Why Finland is top worldwide in Education rankings

Anonymous
Read this and you will find it is exactly the opposite of the 'gifted programs', 'teach-to-the-test', academic-based preschools, lots of homework that schools in this area employ:

Finland's stellar performance has drawn the attention of education and government officials around the world. These experts have uncovered many attributes of the Finnish educational system that are distinctive and contribute to the success of Finnish students. Some of these features are:

The Finnish school system uses the same curriculum for all students (which may be one reason why Finnish scores varied so little from school to school).
Students have light homework loads.
Finnish schools do not have classes for gifted students.
Finland uses very little standardized testing.
Children do not start school until age 7.
Finland has a comprehensive preschool program that emphasizes "self-reflection" and socializing, not academics. (i.e., play-based)
Grades are not given until high school, and even then, class rankings are not compiled.
Teachers must have master's degrees.
Becoming a teacher in Finland is highly competitive. Just 10% of Finnish college graduates are accepted into the teacher training program; as a result, teaching is a high-status profession. (Teacher salaries are similar to teacher salaries in the U.S., however.)
Students are separated into academic and vocational tracks during the last three years of high school. About 50% go into each track.
Diagnostic testing of students is used early and frequently. If a student is in need of extra help, intensive intervention is provided.
Groups of teachers visit each others' classes to observe their colleagues at work. Teachers also get one afternoon per week for professional development.
School funding is higher for the middle school years, the years when children are most in danger of dropping out.
College is free in Finland.

Anonymous
Of course, some of it is funny...

"Finnish schools vary so little because the schools have the same curriculum".

ummmm--maybe it is also because the Finnish socio-economic/language population also varies so little from school-to-school.

The rest is pretty interesting though. I have heard over and over about play-based learning in the early years. Second child is going that route. First child was in a more academic setting.
Anonymous
Not even comparable to the US with many kids struggling due to language issues, inner city break down of the family unit, lack of parental involvement and support, etc. If you took all the schools out in those areas, you would see the U.S. numbers looking much better. Finland is homogenous and without most of the challenges the US public school system faces.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Not even comparable to the US with many kids struggling due to language issues, inner city break down of the family unit, lack of parental involvement and support, etc. If you took all the schools out in those areas, you would see the U.S. numbers looking much better. Finland is homogenous and without most of the challenges the US public school system faces.


+1000
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Not even comparable to the US with many kids struggling due to language issues, inner city break down of the family unit, lack of parental involvement and support, etc. If you took all the schools out in those areas, you would see the U.S. numbers looking much better. Finland is homogenous and without most of the challenges the US public school system faces.


AGreed. But--then- why are some of the privileged areas still teaching to the test, tracking kids as early as first grade into GT centers or classes, etc. These models are not the most effective. Our First grader just had an assembly on 'test taking tips'. They had 5 tips like 'answer easy questions first', etc. This is ridiculous to be doing in FIRST GRADE.

There are many homogenous schools in Arlington and Fairfax. Why do we have a 'one size model' for the county. Well---we all know the answer it is all about test scores.
Anonymous
Go rent 'waiting for superman' and tell me if you think the American model is winning.

A good education, therefore, is not ruled out by poverty, uneducated parents or crime - and drug-infested neighborhoods. In fact, those are the very areas where Geoffrey Canada has success with his charter schools.

I love how two of the pps want to just remove our inner city and poor kids from our Education statistics. Sure. We'll just continue to ignore that population instead of reforming the education system itself.

I also wouldn't be so certain US would rise to the top by self-selecting a tiny population.
Anonymous
"Finnish schools do not have classes for gifted students."

I wish we'd go that route here. The whole AAP and/or gifted thing is out of control anymore.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:"Finnish schools do not have classes for gifted students."

I wish we'd go that route here. The whole AAP and/or gifted thing is out of control anymore.


The forced academic learning of the 2-4 year olds is also the wrong way to go.

Very young children learn through play. The brain adapts and molds. Studies all show that kids in a play-based environment in the early years start to show real advantages by third grade.

The problem is our school systems have already tracked by then. Tiger moms doing flash cards and Kumon up the wazoo make it difficult for real and appropriate learning to take place. Their child is oh so bored. Not gifted, bored because he's already been through all of the 2nd grade materials before he even reaches K.
Anonymous
I'm an educator, and my friends in the field and I have been adoring the Finnish school model for years. It's fair to say, though, that the homogeneity of the Finnish population plays an important role in all of this.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I'm an educator, and my friends in the field and I have been adoring the Finnish school model for years. It's fair to say, though, that the homogeneity of the Finnish population plays an important role in all of this.


I am OP and I agree, I agree.

I am a convert since my second child came along. I was caught up in the hype from my firstborn and then we went to a new preschool for my second child and I really like the amazing things they are doing in the play-based learning environment. I used to mock the concept. No more. Now I am appalled at the rigidity and the forced teach to the test and the early tracking of my firstborn's elementary school. they wanted to put my kid in GT at age 6. He is hyped by all of the craziness and stresses if he gets anything less than a 100%..in first grade. I want him out of that rat race and prefer to keep him in regular class. I am really against such early tracking.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:"Finnish schools do not have classes for gifted students."

I wish we'd go that route here. The whole AAP and/or gifted thing is out of control anymore.


The forced academic learning of the 2-4 year olds is also the wrong way to go.

Very young children learn through play. The brain adapts and molds. Studies all show that kids in a play-based environment in the early years start to show real advantages by third grade.

The problem is our school systems have already tracked by then. Tiger moms doing flash cards and Kumon up the wazoo make it difficult for real and appropriate learning to take place. Their child is oh so bored. Not gifted, bored because he's already been through all of the 2nd grade materials before he even reaches K.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/best-education-in-the-wor_n_2199795.html

Top five were, South Korea, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. The other four do exactly the things you are critical of. Singapore in particular stands out since since it is ethnically diverse, and has to deal with the massive headache of differing "native" lanugages, and teaching in a different common language (English) that many residents do not speak natively. Of course, none of that fits your narrative, so it doesn't get mentioned.

More data:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/04/american-students-what-th_n_1076268.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-07/teens-in-u-s-rank-25th-on-math-test-trail-in-science-reading.html
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:"Finnish schools do not have classes for gifted students."

I wish we'd go that route here. The whole AAP and/or gifted thing is out of control anymore.


The forced academic learning of the 2-4 year olds is also the wrong way to go.

Very young children learn through play. The brain adapts and molds. Studies all show that kids in a play-based environment in the early years start to show real advantages by third grade.

The problem is our school systems have already tracked by then. Tiger moms doing flash cards and Kumon up the wazoo make it difficult for real and appropriate learning to take place. Their child is oh so bored. Not gifted, bored because he's already been through all of the 2nd grade materials before he even reaches K.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/best-education-in-the-wor_n_2199795.html

Top five were, South Korea, Finland, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. The other four do exactly the things you are critical of. Singapore in particular stands out since since it is ethnically diverse, and has to deal with the massive headache of differing "native" lanugages, and teaching in a different common language (English) that many residents do not speak natively. Of course, none of that fits your narrative, so it doesn't get mentioned.

More data:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/04/american-students-what-th_n_1076268.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-07/teens-in-u-s-rank-25th-on-math-test-trail-in-science-reading.html


Teacher unions.
Anonymous
TL;dr
Geographically remote, relatively wealthy country with 100% homogeneous population and <300k children to educate. We can all hear your dog-whistle, OP. Back to the pot-stirrer drawing board...
Anonymous
Just because the average test score is better does not mean that the entire system is better. The average score is just that - the average of everyone. You need to compare apples with appples. What is the test score of the students who are similarly situated to your child - higher socio-economic status college bound? Are the top test scores comparable to our top test scores? I don't see the world economies changing over the innovation of Finland. I would take the top of our system over the top of theirs any day. We churn out world leaders. What has Finland done lately?
Anonymous
They pay enormous taxes. WE don't want that here.
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