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This article analyzes the ways in which the right to education and freedom of education are expressed in local school choice policies in Finland. We aim to discover the elements that form democratic iterations on the right to education and freedom of education by contrasting their manifestations in three local institutional spaces for parental school choice. We focus on different levels of structures and agents including national legislation, local spaces for school choice, municipal demographics, and the impact of socioeconomic status and institutional space for school choice on parental attitudes.

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Research conducted in recent decades shows that parental involvement plays a significant role in the academic achievement and the healthy development of children. Gaining a better understanding of early childhood educators' views and the reasons for insufficient practices is important for improving parental involvement. This mixed-method research investigates the views on parental involvement held by early childhood educators in Finland. A representative sample of 287 educators from Helsinki completed a questionnaire which provided quantitative data and qualitative material. The results show that Finnish early childhood educators have positive attitudes towards parental involvement and its various types in general. Learning at home is the most popular type of parental involvement. The participants state that difficulties in parental involvement are often caused by poor parental motivation and a lack of time on the part of both educators and parents.

On international comparisons, the development of Oman's education system in terms of the increase in educational enrolment rates and in the level of teacher qualifications has been remarkably rapid. Almost 100% access to basic education has been achieved, and almost all students progress onto post-basic education. A report from the World Bank in 2001 described the development of Oman's education system in the decades 1970-2000 as "unprecedented" and "unparalleled by any other country". However, international assessments on learning outcomes in literacy (PIRLS), and mathematics and sciences (TIMSS) show that Omani students perform very poorly in all three subjects, and that boys' performance levels are significantly lower than that for girls. The aim of this study is to describe the present-day situation in Omani schooling and the challenges it poses for teacher professional development. The study is based on a meta-analysis of a variety of studies, research reports, articles, and statistics with the aim of presenting a comprehensive picture of the challenges for the development of teaching and learning in Omani schools.