About the Finnish Education System
Finland's education system is much different from South Korea and Japan's systems. Children do not start school until 7 years old. (97% of children go to free play-based preschool starting at age 5.) They stay in comprehensive school for ten years and then chose a path of upper secondary school or vocational schools, then college. 66% of Finnish students attend college. In Finland, students rarely have homework or tests. They take one mandatory standardized test when they are 16 years old.
When students enter schools in Finland the first thing they do is take off their shoes and relax. The school day is short , about 5 hours long. Students call their teachers by their first names. Students have the same teacher for multiple years and develop a personal relationship with their teacher. Like in Japan, teachers have a high status, the same as doctors and lawyers. All teachers must have a masters degree. Teachers spend four hours a day in the classroom and two hours a week are devoted to professional development. |
Money Spent on School
Finland spends 30% less per student than the US.
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RecessFinnish students have a 75 minute recess break, compare to an average of 27 minutes in the US.
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Finnish Culture
The Finnish culture values motivation and the pursuit of personal interests. This is reflected in the education system with a lot of free time to explore.
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Extracurricular
There are many sponsored activities that push children outdoors. (Sports teams are provided through the city.) Many Finnish teachers say that learning happens outside the classroom, in the real world.
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