Monday, March 11, 2013

Researching Finland’s Education System

From Finland National Board of Education

Finland has been receiving high marks around the world for the past few years on the quality of education. The society is very homogeneous and receives very few immigrants, which makes it easier to get every child on the same page. There are several things that Finland has been doing that we can learn from:
1.      Children do not enter school until the age of 7. Finland’s economy allows a parent, usually the mother, to stay home and teach and raise the child before entering school. Based on neurological research, the US may be pushing it’s youngsters into the system too soon. Our economy does not support a single wage earning family to be successful. It is something to think about.
2.      Teacher’s are required to have a Master’s Degree. Unlike America, Finland is highly selective in who enters the teacher training program. If you do get in, it is paid for by the government. I encourage you to read this article from Education Week for further details.
3.      Political parties agreed to be bipartisan when it comes to education. Finland placed education and a culture of education based on feedback from corporations, such as Nokia, as to what kind of employee they would be looking for to fulfill the high tech and industry roles of today and the future.
4.      The school environment is safe, relaxed, and informal. Teachers are called by their first name! Comfort is a priority in the school systems for students and teachers. It reminds me of a private school in Massachusetts that was relaxed. Students would not wear pajamas or call their teacher by their first name but it was not unusual to see the kids in the classroom without shoes on or laying on the carpet reading a book. It was structured without being constrictive.

Visit this six minute BBC video about Finland’s education system and let’s start thinking out of the box!

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