Finland’s unique education model prioritizes quality over quantity, with little homework and no culture of extra private tuition. The Finnish school system is characterized by short school terms and extended holidays, but also limits the emphasis on testing and homework. According to the OECD, students in Finland have the least amount of outside work and homework than any other student in the world, spending only half an hour a night working on school-related tasks.
Finnish children receive extra support in the classroom at one time or another, and their system doesn’t depend on parental involvement. While giving homework to secondary school students is generally seen as beneficial, some argue that primary school students should not be required to do it. The key is the quantity, as Finnish children don’t get as much homework as children in many other countries do. In August 2016, it became compulsory for every Finnish school to teach in a more collaborative way, allowing students to choose a relevant topic.
In contrast, UK schools have a higher emphasis on testing and homework than Finland, with one of the most successful education systems in the world. Finland’s innovative approach to education has led to high results and the lowest amount of homework, while also fostering a narrow social gap.
📹 Why Finland’s schools outperform most others across the developed world | 7.30
Finland has an economy and a population about the fifth the size of Australia’s. But its schools consistently outperform ours and …
Which country gets the most homework?
Shanghai students, leading the world in PISA test scores, average 14 hours of homework a week, with wealthier students doing 16 hours and poorer students just under 11 hours. However, there was no association between the extra homework hours and their PISA test scores. Most countries have been reducing homework assignments, with the average time spent on homework decreasing from six hours in 2003 to five hours in 2012.
In the United States, the typical 15-year-old does six hours a week, and wealthier students typically do eight hours, about three hours more than low-income students. However, unlike most countries, where more homework is associated with higher PISA test scores, this is not the case in Shanghai.
What are the problems with Finland’s education system?
Finland’s PISA scores have significantly declined over the past four assessments, dropping below average among the 38 OECD states. The reasons for this decline are diverse, including over-digitalization of the classroom, decline in student mental health, increased role of families’ social backgrounds, inadequate accommodation for gifted students, budget cuts, and too much bureaucracy. Finnish boys also have significantly lower achievement levels than their female peers.
The Finnish education system remains distinctive, with teachers highly respected for their role in the 1970s and 1980s state-building project. A master’s degree is required for teachers, and private companies seek to hire them due to their rigorous training.
One of the challenges in the Finnish education system is the difficulty of classes, which is a feature of the system. Some argue that this is a strength, while others favor standardization. However, the Finnish system’s ability to support high-achieving students is poor. This issue has partially been addressed by allowing students who excel in maths to focus more on maths, but not in all Finnish schools.
Some have compared Finland’s PISA scores to Asian countries’, arguing that while Finland lowers instruction difficulty for students who struggle, Asian countries expect all students to catch up to the same standards, leading to improved PISA scores.
Why is Finland so good at school?
Finland’s teachers spend fewer hours at school and classrooms than American teachers, focusing on curriculum development and student assessment. Children spend more time playing outside, and homework is minimal. Compulsory schooling begins at age 7, and Finland provides three years of maternity leave, subsidized day care, and preschool for all 5-year-olds. The state also pays parents around 150 euros per month for every child until they turn 17.
Ninety-seven percent of 6-year-olds attend public preschool, where children begin some academics. Schools provide food, medical care, counseling, and taxi service if needed, and student health care is free.
Despite the differences in reading and language levels, Finland has a national goal to mainstream all children. The only time Rintola’s children are pulled out is for Finnish as a Second Language classes, taught by a teacher with 30 years of experience and graduate school training.
Why doesn t Finland have exams?
The Finnish education system prioritizes learning over testing, with no regular national exams and a nationwide matriculation examination at the end of high school. Finland funds most of its school training publicly, with no tuition fees at any level of education. Early years include free school materials, meals, and transportation, while high school students pay for books and transport. A good system of study grants and loans supports students in high school and college.
Teachers in Finland undergo a demanding, research-based five-year master’s program, with only a small number of applicants accepted. The Finnish approach to education is characterized by teachers’ autonomy in selecting teaching methods, a departure from the norms in many other countries where external requirements like standardized testing and government control are prevalent. This approach aims to nurture teachers who can make informed decisions and consistently enhance their teaching techniques, leading to high levels of respect.
Is Finland school easy?
Finland’s education system is structured differently, with no formal school for children until age 7, followed by universal preschool and daycare. Children are required to attend school through age 18 and adopt experimental teaching styles. Finland’s model of education emphasizes play and joy, with education up to age 7 being almost entirely play-based. This approach helps students build relationships, communicate, be active, develop independence, and manage risk.
Education in Finland also emphasizes playing outside in nature year-round. Anni-Kaisa Osei Ntiamoah, a Finnish preschool teacher, explains that children learn well through play, as they are interested in learning. Arja-Sisko Holappa, a counselor for the Finnish National Board of Education and leader of the development of the country’s pre-primary core curriculum, believes that play is an efficient way of learning for children and that those things learned without joy will be easily forgotten.
Why not to study in Finland?
International students in Finland face challenges in finding suitable housing due to high demand and high living costs in major cities like Helsinki. Universities and colleges often have limited options, so international students should start searching for accommodation as soon as possible. They can find options through their university or college, private rental websites, or through their own accommodations.
Budgeting and considering utilities and other expenses are crucial when choosing accommodation. Finland’s long, dark, and cold winters can be challenging for some students, as the lack of sunlight can impact their mental health and well-being.
Is it hard to be a teacher in Finland?
In Finland, educators are obliged to possess a master’s degree in pedagogy and teaching practice, with a research-based education that encompasses expertise in learning, teaching, social, ethical, and moral competence.
Does Finland have a lot of homework?
Finland, a country with a top education system, has nearly no homework policy, despite its belief that other factors can improve a child’s performance in school. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) tracks homework policies globally and compares the amount of time spent on after-school learning. For example, an average high school student in the US spends about 6 hours a day on homework, while in Finland, it is about 3 hours a day.
Despite this, Finnish students lead the world in global scores for math and science. Despite the belief that homework increases student performance, the OECD graph shows the opposite. The Finnish education approach shows that less is more when it comes to homework, and the average number of hours spent on homework has decreased in nearly all countries. This suggests that less is more when it comes to homework, and the world has caught onto this idea.
What are the disadvantages of studying in Finland?
International students in Finland face several challenges, including a language barrier, culture shock, and a culture shock. The official language of instruction in most universities and colleges is Finnish, which can be a significant obstacle for those who do not speak the language. To overcome this, students should consider taking Finnish language classes before arriving in Finland, as most universities and colleges offer these courses.
Additionally, practicing speaking Finnish can improve communication skills and build relationships with Finnish people. Finnish culture is also different from many other cultures, making it difficult for international students to adjust to the new way of life.
Is Finland number 1 for education?
Finland is a highly regarded country for its education system, consistently ranked as one of the best in the world. The country’s success can be attributed to its strong focus on early childhood education, well-trained and professional teaching, and equity and inclusion. In 2022, Finland was ranked first in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report for Education. The country’s education policy includes a strong emphasis on early childhood education, financial support for international students, and academic sessions.
In 2023, Finland ranked 8th among the top 10 well-educated countries by the World Population Review. The unique nature of Finland’s education model and its unique approach to student visas make it an attractive destination for international students.
Is school in Finland stressful?
Some Finnish children who are highly focused on music, arts, or sports may experience stress about their performance in school, despite the relaxed environment designed to minimize stress. This is because stress is known to have a negative impact on learning and cognitive abilities.
📹 Inside Finland’s incredible education system | The Listening Post
Social media has shown its importance, once again, during Israel’s war on Gaza but online platforms can also be hotspots for fake …
This article is so important! I’m from Brazil and I’d like to add subtitles in Portuguese so this article can reach Brazilian people. Unfortunately, it seems not possible to do so. If anyone from Al Jazeera English reads this comment, please get in touch, I really would like to write these subtitles, no charge.
As an Indian, media literacy is very important, along with critical thinking and ensuring that children are not burdened at a young age. Learning should be made enjoyable, like a game, with fun projects—this is truly invaluable. I wonder how long it will take for lawmakers to introduce something like this into the Indian educational curriculum, considering the prevalence of corruption and criminal cases.
I was a US teacher for 8 years. At one school, we taught media literacy but didn’t have the technology to do it justice, at another we had great technology but no such curriculum and the students just wanted to play online games all day. We have to be very intentional about technology in the classroom, and Finland is doing great.
The real question is whether these children are being thought to be objective or subjective when defining certain things as “Fake news”. I am not saying it is a bad thing to be technically literate, but that everything and I do mean EVERYTHING should be taken with a grain of salt (sometimes a bucket). The problem that arises here is that it would be easy enough for a government/institution to teach kids to notice certain “fakeness” in news, but it could also be a way to induce certain Pavlovian dog principles. Teaching kids that certain news always = bad/harmful. Etc. The education system in every country has been used as a method of propaganda since time immemorial. And interpreting news, information and acting upon them, either directly or indirectly, has been vital to protect national interests whatever they might be at that point in time. Unfortunately, this is sometimes even done on a subconscious level, where we only notice it when it becomes blatantly obvious to people around. Obvious example: USA public negative association with socialism/communism (this is not to say that governments associated with those systems did not do bad things, but that everything as a concept is evil if it has those political undertones, which is not true), even if those people can’t really explain why they think it is bad or provide examples when asked on a specific subject.
Media is a broad term, and encompasses many different forms. Media is any communication outlet used to distribute information, entertainment and data. Essentially, media is the method by which messages are distributed to an audience. Information and media literacy (IML) enables people to show and make informed judgments as users of information and media, as well as to become skillful creators and producers of information and media messages. Question: What are the impacts of media literacy has on our children? Very pleased to see this content on media literacy! There is nothing – nothing beyond our capabilities to do anything if we do it together. May God Bless All!
Fins take their compulsive education very seriously and are constantly making improvements. That’s why they have the highest quality education system in the world! In the US we spent much more money on public education, one would think it should be able to produce high quality education as well. But no amount of money can substitute for the culture of devaluing teachers and knowledge in the US.
One thing is fake information. Another issue that should be educated about equally as much is biased information. One good example would be political activists and fanatics presenting themselves as journalists or historians, yet working with an extreme bias to promote their ideology where they even might present facts, but only the facts that supports their own ideology.
International studies once showed that Finnish student performance was below average. The Government wanted improvement and sent educators around the world to see what worked in other countries. The government decided to abolish their selective system and grammar schools were replaced with comprehensive schools. The Government decided to have mixed ability classes with no streaming or setting. The Government introduced a law so that all children have a 15 minute break after 45 minutes of teaching. This prevents cognitive overload for pupils and teachers. Pupils value their frequent breaks and are reluctant to lose any through misbehaviour.
I am proud that the Estonian education system is very much the same as in Finland. After the soviet union collapsed we closely worked with our oversea finno-ugric brothers and learned and adapted their best practices. 🙂 In Estonia there is no difference in the quality of education from the countryside school or the big city school. Also, this equal opportunity has helped a lot to establish social mobility, including high standards in scientific and critical thinking. We compete in PISA tests with Finns all the time who are the top ones 😀
The US needs to enact media literacy classes in elementary, middle, and high schools. It wasn’t until I got to college that I learned to question newspapers and the media on their intentions and learning about the political affiliations they may have. Prior to that, I saw news media as a mostly reliable source.
I wish Denmark would follow our brothers in Finland for a more interesting school system that brings their citizens into the future and is not looking to the past for the answers. Also love the idea of the teachers having higher education to work with kids. Teaching is should a importent job for society that it shouldn’t be left up to amatures. The better teachers the better the society.
That’s why Finland is one of the best countries to raise children. Once you move here, your children have the right to start attending school from the first day in the country without any paper work. And they would receive all the needed materials for free. The taxes are high but I like how they are spent.
Even if other countries become capable of adopting these Educational Techniques, they won’t do it. Because it will make their citizens more rational, and governments don’t want it. They wants to run their Agendas and Progandas and wants people to keep engaging in those baits. Finland is just blessed to have such people who frames and implement this type of Education System.
America would never do this. 1. American leaders and decision makers don’t view all groups the same, so wholesome education for everyone is not a priority (Finland homogeneity is a plus here) 2. Education is big business in America (too many people would lose their high paying salaries in this publicly funded model) 3. American leaders just don’t think a large part of their responsibility is to educate and empower future generations for the greater good of the country.
The notion seems highly commendable, but there is enough information, even in this article to indicate strong biases. It is not as if news is either fake or legitimate. It is often a mix of the two. And it’s highly important that we listen to sources that disagree with each other rather than attempt to find sources we can trust. We need to trust a process not a source.
This article would have been better if they addressed how they achieved the results that they did. They mentioned starting kids young. Isn’t that a good place to start for a mandatory free preschool education in the US. Shouldn’t it galvanize legislation to increase teacher pay to make the field more competitive and more skilled? Let’s also examine how the teacher was teaching. A part of the article showed the teacher behind a podium talking to his students. In the US that is considered ineffective, but it seems to be fine for the Fins who are way ahead of us in education.
I wish more countries were like this. The people in Finland are very lucky to be in this kind of society. In my country, nobody wants to share or cooperate. It doesn’t matter how nice you are. Or how hard you work. In the end we still get bullied, isolated, and forced into poverty. Because we’re “Losers” or “Communist.”
The children are “okay” regardless of which country they are born in or which education they receive. The best parenting and best teaching for that matter, is always least parenting and least teaching. Intelligence is not the invention of education. It’s the divine right of each self. Question is “how do we let it shine?”
There is a contradiction at just before 4 mins. They say that they want to counter crticism of Finland’s joining NATO. That is promoting a specific political point of view. Students should instead be encouraged to study what NATO actually is. But that might lead them to think that it is a tool of American imperialism.
Finland doesn’t have the diversity that the US does. Finland has more stable families. They are very strict on immigration and their money goes to their education system. Also notice they don’t have any special needs students in their classrooms. It is a very different system that we could not replicate in the US. Our teachers don’t focus on critical thinking. Instead the teacher or school district imposes their beliefs on the student and you have to agree or you will be given a poor grade and suffer the censure of your peers and superiors. Instead of teaching important skills that are necessary for life and higher education they are taught ideology.
I am curious what Finland after that has to offer? A lot is talked about their amazing schooling sistem, but I don’t hear from them being any impressive part of world science, politics, health and similar. I would be thankful if somebody could offer some interesting statistics that show the results of this great schooling sistem? My question is not offensive? I would just like to learn more about the concept.
I live in Finland and I never thought about how media literacy (medialukutaito) exists in every subject at school regardless the grade, it was just taken for granted that you’d question the validity and reliability of the source before accepting it and using at your work. I thought that’s the standard at every/most schools around the world… like it’s the base of all education? 😀
Finland is the only western country which is focusing on investing in its citizens instead of creating problems for other countries, when other countries follow its method the peace, conscience, knowledge and tolerance will be spread automatically in the whole world, My dream is to send my children to learn there .
What is left out here is mental well being of the children. Schools in Finland have lots of bullying. Even Teachers are doing it. Several children have commited suicide because of bullying. My own kids were bullied badly. I was bullied as a child too. In our small town, 2 teens committed suicide because of bullying. My eldest daughter got death threats but Police did nothing because bullies were under 15. No-one takes responsibility. If you put your kids to school in Finland, make sure they know how to defend themselfs.
😂😂 If this is true, then most children in Finland will know who is lying in the Ukraine war. Because the western propaganda is on another level. Unless they teach them its only propaganda when Russia does it. Anyway I came here thinking this was about education in general, not media literacy. However if they really are teaching them to think critically, then this is very important. But I also know that Finland is building a wall between it and Russia so whose genius idea is that waste of money?
This was a real eye opener….then I looked to see who produced it and immediately reacted in a negative way! Its very strange because i am also reading a book written by someone I find ethically obnoxious but ( i believe) he still has some valid useful truths to communicate….it seems a lot of my opinions and even beliefs have little or no factual foundation! The troll game is sheer genius and i can see how it will have far reaching benefits …..one thing not mentioned explicitly is the benefit on children’s mental health as misinformation can sow the seeds of low self esteem at a very early age. In summary I found this fascinating and wondering why other countries aren’t looking at countries like this and modelling their methods.
1:21 all I heard was “We don’t teach the children how to think. We tell children WHAT to think.” I have observed that government organizations do very poorly at teaching human beings to descern between fallacious information and truthful information. What we need is wisdom, the right to discent, and the power to challenge and dethrone powerful theories that are destroying society in the name of benevolence.
So there’s an emphasis on media literacy here. I wish they would talk about what the country can produce with this superior education system in comparison to the States or China as far as tech or science goes or anything else that’s considered valuable. I don’t know where to find the numbers for that.
Conveniently leaving out that Finland’s PISA scores have steadily been dropping since 2004, from first place to place 20 in 2022. While Finland has been presented as the paragon of antiauthoritarian education, their school reform was begun in 1990 and only really made it into schools in the 2000s, so their old results are probably rather attributable to their former, rather authoritarian school system, similar to the asian countries (Singapore, Japan, South Korea) that dominate the PISA ranking now.
It seems Finland teaches human beings to THINK since early age, not merely memorizing content. That is a recipe for great brain power and judgement ability, which might come into conflict with many countries’ politicians plans. Populist exploit feeling, especially from the ones less able to THINK for themselves. See the results all over the world…
Hello sir, This is balaji from India. I have a kid of six years old. I want my kid to learn things fully concept oriented ( i.e if he learn addition or subtraction or multiplication – he simultaneously wants to know where it applies in his life – that is the perfect learning methodology). For example we learn trigonometry in mathematics but we don’t know where that concept get applied in our work space or real life. So kindly share me articles related to concept oriented study material following country or school in any part of the world. I learn and teach my son the same.
Me who feels fooled by my country’s education system 🥲, i mean my parents wasted soo much amount of money for the trash education i got . Whatever skills i have now is do to my own initiative . Literally, opening a school here is the biggest profit making business. I wish we have this kind of functionality 😭
I am an educator in Brazil and if all the systems works as the Finland system is operating we wouldn’t see this much of distortion and disinformation online. Definetly there’s a price that all the Scandiavian countries put on the geopolitical rules wich is explore for long centuries others countries and than rn they have a perfect educational system. I love the consequences of a good school’s for kids, but there’s a rotten reason to this happen, et vive le capitalisme!
How is the destruction of school education in satellite countries in favor of metropolises? A country with a weak schooling system is being popularized, and its educational model is being adopted as an ideal. All dependent countries are starting to copy this education, but in large industrial and post-industrial countries, there is a different education model, thereby limiting access to prestigious universities and jobs, top managers and teachers from prestigious universities in small countries. The level education is deteriorating and falling to the average global level.
“Incredible education system”? An yet, I have not seen in my near 25 years working in tech, any disruptive technology and significant scientific discovery that came from Finland. Not a single contribution to humanity in terms of discoveries or technological advacement that can benefit everybody….even when they are “ranked” top in education…I truly wonder why? But hey….at least the have ONE person of color
There is a certain “older” generation that needs some media literacy as they easily fall for “fake news” and scams. It has been my experience that the younger generation has seen it all already having been immersed in the internet at a younger age and they can sniff out fake news, trolls and bots better than most. In parts of Canada, media literacy, “safe” internet practices, and critical thinking are parts of the curriculum in school so this implemeted in other parts of the world, but like I said, the younger kids are more wise to these things already.
Why all the examples given in the article are about “Russian trolls” or “misinformation from russia”? This more than being a show of how critical thinking came be beneficial for kids from a young age, have some propaganda on it, if critically thinking you are spreading hate against a specific nation, isn’t that right ?
stop putting finnland on the spot – we have enough tourismn already. Or foreign youtubers who enjoy the benefits but do not pay income tax in finland. Seriously, we are not on top of it anymore, education goes down, funding goes down… it isnt looking great at the moment. So this al jazeera article comes a decade late.
What a nice peace of propoganda here! So could you please name all these great finnish medalists of international olympics of any subject? 😂😂😂 How many of them this great on top system has produced every year? I just cant see finland and its students anywhere in the list 😂 Greetings from the real top-1 country by educational system in the world.
I love the concept to identify fake information what ever form it may take. Here in Mexico people use the language barrier. They take a foreign language like Russian. This to transform a peaceful article meaning by using spanish subtitles on it to communicate a complete different story. Usually they target vulnerable people in México. Another example. It could be even in science. If they don’t validate enough that knowledge; it could harm many people. The first example in these days. It can be debunked by using audio translators. The second type I believe they are using validation protocols and organizations standing on the faith of the truth ( if they don’t become corrupted). It is a complex topic. It has deep impact in all of us. Is there a classification about fake news?
With all respect to your really good system, I need to ask – have you tried point of view where Russians are massively gaslighted, bullied and ignored by westerners, and not want to conquer all? Serious question, because other ways of seing it are not correct for Russian majority. Ofk this kind of view is formed by propaganda, but we understand that each country uses propaganda. And if you talk about games with multiple point of views – this is one how russian looks like. How you paint it?
Excellent job! Credit where credit is due. Let’s cut the “yeah but”, “well it’s only because”, “if it wasn’t for” BS. Listen, they’re not telling you what to do in your own feckin country. Just give them credit for what they’re clearly doing better than everybody else, and go sort yourself out, do it your own way, do it differently, but ffs give credit where credit is due.
The prohibition on drawing animate creatures includes making avatars (because they create living creatures), ig fb avatars avatar applications, typing emoticons with punctuation marks is also haram for all… This sin is shirk rivaling God’s creation of living creatures.. Nasuha’s repentance is obligatory not to repeat it again
برنامج الحكومة اليمنية المتطرفة والفاشستية الجديدة فيها من الكوارث ما يهدد أمن الأطفال من العوائل الفقيرة او تلك التي تعتمد على مساعدات الدولة في السكن والمعيشة وهذا ما تريد ان تقطعه الحكومة النازية عن أغلب الطلاب من تلك العوائل وذلك لضرب الأمن الإقتصادي للأجانب خصوصا كونها الأغلبية المعتمدة على تلك الحقوق في الإستمرار في بلد تغلبه البطالة والتضخم والغلاء المتصاعد عدم فرص التكافئ نرجوا منكم تسليط الضوء على برنامج الفاشيتية المعارض لقوانين حقوق الإنسان
Curious Question: How did they deal with “the bug”. Did doctors, with differing views, on the team not under medical media dollars, on the jab, get pushed into political parties based on their research and ideas like the states? As Finland is so good, the first sentence uses appositive phrasing, but hit translate button and use your amazing education to first understand the question entirely and answer based on your rich history in sifting media bias. Thanks in advanced.