America is one of the countries that developing countries are hoping to become in the nearest future. However, when it comes to education, America consistently ranks below Finland—and you may be wondering the reason behind this. America approach education like a competitive business while Finland cherishes child’s development through extensive nurturing.
Finland is a beautiful tourist destination. It is often referred to as one of the happiest nations to live. Finland has beautiful landscapes, a disciplined democratic process, employee-focused work culture, and high wages. However, less talked about is her vibrant academic school system. The country has a progressive attitude toward its education system.
What Finland Is Doing Differently?
In the United States, there are public and state schools. Depending on the income, parents can choose between public and state schools with the latter being more expensive. In Finland, the government provides funding for all schools which means that irrespective of the parent’s income, a child can still receive a quality education.
The idea of having high-quality schools where parents from diverse economic backgrounds pay similar amount creates an equal society that grants equal opportunities to children from the early years of their lives. The splitting of schools in the United States into public and state schools is often criticized for further placing less privileged families at a disadvantage.
The disadvantage with the US education model is that it creates a society where children only get to socialize with children of similar economic background. In Finland, the reverse is the case and it gives children the opportunity to succeed equally in adult life. In summary, Finland educational system strives for equity rather than excellence.
Features Of The Finland Education System
Data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) released from time to time in conjunction with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that among the industrialized nations America continues to lag behind in terms of education while Finland continues to soar. The secret is linked to the following factors;
1. The Absence Of Standardized Testing
The idea of tests is usually to determine students that have achieved mastery or competence of some subjects. However, what it achieves, in the long run, is to make students learn how to be great crammers in order to pass. Also, rather than teaching students to learn, teachers will be more inclined to teaching students to pass. In Finland, there is no standardized test except the National Matriculation Exam which is also voluntary. Teachers grade students on an individual basis and the Ministry of Education tracks the overall student progress by sampling groups across different schools.
2. Encouraging Cooperation Rather Than Competition
Freinet worked hard to create a teaching method that encouraged cooperation and independence rather than competition as found in many schools today. In his method students were split into groups. Finland schools don’t have a list of top performing teachers or schools which often creates a competitive environment. The focus is more about cooperation because according to Samuli Paronen, “Real winners do not compete”.