Nordic Powerhouse

Photo Courtesy of Miska Michael Knapek

Finland, the nordic giant when it comes to academia, continues to lead that pack in Europe.  Finnish education relies on a particular set of principles that largely oppose the underlying principals of success in countries like Singapore, that heavily rely on test-based learning.  Although Singapore has stepped away from solely relying on preparing for exams, (as mentioned in a previous post,) Finland can be seen as the poster-child of the promotion of teaching how to learn.

The PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) evaluates the ability of high-school level scholars in areas such as mathematics, problem solving, and financial literacy.  It is crucial to note the success of Finnish students concerning this particular test considering teaching methodologies focus on, as stated earlier, conveying to students how to learn rather than to memorize and drill for a particular test.

If you could summarize the education system in Finland, one specific word would come to mind—equality.  Equality to the point that the disparity between the most academically advanced students and those who are less academically incline is small.  So much so, that 93% of students graduate from high school, and 66% of those students move on to pursue higher education.  Furthermore, the government of Finland pays 30% less for each child within their school system in comparison to the United States' public education.

The success starts from the top.  The select group that is in charge of forming and altering educational policy are educators, and not politicians or businessmen.  Moreover, the government does all it can to minimize the number of students that show up to school hungry or with concerns about whether or not they'll have a bed to sleep in for the night.  Up until the age of seventeen, the government actually gives parents around 100 euros per month for each child.  Additionally, long maternity leaves and comprehensive day care programs are offered for each parent in Finland to support the family as a whole.

Finnish Students in a Classroom Setting
(Photo courtesy of Kevin Oliver)

With a government so accommodating, it is easy to see how the reduction of outside complications can contribute to the success of a system and the reduction of academic disparities.  College tuition, for the kids that choose to continue learning, is free.  However, there exist some expenses for living arrangements while at university, but low-rate loans are abundant and the lack of tuition allows for greater flexibility within the system.

Teachers are held in high esteem and create a welcoming environment for all children.  Only the top ten percent of Finland's graduates can achieve a masters degree in education, which is mandatory in order to become a teaching professional in the country.  Teachers promote play for younger students, while offering myriad accommodations for struggling students.  In addition, they seem to have a steadfast mindset in helping each and every student succeed.

Does this system seem too good to be true?  Well, as always, there would be significant amounts of backlash if we were to cut-and-paste this style of an education system to here in the United States.  First of all, the amount of household income in significantly lower in Finland, so although welfare policy allows many to stay afloat and provide for their families, extravagant spending is something rare to be seen in Finland.  Furthermore, taxes on the wealthy are much greater in Finland, so it is reasonable to assume some conservatives here in the U.S. would have something to say about that before seeing the potential benefits toward the education system.  Lastly, the seemingly-perfect health care system set in place in Finland lies within the much lower pay of doctors.   Here in the U.S., where paying for an education to become a doctor costs so much, it is unthinkable to pay a professional of such high esteem a much lower pay than we, as Americans, are used to.

So, while the Finnish education system is working for them, it relies so much on the rest of the government, which has grown with a public welfare system.  With a foundation so different from that of the foundation of the United States, the transfer of many of the policies with regards to education would be difficult.  Then again, it is safe to say many of us are reluctant to change.  What might help us change our minds?  I'll leave that for another blog...