Why does Finland have the best education in the world?

Finland is the western country with the best academic results year after year . Other countries such as South Korea, Singapore or Hong Kong are also always in the top 5, although the children of these Asian countries spend many hours of the day doing endless exercises.

Of those in the top 100, Finland is the country where students spend the fewest hours in school. How can it be that they reach this excellence?

What is Finland like?

Finland is a country of 5.5 million inhabitants located in Northern Europe, in Scandinavia. In a vast and cold region, most people live in the southern part of the territory, making it the least densely populated country in Europe.

This country was dominated for more than 800 years by Swedes and Russians. At the beginning of the 20th century it achieved independence, although it was a poor country. Literacy rates were the same or worse than in most European countries, but the truth is that this country has prospered a lot.

Discreetly, throughout the 20th century, social policies were adopted to create a welfare state that has borne fruit. Today it is a very rich country, with a high quality of life to live, despite the cold, and with a school model that is a reference throughout the world. How have they done it?

Keys of the Finns to have the best education in the world

Finland is a leading country in educational matters, its students obtain the best academic results in the Western world and only 0.4% do not finish compulsory studies.

But, as we have seen, this was not always the case. At one point, Finnish educational specialists and politicians had to think about what cards they had and what could be the best way to prosper as a society.

What is it that allowed the Finns to prosper? Next we will point out the key points of the Finnish model.

1. Finland is a highly democratic country with an advanced economy

Finland is a country with an advanced political culture . Like most northern European countries, citizens can see their high taxes well invested by seeing a return through public services. In addition, the levels of corruption are very low.

Currently Finland has a very rich economy based on the service and manufacturing sectors. They are sectors closely linked to knowledge and are not dependent on external factors. For example, having a good climate in the country would allow the land to cultivate better land or attract many more visitors.

2. Firm commitment to education

So, in a poor country, without being a geopolitical player, and without natural resources and capacity for agricultural, commercial or tourist development, what they could do is invest in education. The Finns came to the conclusion that only through education could they prosper .

They believed it and they did it, and the very good results are still ahead. Finns believe their children are an investment in the country’s economy, like 20-year Treasury bonds.

Thus, the careful school system is administered by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. Finland is at the head of the European countries that dedicate the most part of the public budget to education and everything related.

3. Free school network

Each child receives free food at school. So all children have energy to learn and low – income parents do not have to worry about their children ‘s food .

Textbooks, school materials, health care and education are also free. The free network of schools reaches the most remote parts of the country and the municipality pays for the transport of students who live more than 5 km from the school.

4. Equal opportunities

The Finns believe that education can help end social inequality, and that is that everyone has the right to a high-quality education. All schools are public and are equal. A school in Helsinki has the same benefits as one in a remote village. There are no private or concerted schools in this country.

With these measures there is no discrimination between rich and poor children, city and town children, or native and immigrant children; everyone enjoys the same opportunities and no one lacks anything.

5. Special attention for students

Classes have a maximum of 24 students, although they spend a lot of time in split groups. This allows special attention for all children, whether they have learning problems, special needs or high skills.

In addition , the concept of intelligence is understood as something that is not monolithic, but advocates a profile of multiple intelligences . Each student has a different profile and her skills in one field or another may vary without being classified as “ready” or “not ready”.

6. Teachers

To work as a teacher in Finland is to work in a very and highly respected job position . The prestige that the teacher has in Finland is like that enjoyed by the doctor, the architect or the engineer.

The preparation that teachers must go through is very demanding, and it is an honor to prepare Finnish children, considered the treasure of the nation.

For the children themselves, the thought of becoming a teacher is perceived as very attractive, and by the end of general upper secondary school many have it at the top of their list of preferences.

7. Few class hours

In Finland there is the First Cycle of Primary, of six years, and the Second Cycle of Primary, of three. In the first cycle of Primary School, students complete 25 hours per week, while during the second cycle the teaching load is 30 hours .

This number of hours may vary depending on the number of elective subjects the student takes, as this type of subject is common for Finnish students.

Spending a few hours but of the highest quality is much better according to the Finns. They consider that a student who is tired, saturated or unable to enjoy other areas of his life suffers repercussions on his school progress.

8. No homework

Surely when you finish school, what you have hated the most before coming back the next day is having to do your pending homework.

In Finland the agendas are very light, because duties as such, they do not have . Yes, just as it sounds. They have no homework! Homework, if any, consists of very simple things like finding out about something at a demanding level that would take no more than 10 minutes.

It is considered that the student has to interact with the other boys of his age and with his family, and rest and disconnect. It is something of vital importance for their personal and academic development.

9. There will be no subjects

Yes, yes, you read correctly. Traditional subjects such as English, mathematics, biology or history, in addition to others such as “housework and crafts” or “Spanish”, will give way to a curriculum without subjects.

Now the educational system is working hard to end all of them. The Finns have realized that by working on projects you can be guaranteed to work on everything, and more importantly, what is interesting and useful .

In this way, topics such as “The Second World War” will be studied, where history, geography and mathematics can be treated. Or for example “Working in a restaurant”, which would allow working on knowledge of languages ​​such as English, economics and communication skills.

Teachers are already preparing and it is being implemented in some schools. It is expected that in 2020 the change in the Finnish educational system will be completely ready.

The Finnish educational system, a model to take as a reference?

The Finns have a country with an educational system that results in students with excellent academic results and a prosperous country

What differences do you think there are between your country and Finland? Do you think there is anything your country can learn from the Finnish model? And backwards? We look forward to your comments below.

Bibliographic references

• Melgarejo, X. (2003). Thank you, Finland. Barcelona: Editorial Platform.
• Robert, P (2008). Finland. An educational model for France? The secrets of success, ESF, coll. Pedagogies