#1 Finland: The Best Education System in the World
Do you know which country has the best education system? Guess? The answer is Finland. Yes, you heard it absolutely right.
Finland’s education system is regarded as one of the best in the world, and other nations are striving to emulate its structure of well-paid teachers, plenty of recess time, and less emphasis on homework and tests. The country’s higher education system also sets an example, especially since Finland is one of the few nations left in the world where its own citizens receive higher education completely free (foreign students still have to pay tuition fees, but they are significantly less than those paid in other countries). So, Finland sets a great example. Let's hope that other nations should also learn from Finland.
How is The Finnish education system?
Education is one of the cornerstones of the Finnish welfare society. They are proud of themselves because of an educational system, that offers equal opportunities of education for all. Education from pre-primary to higher education is free of charge in Finland. Finnish teachers are highly educated and strongly committed to their work.
Let's see its system in depth:
1. Early childhood education
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) combines education, teaching and care in a systematic and goal-oriented manner. The goal of ECEC is to promote children’s development, health and wellbeing as well as to improve children’s opportunities for learning.
Local authorities, i.e. municipalities, are responsible for providing ECEC for children under school age. A client fee is charged for early childhood education and care. The fee is determined based on the family’s income and size and the time that the child spends in ECEC.
The National Curriculum Guidelines on Early Childhood Education and Care in Finland, approved by the Finnish National Agency for Education, guide the planning and implementation of the contents of ECEC and function as the basis for drawing up the local ECEC curricula.
2. Pre-primary education improves children’s opportunities for learning
The goal of pre-primary education is to improve children’s opportunities for learning and development. Pre-primary education plays an important part in the stretching from early childhood education and cares to basic education. Since 2015, participation in pre-primary education has been compulsory for all children in Finland. Pre-primary education is provided free of charge.
The person who has custody of a child must ensure that the child participates in pre-primary education or other corresponding activities meeting the objectives set for pre-primary education.
The National Core Curriculum for Pre-Primary Education, approved by the Finnish National Agency for Education, guides the planning of the contents of pre-primary education and functions as the basis for drawing up the local curricula.
3. Compulsory education
Comprehensive school education (basic education) consists of school years 1 to 9 and is meant for all children aged between 7 and 17 (whole age group). Compulsory education generally starts in the year in which children turn seven. All children who reside permanently in Finland must attend compulsory education.
Comprehensive school education is free of charge. It is maintained by the local authorities (municipalities) and other education providers. Less than two per cent of comprehensive school pupils go to a private or state school.
At the end of the comprehensive school, each young person must apply for post-comprehensive school education. Compulsory education ends when the person reaches the age of 18 or when they complete an upper secondary qualification (a general upper secondary qualification or a vocational qualification).
4. Choosing general or vocational upper secondary education after comprehensive school education
After comprehensive school, students continue to the upper secondary level and choose between general and vocational education.
General upper secondary education provides, as its name suggests, general education. It does not qualify students for any particular occupation. At the end of general upper secondary school, students take a national school-leaving examination known as the Finnish matriculation examination. Those who pass the examination are eligible to apply for further studies at universities, universities of applied sciences and vocational institutions. General upper secondary education usually takes three years to complete.
Vocational qualifications include upper secondary qualifications, further qualifications and specialist qualifications. Vocational upper secondary qualifications provide the basic skills required in the field. Further and specialist vocational qualifications enable people to develop their skills at different stages of their career.
At the beginning of vocational education and training, the student and the institution draw up a personal competence development plan for the student, outlining the content, schedule and methods of study. Vocational education and training can also be delivered in workplaces through an apprenticeship agreement or a training agreement. Prior learning acquired in various ways can be recognised as part of the studies. Both young people and adults can apply for vocational education and training.
Graduates are eligible to apply for further studies at universities or universities of applied sciences.
5. Finnish higher education system comprises universities and universities of applied sciences
The mission of universities is to conduct scientific research and provide education based on it. Universities of applied sciences (UAS) provide more practical education that aims to respond to the needs of the labour market.
Universities, offering higher scientific and artistic education, award Bachelor's and Master's degrees as well as postgraduate degrees, i.e. licentiate and doctoral degrees. Universities of applied sciences award UAS Bachelor's degrees and UAS Master's degrees.
The target completion time for a Bachelor’s degree at a university is three years and for a Master’s degree two years on top of that. The completion of a UAS degree takes usually between 3.5 and 4.5 years. The requirement for a Master's studies at a university of applied sciences is a UAS Bachelors' degree or another suitable degree and at least two years of work experience after the completion of the previous degree.
6. Education and training in the spirit of lifelong learning
Adult education and training encompass education leading to a qualification, degree studies, training preparing for competence-based qualifications, apprenticeship training, further and continuing education updating and extending the professional skills, studies in subjects relating to citizenship skills, working life skills and society, and studies in different crafts and subjects on a recreational basis.
1. Adult education and training can either be paid for by the student himself or herself or it can be apprenticeship training, labour policy education, or staff development and other training provided or purchased by employers.
Adult education and training are provided by educational institutions mainly providing education for young people, educational institutions providing only adult education, private companies, and workplaces (staff-development).
2. Liberal adult education offers non-formal studies. It promotes personal growth, health and well-being by offering courses relating to citizenship skills and society and in different crafts and subjects on a recreational basis.
Liberal adult education institutions include adult education centres, folk high schools, learning centres, sports training centres and summer universities. An essential aspect of liberal adult education is that everyone has the right to apply to take part in it. The education does not provide a degree or qualification, and its content is not governed by legislation.
3. Basic education in the arts is goal-oriented education in different fields of art, progressing from one level to another. It teaches children and young people skills in self-expression and capabilities needed for vocational and higher education in their chosen art form.
What are the Advantages of the Finnish education system?
The Finnish education system is really so successful because:
1. Equal opportunities
The central objective of Finland’s education system is to provide good quality universal education. This means that the same free, inclusive, and comprehensive educational opportunities are provided for all citizens.
2. Learning through play
In the early year's phase, there is a strong emphasis on learning through play, before the children enter schooling. Finnish daycares and preschools follow the national Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) curriculum that strongly believes in letting children be children, by focusing on play, health, and the overall wellbeing of the child.
All activities are planned around the holistic wellbeing of the child, supporting their overall development and learning journey. Let kids be kids, empower them to explore their natural creativity!
3. Personalized learning
Schools and their students are not ranked based on exam scores as there are no national standardized exams. Learning is personalized for each student by empowering their strengths and supporting their challenges. Each student’s progress is followed through the national curriculum’s learning outcomes.
Students are encouraged to follow their own personalized learning path through a system that encourages their strengths and supports their challenges - there are no ‘dead-ends’. Their learning path is flexible.
4. Minimal homework
The typical age to start first grade is when a child is 7-years-old. Especially during these first years of school, homework is minimal, and the school days are short. This leaves more time for after-school play and hobbies and developing soft skills outside of the classroom. This contributes to the student’s level of life satisfaction.
5. Autonomous Teachers
Finnish teachers are highly trained through a mandatory master’s degree. Teachers are motivated through the autonomy given to them to plan their own teaching and resourcing. A big part of each teachers’ education is learning how to tailor teaching to different kinds of learners.
So, these were some advantages of the Finnish education system and as you know that there are certain disadvantages too. So, let's see.
What are the Limitations of the Finnish education system?
1. The current government has sought to save money from education, which has increased the pressure to enlarge the group sizes and buy fewer facilities.
2. Not all the children enjoy school enough, even though there is less stress than in many other countries. Despite the low hierarchy and the efforts to tackle phenomena such as bullying, there is strong peer pressure in many Finnish schools which affects the well-being of many school children.
3. One big problem is that to be accepted as a student at the university you have to pass the entrance exams.
They are a way of limiting the number of students, and there are faculties where only a few percentages of the applicants are accepted. This makes many young people lose several years before they can even start their studies.
There has been discussion about substituting the entrance exams with a system based on the results of the matriculation examination, but so far the universities have wanted to retain the right to choose their students the way they want.
So, these were certain limitations of the Finnish education system. Do you know any other disadvantages? Would love to hear from you in the comments below.
CONCLUSION
The success of Finland’s education system makes it clear that teachers have a large impact on the level of a student’s success. Quality teachers are vital to a student’s success starting at a young age and are therefore a part of education that should be of the utmost importance.
Education, at its root, establishes the next generation of great researchers, scientists, doctors, and politicians – all of which are necessary parts of our future as an advanced civilization. But beyond that, education has the power to unite, making us better able to help one another and work to solve major global issues. To say that education is important is an understatement. At the foundation of education, is the primary schools that establish a love of learning and play in children at a young age.
And without a system that fosters this development at the right time in the right way, a child’s education can start in the wrong way.
Finland is able to achieve this through its decentralization, equality of public schools, and perhaps most importantly, the quality of its teachers. Without high standards for teachers, a high level of respect and trust for the profession, and an overall passion for teaching the next generation that Finnish educators are required to have, their education system wouldn’t be reaching the high standards that it has been for the last fifteen years.
Other countries should learn from their education system.
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