My conference is over and I made some good contacts, though it may actually be weeks before I can process all the information. One thing I learned is that in upper level education, sloyd is becoming an endangered species as Europeans adapt to new uniform standards in higher education.

At the close of the conference this afternoon Leena Kaukanon, conference organizer reminded us of the question asked last night at our conference dinner at Suomelinna by Patrik Scheinin, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences. In light of the success of Finland in the PISA study and with regard to the status of finland as a leader in compulsory craft education, "Can other countries afford not to have craft education?" He promised to help provide the statistical evidence to prove the connection between crafts and success in schools.

After the conference I went to the Helsinki contemporary arts museum, Kiasma. It is a beautiful building surrounded by beauty, but inside, looking at the stuff made with no real care or attention, you wonder, "Why am I here?" Or at least that is the question someone concerned with the development of skilled expression in materials would ask.