprehensive school curriculum is carried out approximately every ten years. 2 Generally, art teachers value the curriculum and are interested in its contents and goals. This perspective on a national curriculum is somewhat different from the voices and critics that national level curricula or standards attract in some other countries. The positive attitude in Finland toward the national curriculum does not mean that it never receives criticism from the field. Quite the contrary, especially this time, when major revisions are included. This criticism is needed and most often offers important insights and possibilities for development. At the same time, some of the criticism shows resistance to ideas that try to change patterns of educational behaviour which have not been revised for decades, or per - haps ever. It is fair to say that this most recent art educational curriculum revision is the most radical compared to any other curriculum revisions in the visual arts before. Ultimately, these demands for the change reflect art educational changes at large, which in turn echo changes in Finnish society. The revisions are targeted on several areas in the curriculum. While a quick critical interpretation of the revi - sions might seem to have to do with the new discourse that refuses to define specific lists for art materials or re - commendations for the media used, the most important changes concern more diversified understandings of art and culture. In the new curriculum, it is possible to see the shift from modernism toward contemporary under- * a finnországi Aalto Egyetem Művészeti, Formatervezési és Építészeti Kara (ARTS) Vizuális Nevelési Tanszékének egyetemi do - cense, mira.kallio-tavin@aalto.fi 1. http://www.oph.fi/download/163777_perusopetuksen_opetussuunnitelman_perusteet_2014.pdf 2. The first national curriculum for comprehensive schools was written in 1970, when comprehensive schooling was first estab- lished in Finland. The curriculum has been revised in 1985, 1993 and 2004. 37