This is why Finland has the best education in the world

Finland is a creative country when it comes to education. Finland is continuously one of the developed countries to achieve the best results under the International Student Assessment Program (PISA), an important tool for assessing education systems around the globe.

The Business Insider page has analyzed a number of ways to make a difference - and better than the United States - that Finland has implemented for its education.

Only 1 test

Finnish students only take a standardized test throughout the primary and secondary school periods. In contrast, in the US, the school requires students in grades 3 through 8 to pass annual examinations to monitor their learning situation. Critics argue that continuous tests do not help students become smarter, instead creating a "test-only" environment at schools.

Finnish students only take a standardized test throughout the primary and secondary school periods.

Karen Magee, president of the largest association of teachers in the United States, recently urged parents to boycott the tests.

The Finnish test , called the National Entrance Examination , is conducted at the end of the high school class and is scored by teachers, not computers. Professor Pasi Sahlberg, a former minister of the Finnish Ministry of Education, explained that the exam did not avoid complicated or controversial topics. Here are some types of questions in this exam:

• How are the concepts of happiness, good and rich life understood?
• Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels had predicted that the first socialist revolution would occur in countries like the United Kingdom. What makes Marx and Engels think so and why does the socialist revolution happen in Russia?

Sahlberg said: "Students are often asked to demonstrate their ability to solve problems related to development, evolution, job loss, dieting, political issues, violence and war. pictures, ethics in sports, food, sex, medicine and music, these issues spread across many areas, topics and often require students to have lots of skills and knowledge. "

Spend more time playing

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) , students in Finland spend relatively little time on homework. A 2014 study of 15-year-old students worldwide by OECD shows that, on average, Finnish students spend 2.8 hours per week doing homework. This is in stark contrast to American students who spend 6.1 hours / week studying at home.

Finnish law stipulates that every 45 minutes of instruction, students must have 15 minutes to play, relax. While in the US, children only have less than half an hour a day to play in class. According to research professor and psychologist Peter Gray, American students' "deficit of play time" can lead to anxiety and mental health issues.

Finnish law stipulates that every 45 minutes of instruction, students must have 15 minutes to play, relax, and compare with the United States.

Free college study

In Finland, it is not only free to study bachelors, but to study masters and doctoral degrees is also a free program. Students can pursue higher learning goals without having to shoulder the burden of debt on their shoulders as many American students face. All students receive free education after being accepted into a university program in Finland.

Teachers are the most noble profession

In Finland, teaching is one of the most noble jobs with relatively high entry conditions. According to Center on International Education Benchmarking (CIEB), only 1/10 of students applying for teacher training programs are accepted.

Teachers in Finland are treated like professors in universities, each day their teaching hours are less than that of American teachers, and spend more time writing lessons, planning lessons learn.

Teachers in Finland have slightly higher incomes than US teachers. American teachers earn $ 41,000 / year and in Finland is $ 43,000 / year, according to OECD data.

The number of teaching hours of teachers in countries according to the 2012 OECD data.

And although teachers in the US earn less than other countries, the OECD recognizes that they work the most hours.

According to Business Insider, it's easy to understand why American teachers - who have to work a lot and receive relatively little respect - are not as effective as teachers in Finland.

Overnight party at school

Occasionally Finnish children carry sleeping bags and stay at school at night with their teachers. They watch movies, play, sleep in the gym and eat ice cream the next morning.

Choose your own lunch

Finnish students choose their own dishes for lunch.

Food at Finnish schools is very rich and is provided free of charge. The menu is announced a month in advance on the school website, students can visit and pre-select the item they like. The school also prepares special diet food, such as a vegetarian menu.

The quality of schools is equal

You do not need to choose a school to study in Finland. Everyone enrolls in the nearest school because there is no "school choice" concept. No matter where you live, you can study with a good teacher, use good facilities and be served high quality lunch.

Students are taught only the necessary things in life

During swimming lessons, students are taught how to detect signs of a drowning person. When learning about home management, they are equipped with cooking skills, knitting and sewing. Finnish students can easily create websites. Nature is also a content of interest to educators.

The important thing here is to prepare adaptability for the constantly changing world. Memorizing is absolutely unnecessary because they have the support of the Internet.

Dogs in the library

The dog listens to children reading.

To pass the passion for reading to children, many Finnish libraries have trained dogs to listen to students reading or telling stories.

Some schools do not teach subjects

One of the new directions of the Finnish education system is event-based and phenomenal teaching. Instead of structuring each lesson, teachers allow students to use 6 weeks to study a topic from multiple perspectives.

For example, the topic of immigrants can be explored from geography (where they come from), history (what happened before) and culture (their traditions). Students ask themselves questions and find their own answers.

Very little homework

Students should rest and spend time with their families instead of doing homework. Therefore, Finnish students' homework takes very little time and is often very interesting. For example, for history lessons, students may be asked to ask grandparents how different the 1950s life is than today.

Sit on the sofa or lie on the carpet in class

Their study seats are very comfortable.

Students are not forced to sit neatly at their desks. During the hour, the students are comfortable relaxing in their favorite positions. If it's warm, lessons can take place on the lawn near the school.

Students can wear pajamas (pajamas) to class

The school does not specify uniforms, students can wear arbitrary. You can easily see them all in class, without shoes.

Grade 3 has just started marking

10 is the highest score in the Finnish education system. However, before year 3, students are not graded. From grades 3 to 7, only those starting from "can do better" to "perfect".

Each student knows his own score, not being scolded about grades, instead being motivated to improve knowledge and improve learning plans.

Each student has his or her own approach

Finnish students are assigned different tasks depending on their abilities. If anyone does not do a certain task, the teacher will give a lecture to the student.

Moreover, students are selected to be helpful for themselves. For example, if the lesson is not interesting, they can read or sew.