- en
Why Finland’s educational system is among the world’s best?
Finland is located in northern Europe and shares land borders with Norway, Sweden, and Russia. To the south and southwest, the country is bordered by the Baltic Sea. Due to its mesmerising nature and high standard of living, the country is well famous around the world.
In the recent past, however, this Scandinavian country also gained worldwide fame for its excellent educational system. In numerous researches and indexes that look into the quality of educational systems around the world, Finland is regularly praised for creating exceptional conditions for its students to thrive.
In the Economist’s Educating for the Future index 2019, Finland was ranked first. In the most recent edition of the index, Finland’s educational system remained the greatest in the world, delivering outstanding performance across all categories. Finland’s Nordic neighbour Sweden came second. One of Finland’s assets, according to the research, is the consistency of standards throughout a vast area.
“Whether you attend a school in Helsinki or in a remote rural area, the educational experiences and opportunities are the same,” said Jamil Salmi, a global tertiary education expert, in the 2019 Economist’s Educating for the Future index.
Furthermore, the Economist’s report also found that Finland’s and other high-income nations’ success is owed less to resources and more to policy vision and execution.
However, it took a lot of time and effort for Finland to earn the title of a top performer in the field of education. Over the years, the country has implemented a series of reforms to its educational system which has since then grown to be a synonym for high-quality universal education. So, what is the secret behind Finland’s success?
First of all, the schools in Finland encourage cooperation rather than competition. Exactly that is the driving force behind Finland’s education policies. Merit-based systems, the rivalry between students, teachers, or schools, simply have no place in the Scandinavian country’s educational system.
For teachers, who certainly play one of the central roles in each country’s school system, the bar has also been set very high. Before beginning a career as a teacher, all candidates must hold a relevant master’s degree. In Finland, the teaching programs are among the most demanding and competitive in the whole country, which undoubtedly contributes to the country’s overall excellence.
Another critical moment is also the fact that in Finland, school groups are kept rather small. That gives teachers enough space to develop an individual approach for each and every student. Students’ needs and unique talents are well taken into consideration. Additionally, Finland’s schools also have a smaller number of teachers when compared to some other countries.
Students are often taught by the same teacher for longer periods of time, allowing them to genuinely assume the position of a mentor. The same teaching approach may not be suitable for each student, which is why developing an individualized approach is crucial for young people in order to truly reach their full potential. In Finland, this has been recognized in time and is in fact one of the main characteristics of the country’s educational system.
Furthermore, educational institutions in Finland encourage a more relaxed approach to learning and generally ensure that schools are places where pupils can feel safe and satisfied. Students commonly only have a few classes every day, with the rest of the time set aside to enjoy recreational activities, eat food or simply socialise.
To conclude, due to their student-centered policies that take every student’s individual needs and talents into consideration, Finland’s educational system has grown to be one of the best in the world. Each and every young person in Finland is guaranteed an opportunity to fulfill their potential and possibly become the leader of tomorrow. (photo credit: Artboard Studio/Unsplash)
