does finland assign homework

• Education System
• Fins and Fun

Homework in Finland School

How many parents are bracing themselves for nightly battles to get their kids to finish their homework every year with the beginning of a school year? Thousands and thousands of them. Though not in Finland. The truth is that there is nearly no homework in the country with one of the top education systems in the world. Finnish people believe that besides homework, there are many more things that can improve child’s performance in school, such as having dinner with their families, exercising or getting a good night’s sleep.

Do We Need Homework?

There are different homework policies around the world. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) keeps track of such policies and compares the amount of homework of students from different countries. For example, an average high school student in the US has to spend about 6 hours a day doing homework, while in Finland, the amount of time spent on after school learning is about 3 hours a day. Nevertheless, these are exactly Finnish students who lead the world in global scores for math and science. It means that despite the belief that homework increases student performance, OECD graph shows the opposite. Though there are some exceptions such as education system in Japan, South Korea, and some other Asian countries. In fact, according to OECD, the more time students spend on homework, the worse they perform in school.

Finnish education approach shows the world that when it comes to homework, less is more. It is worth to mention that the world has caught onto this idea and, according to the latest OECD report, the average number of hours spent by students doing their homework decreased in nearly all countries around the world.

So what Finland knows about homework that the rest of the world does not? There is no simple answer, as the success of education system in Finland is provided by many factors, starting from poverty rates in the country to parental leave policies to the availability of preschools. Nevertheless, one of the greatest secrets of the success of education system in Finland is the way Finns teach their children.

How to Teach Like The Finns?

There are three main points that have to be mentioned when it comes to the success of education system in Finland.

First of all, Finns teach their children in a “playful” manner and allow them to enjoy their childhood. For example, did you know that in average, students in Finland only have three to four classes a day? Furthermore, there are several breaks and recesses (15-20 minutes) during a school day when children can play outside whatever the weather. According to statistics, children need physical activity in order to learn better. Also, less time in the classroom allows Finnish teachers to think, plan and create more effective lessons.

Secondly, Finns pay high respect to teachers. That is why one of the most sought after positions in Finland is the position of a primary school teacher. Only 10% of applicants to the teaching programs are accepted. In addition to a high competition, each primary school teacher in Finland must earn a Master’s degree that provides Finnish teachers with the same status as doctors or lawyers.

High standards applied to applicants for the university teaching programs assure parents of a high quality of teaching and allow teachers to innovate without bureaucracy or excessive regulation.

Thirdly, there is a lot of individual attention for each student. Classes in Finland are smaller than in the most of other countries and for the first six years of study, teachers get to know their students, their individual needs, and learning styles. If there are some weaker students, they are provided by extra assistance. Overall, Finnish education system promotes warmth, collaboration, encouragement, and assessment which means that teachers in this country are ready to do their best to help students but not to gain more control over them.

The combination of these three fundamentals is the key to success of any education system in the world and Finns are exactly those people who proved by way of example that less is more, especially when it comes to the amount of homework.

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27 Surprising Finnish Education System Facts and Statistics

There has been a lot of press recently about how the education system in Finland is one of the best in the world and how they are using radical (compared with the UK and the US) ideas to help achieve their status as one of the best.

Anywhere you look the proof doesn’t seem to lie, yet how exactly is the Finnish Education system achieving such greatness? Their students outperform students in the US and the UK in most, if not all areas and their teachers enjoy a much better work life balance. Let’s take a dive into some of the things the Finnish are doing.

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) , a survey taken every three years by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) routinely releases data which shows that Americans and British students are seriously lagging behind in many educational performance assessments.

The Finnish Education System

#1 Finnish children enter education at a later age than in many countries. They start school at age 7 and believe that “starting children in school before they’re naturally developmentally ready has no scientifically proven long-term advantage”.

#2 Prior to age 7, Finnish school children can attend day care/nursery school but they do not have formal education whilst there, Instead, they focus on creative play . “They need time to play and be physically active. It’s a time for creativity”. says Tiina Marjoniemi, head of Franzenia daycare center in Helsinki. The Guardian

#3 For every 45 minutes of learning, students enjoy 15 minutes of play.

#4 School is only compulsory for 11 years, meaning students can leave education at age 18. Everything after that is optional. This idea is thought to prepare Finnish students for the real world.

#5 Finish students are not measured at all for the first six years of their education.

#6 Students in Finland only have to sit for a centralized exam (National Matriculation Exam) at the age of 18-19 years old (after 12 years of school).

Finland School Hours

#7 Finnish students do the least number of class hours per week in the developed world, yet get the best results in the long term. The school day starts between 8-9am and is finished by 2pm.

Finland Education Ranking

#8 The schools in Finland are not ranked in any way, there are no comparisons made between schools, regions, teachers or even students. They believe that cooperation is the key to success, not competition.

#9 Finnish Teachers are some of the most qualified in the world. The requirements for becoming a teacher in Finland are set very high, only around the top 10% of applicants are successful and all of those have a masters degree (which incidentally is fully subsidised!).

#10 Finnish teachers have the same status as doctors and lawyers. ( I wish that was the case in the UK! )

#11 Finnish Teachers are not graded. This is probably a direct result of their rigorous selection process and because of this, in Finland, they don’t feel the need to constantly assess and grade their teachers. If a teacher isn’t performing satisfactorily, it is up to the schools principal/head to deal with it. Pasi Sahlberg, director of the Finnish Ministry of Education and writer of Finnish Lessons, said this about teachers’ accountability:

“There’s no word for accountability in Finnish… Accountability is something that is left when responsibility has been subtracted.”

#12 Schools are not inspected. School inspections were actually abolished in Finland in the early 1990s. They have the ideology that they can help direct and assist through support and funding. Again, they trust the professionalism of teachers and school leaders. Schools are encouraged to self-evaluate along.

#13 There are no selective schools or private schools. One of the reasons why there is no competition between Finnish schools is that all schools are funded through public funds. No competition = level playing field.

#14 All Finnish school children receive free school meals, all of them, all the way through school!. There has been a healthy hot lunch served to all students been since 1943 for the whole 9 years at school. ( Huffingtonpost.com )

#15 Finnish students all have access to support that is individually based on their specific needs from the start of their school career. They believe that every child has some special needs and therefore special education is for everyone.

#16 The Basics are the priority. Rather than focus on increasing test scores and dominating in math, science and English, the Finnish education system focus on creating a healthy and harmonious environment for students and learning. The ideology of the Finnish education system is that education should be an “ instrument to balance out social inequality “.

#17 Finnish students have the same teacher for up to 6 years of their school career. This is one of the pillars of their harmonious education environment ideology. It allows student/teacher relationships to grow year on year, allowing a much deeper level of trust and respect than only having one year.

Finland Education Curriculum

#18 Finnish Students have less homework than any other student on the planet. Even with fewer school hours, they are still getting everything they need to be done whilst at school. This, in turn, builds on a Finnish child’s ability to grow and learn into a happy and responsible adult.

#19 All classes are mixed ability. This is unpopular in a lot of education systems in the UK and the US (I know, my own school recently adopted this policy (Personally, I love it) and there can be a lot of teachers that don’t like it. However, some of the most successful education systems have mixed ability classes, so it does work!

#20 Finnish Students learn more languages. They learn Finnish from their first day at school. At age 9 they start learning their second language (which is usually English). By age 11 they start learning Swedish, which is Finland’s second language. Many students even start learning a fourth language when they are 13. They are only tested on their first two languages in the final exam at the end of high school.

#21 Teachers only generally spend 4 hours a day in the classroom and have 2 hours every week for professional development , thus reducing teacher stress.

#22 The Finnish national curriculum is a broadly based guideline, allowing teachers to use their own style and ideas in the classroom. This builds on the trust that the Finnish education system has in its teachers.

Finland Education Statistics

#23 93% of students graduate from high school. More than in the US.

#24 66% of high school students go on to further education (college or vocational courses).

#25 Finland spends about 30% less per student than the US, the UK, Japan and Germany. ( OECD Indicators )

#26 Just under 100% of 9th-grade students in Finland go on to high school. This figure includes most of the severely disabled children ( smithsonian.com )

#27 43% of those students in further education (16+) attend vocational school.

So there we have it, Finnish students and teachers are part of a great system. Having worked with several Finnish teachers, I can tell you that their ideology and these strategies work, very well!

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6 thoughts on “27 Surprising Finnish Education System Facts and Statistics”

As a student in Finland I realized some of this information is outdated. #1 – It states that children start their education at the age of 7. This is no longer correct because they can start is at the ages of 5, 6 or 7. Typically they do at ages 6 or 7. #3 – It is very school based. some schools do not follow this and it depends a lot. A school can have 45 minute lessons and a 5 min break. #4 – Over resent years it has changed into 9 years of compulsory education (basic education) 2-4 years of upper secondary studies/vocational application. #6 – the matriculation examination is at the age of 18 (typically the last two years of upper secondary studies). Not all students do this because they choose to go to vocational school. #7 – It is again very school based because some schools follow periods (certain subjects for 6 weeks and then the timetable changes). Most schools and students most likely have days from 8am-3pm. It depends a lot what day it is. #16 – To apply to upper secondary school and vocational schools they calculate the average of math, English, Finnish, Swedish, history, civics, religion/ethics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, health education. #17 – Pert of this is true. Best case scenario they do have the same teacher for six years, but most of the time teachers are only qualified to teach certain grade levels. #18 – The amount of homework totally depends on the teacher. It depends how much the teacher wants them to do. Most times homework is tasks that they did not get done on lessons or ones that deepen the meaning of the subject. #20 – there are a lot of confusing things about this. In most schools the child starts learning Finnish from first grade onwards. From grade 3 onwards they start learning English. From grade 5 onwards they can decide if the want another language (typically French, German or Spanish). From grade 6 onwards they start learning Swedish. In the matriculation examinations the test Finnish and a second home language so either Swedish or English. #21 – Subject teachers can have as many hours a day as the pupils. This all depends how many subjects they are qualified to teach.

According to the Bildung Review the Finnish educational system is failing. Not testing and focusing only on cooperation seems to have failed. I hope Finland will shift in the proper educational focus.

have 3 grandsons in the Finnish education system and have visited their schools. The almosphere of calm cooperation compares favourably with most of the UK scholls in which my wife has taught. She is a Froebel trained Infant Teacher, we met at University. One of those grandsons is academically handicapped, categorised with ADHD, but has blossomed under thr Finnish social-care system. If the Finnish system is failing the Ebglish one has to be considered a basket case.

ALCON…ALL CONCERNED…

What must happen so other countries, ie, US could learn the Finish system?!? I know pride gets in the way, but, the US seems to copy everything else from europe mostly…

I am open to pick up any math techniques I can to pass on to my children…

Thanks, Blessings

Is it possible that the emphasis on creativity and individualized learning in Finland’s education system may actually hinder students’ ability to excel in standardized testing and more traditional academic settings?

Could the success of the Finnish education system be attributed to their lack of standardized testing and focus on individualized learning, or are there other factors at play that contribute to their high rankings in global education assessments?

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clock This article was published more than  5 years ago

What Finland is really doing to improve its acclaimed schools

Finland has been paid outsized attention in the education world since its students scored the highest among dozens of countries around the globe on an international test some 20 years ago.

And while it is no longer No. 1 — as the education sector was hurt in the 2008 recession, and budget cuts led to larger class sizes and fewer staff in schools — it is still regarded as one of the more successful systems in the world.

In an effort to improve, the Finnish government began taking some steps in recent years, and some of that reform has made for worldwide headlines. But as it turns out, some of that coverage just isn’t true.

A few years ago, for example, a change in curriculum sparked stories that Finland was giving up teaching traditional subjects. Nope .

You can find stories on the Internet saying Finnish kids don’t get any homework. Nope.

Even amid its difficulties, American author William Doyle, who lived there and sent his then-7-year-old son to a Finnish school, wrote in 2016 that they do a lot of things right:

What is Finland’s secret? A whole-child-centered, research-and-evidence based school system, run by highly professionalized teachers. These are global education best practices, not cultural quirks applicable only to Finland.

‘I have seen the school of tomorrow. It is here today, in Finland.’

Here is a piece looking at changes underway in Finnish schools by two people who know what is really going on. They are Pasi Sahlberg and Peter Johnson. Johnson is director of education of the Finnish city of Kokkola. Sahlberg is professor of education policy at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He is one of the world’s leading experts on school reform and is the author of the best-selling “ Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn About Educational Change in Finland ?”

No, Finland isn’t ditching traditional school subjects. Here’s what’s really happening.

By Pasi Sahlberg and Peter Johnson

Finland has been in the spotlight of the education world since it appeared, against all odds, on the top of the rankings of an international test known as PISA , the Program for International Student Assessment, in the early 2000s. Tens of thousands visitors have traveled to the country to see how to improve their own schools. Hundreds of articles have been written to explain why Finnish education is so marvelous — or sometimes that it isn’t. Millions of tweets have been shared and read, often leading to debates about the real nature of Finland’s schools and about teaching and learning there.

We have learned a lot about why some education systems — such as Alberta, Ontario, Japan and Finland — perform better year after year than others in terms of quality and equity of student outcomes. We also understand now better why some other education systems — for example, England, Australia, the United States and Sweden — have not been able to improve their school systems regardless of politicians’ promises, large-scale reforms and truckloads of money spent on haphazard efforts to change schools during the past two decades.

Among these important lessons are:

• Education systems and schools shouldn’t be managed like business corporations where tough competition, measurement-based accountability and performance-determined pay are common principles. Instead, successful education systems rely on collaboration, trust, and collegial responsibility in and between schools.
• The teaching profession shouldn’t be perceived as a technical, temporary craft that anyone with a little guidance can do. Successful education systems rely on continuous professionalization of teaching and school leadership that requires advanced academic education, solid scientific and practical knowledge, and continuous on-the-job training.
• The quality of education shouldn’t be judged by the level of literacy and numeracy test scores alone. Successful education systems are designed to emphasize whole-child development, equity of education outcomes, well being, and arts, music, drama and physical education as important elements of curriculum.

Besides these useful lessons about how and why education systems work as they do, there are misunderstandings, incorrect interpretations, myths and even deliberate lies about how to best improve education systems. Because Finland has been such a popular target of searching for the key to the betterment of education, there are also many stories about Finnish schools that are not true.

Part of the reason reporting and research often fail to paint bigger and more accurate picture of the actual situation is that most of the documents and resources that describe and define the Finnish education system are only available in Finnish and Swedish. Most foreign education observers and commentators are therefore unable to follow the conversations and debates taking place in the country.

For example, only very few of those who actively comment on education in Finland have ever read Finnish education law , the national core curriculum or any of thousands of curricula designed by municipalities and schools that explain and describe what schools ought to do and why.

The other reason many efforts to report about Finnish education remain incomplete — and sometimes incorrect — is that education is seen as an isolated island disconnected from other sectors and public policies. It is wrong to believe that what children learn or don’t learn in school could be explained by looking at only schools and what they do alone.

Most efforts to explain why Finland’s schools are better than others or why they do worse today than before fail to see these interdependencies in Finnish society that are essential in understanding education as an ecosystem.

Here are some of those common myths about Finnish schools.

First, in recent years there have been claims that the Finnish secret to educational greatness is that children don’t have homework.

Another commonly held belief is that Finnish authorities have decided to scrap subjects from school curriculum and replace them by interdisciplinary projects or themes.

And a more recent notion is that all schools in Finland are required to follow a national curriculum and implement the same teaching method called “phenomenon-based learning” (that is elsewhere known as “project-based learning”).

All of these are false.

In 2014, Finnish state authorities revised the national core curriculum (NCC) for basic education. The core curriculum provides a common direction and basis for renewing school education and instruction. Only a very few international commentators of Finnish school reform have read this central document. Unfortunately, not many parents in Finland are familiar with it, either. Still, many people seem to have strong opinions about the direction Finnish schools are moving — the wrong way, they say, without really understanding the roles and responsibilities of schools and teachers in their communities.

Before making any judgments about what is great or wrong in Finland, it is important to understand the fundamentals of Finnish school system. Here are some basics.

First, education providers, most districts in 311 municipalities, draw up local curricula and annual work plans on the basis of the NCC. Schools though actually take the lead in curriculum planning under the supervision of municipal authorities.

Second, the NCC is a fairly loose regulatory document in terms of what schools should teach, how they arrange their work and the desired outcomes. Schools have, therefore, a lot of flexibility and autonomy in curriculum design, and there may be significant variation in school curricula from one place to another.

Finally, because of this decentralized nature of authority in Finnish education system, schools in Finland can have different profiles and practical arrangements making the curriculum model unique in the world. It is incorrect to make any general conclusions based on what one or two schools do.

Current school reform in Finland aims at those same overall goals that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development — which gives the PISA exams every three years to 15-year-olds in multiple countries — as well as governments and many students say are essential for them: to develop safe and collaborative school culture and to promote holistic approaches in teaching and learning. The NCC states that the specific aim at the school level is that children would:

• understand the relationship and interdependencies between different learning contents;
• be able to combine the knowledge and skills learned in different disciplines to form meaningful wholes; and
• be able to apply knowledge and use it in collaborative learning settings.

All schools in Finland are required to revise their curricula according to this new framework. Some schools have taken only small steps from where they were before, while some others went on with much bolder plans. One of those is the Pontus School in Lappeenranta, a city in the eastern part of Finland.

The Pontus School is a new primary school and kindergarten for some 550 children from ages 1 to 12. It was built three years ago to support the pedagogy and spirit of the 2014 NCC. The Pontus School was in international news recently when the Finnish Broadcasting Company reported that parents have filed complaints over the “failure” of the new school.

But according to Lappeenranta education authorities, there have been only two complaints by parents, both being handled by Regional Authorities. That’s all. It is not enough to call that a failure.

What we can learn from Finland, again, is that it is important to make sure parents, children and media better understand the nature of school reforms underway.

“Some parents are not familiar with what schools are doing,” said Anu Liljestrom, superintendent of the education department in Lappeenranta. “We still have a lot of work to do to explain what, how and why teaching methods are different nowadays,” she said to a local newspaper. The Pontus School is a new school, and it decided to use the opportunity provided by new design to change pedagogy and learning.

Ultimately, it is wrong to think that reading, writing and arithmetic will disappear in Finnish classrooms.

For most of the school year, teaching in Finnish schools will continue to be based on subject-based curricula, including at the Pontus School.

What is new is that now all schools are required to design at least one week-long project for all students that is interdisciplinary and based on students’ interests. Some schools do that better more often than others, and some succeed sooner than others.

Yes, there are challenges in implementing the new ideas. We have seen many schools succeed at creating new opportunities for students to learn knowledge and skills they need in their lives.

It is too early to tell whether Finland’s current direction in education meets all expectations. What we know is that schools in Finland should take even bolder steps to meet the needs of the future as described in national goals and international strategies. Collaboration among schools, trust in teachers and visionary leadership are those building blocks that will make all that possible.

Do Finland students have no homework?

Do schools in Finland give homework?

According to the information available, Finnish schools have a relatively low amount of homework. Required subjects are most often covered during the school day, which reduces the need for homework. Homework is seen more as a recap of what has been learned in class, rather than a time-consuming task at home.

What are the disadvantages of Finland education system?

The Finnish education system does have some disadvantages. These include the downsides of mixed ability teaching, decreasing importance of education, lack of enjoyment in school, budget cuts, and structural weaknesses.

How is Finland’s education compared to the United States?

Teachers in Finland spend fewer hours at school each day and less time in classrooms compared to American teachers. Finnish education emphasizes building curriculums and assessing students during the extra time. Children in Finland also spend more time playing outside, even in the winter season. Homework is kept to a minimum.

How long is a school day in Finland?

Typically, the Finnish school day starts between 9:00 and 9:45 a.m. and students spend approximately five hours in the classroom each day. Finnish students also have little to no homework.

Education in Finland (No Homework, No Standardized Testing)

Unfortunately, there is no information available about the specifics of the education system in Finland related to homework and standardized testing.

Is school in Finland stressful?

It is considered that the education system in Finland promotes stress-free learning. Finnish students do not have to face excessive amounts of homework. The system values free time and play for children’s development.

Which country has the shortest school year?

The country with the shortest school year is typically Luxembourg, with an average of 163 days of school per year. However, it’s important to note that school year lengths can vary based on specific regions within a country and other factors.

What country is #1 in education?

Based on the information available, Iceland is ranked as the country with the best education system, followed by Germany and New Zealand.

Why is Finland #1 in education?

The Finnish education system is often praised for its high-quality and inclusive approach. Finland emphasizes equal opportunities, well-trained teachers, and a focus on learning through play and exploration.

Does Finland have shorter school days?

In Finland, children have a 15-minute break every 45 minutes, resulting in an average of three hours and 45 minutes of educational instruction each day. In comparison, children in the United States spend approximately 6.5 hours a day in the classroom.

What are the downsides of living in Finland?

Living in Finland has some disadvantages, including high taxes, difficulties in finding a job due to high competition, remote areas with expensive air travel, and other factors.

Is Finland school hard?

According to the OECD, Finnish students have less homework and outside work compared to students in other countries. They spend only about half an hour a night working on school-related tasks. Additionally, Finnish students do not have tutors.

Is Finnish education hard?

Finnish schools have a less intense atmosphere with shorter school days and less homework compared to many other countries. The education system emphasizes creativity, critical thinking, and practical skills rather than standardized testing.

How long is lunch in Finland schools?

Each class in Finland meets three times a week for 75 minutes, and each marking period is about a month and a half long. School typically starts at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 2:45 p.m., with an hour allocated for lunch and 15 minutes between each class to allow students plenty of time to relax.

Is school lunch free in Finland?

Finland’s national school meal program provides a free daily meal to all children and young people from pre-primary to upper secondary school. This program has been in place since 1990.

How long is school recess in Finland?

In Finnish schools, students have 15-minute breaks after every 45-minute class. Regardless of the weather, they are usually required to go outside during recess.

What is the toughest education system in the world?

The Korean educational system is often considered the toughest in the world. South Korea is renowned for its challenging and rigorous nature, and Korean students consistently outperform their global counterparts in academic achievement.

Why do kids start school at 7 in Finland?

In Finland, kids often start school at the age of 7 because it is believed that before this age, they learn best through play. Finland also provides free universal daycare for children aged eight months to five years, along with a year of “preschool/kindergarten” at age six to prepare children for their formal education.

Why is Finland so happy?

Finland’s happiness is attributed to factors such as lower income inequality, high social support, freedom to make decisions, and low levels of corruption.

Which country has the toughest education?

Some countries known for having tough education systems include South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Finland.

Which US state is #1 in education?

According to U.S. News & World Report, Florida ranks as the number one state for education.

Where does USA rank in education?

The United States ranks among the top countries in education and is home to eight of the 10 best global universities. U.S. students perform above average in reading and science, but below average in math according to the OECD’s 2018 Program for International Student Assessment.

What time does school start in Finland?

In Finland, students usually begin school between 9:00 and 9:45 a.m. Finland recognizes the negative impact of early start times on students’ well-being and health.

Does Finland have a good education system?

Finland has one of the best education systems in the world, attracting international students who seek a high-quality and inclusive approach to higher education.

What country has 4 days of school?

Several countries, from Poland to Australia to the U.S., are implementing four-day school weeks, either as a short-lived fad or as a long-term approach to reduce student stress, recruit teachers, and rethink the concept of learning.

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Finland’s educational system and why is it so successful.

Imagine going to a school where the amount of homework that you had was minimal and you would have almost no exams at all? A school where you can wake up later, arrive home earlier AND have 15-minute breaks after each 45-minute lesson? Seems too good to be true, right? But it IS true, and this is how schools operate in Finland. You must probably be thinking; “I have never heard of a school that functions that way, there must be something there”, funny thing, is that there isn’t. Finland has an educational system very different from what we are accustomed to, but that doesn’t mean that children won’t learn because they practically have no work to do. In fact, Finland is considered the most well-developed education worldwide nowadays; and I’ll tell you why.

For decades now, Finland has initiated several simple changes that have revolutionised its educational system; and as a consequence of all these large-scale changes, it has become the 8th most educated country in the world, and has the highest ranking in High School Completion Rate. Yet, their immense success has not come only from limiting the number of tests and homework and making teachers have less time for work. Their success came from profound research. They were inspired by other educational systems, listened to the voice of the parents and teachers, but most importantly, always kept in mind their main goal: to stay consistent so that all children are provided with equal opportunities and learning . The nation is well known for its holistic teaching environment and common-sense practices that aim for equality rather than excellence. Due to this way of education, Finnish students have an extremely healthy balance between school and personal life, allowing them to participate in more extra-curricular activities. Many factors differentiate Finland’s educational system from other systems worldwide and though they may seem small, they created extremely strong and talented students who have both a high reading proficiency and life satisfaction. Let’s take a look at them!

The schools are publicly funded

The people in the government agencies that are running Finnish schools aren’t business people, politicians or military leaders; they are educators and know what they are doing. All over Finland, all schools have the same national goals and extracts from the same pool of university-trained educators; that way, a teenager that studies in a rural area is receiving the same education as a teenager living in the urban zone.

They have no standardized testing

In most schools around the world, students are much more worried about having excellent grades on exams than actually learning the subject. Because of that, students will learn how to cram just to pass the test and actually learning is out of the question for them. Finland has no standardized test, the only mandatory exam is at the end of compulsory school when the pupil is 16. Students are graded on an individual basis and the grading systems are set by their teacher; they formulate their grading systems for the students rather than relying on exams. Instead of taking tests, the pupil’s learning is assessed through various qualitative methods which focus on their overall development rather than their memorization skills and quantitative results. Learning is different and personalized for each student; teachers do that by empowering students’ strengths and supporting their challenges. The students are deeply encouraged to follow their personalized learning path through a system that deeply helps them.

How Finnish people recognize their teachers

In Finland, the teachers are extremely respected and valued; their “status” is at the same level as doctors and lawyers. The teachers are always extremely educated and committed to their work. Finns pay very high respect and trust to the teachers. What is also different in Finland are the requirements they need to have in order to become a teacher. All teachers must have a master’s degree before exercising their profession. Teaching programs are the most strict and selective professional schools in the whole country, and only 10% of the applicants to the teaching programs are accepted.

Cooperation and NOT Competition

In Finland, the schools do not care about “artificial merit-based” systems; there are no lists of top teachers or even top schools and no rankings or comparisons. They state that “ it is not a competition, cooperation is the norm ”.

Making the basics an opportunity

As previously mentioned, the educational program in Finland aims to make the schools a more equitable place. They go by the saying that “ Education should be an instrument to balance out social inequality ”. Their priorities are:

All students receive free school meals;

Ease access to free health care;

Psychological counselling;

Individual guidance;

And taxi service if needed.

Starting school at an older age

Pupils start compulsory school at the age of seven. There are only nine years of obligatory school for Finnish students. After the age of 16, it is optional. Finland’s education system is sorted into:

( Optional) The ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care), combines education, teaching, and a goal-oriented manner.

Their goal is to promote children’s development, health and wellbeing as well as to improve children’s opportunity for learning.

Kids learn through playing.

( Optional ) Pre-Primary Education (1-year duration for 6-year-olds)

( Mandatory ) Basic Education (9 years duration for children aged 7 to 16)

( Optional ) Upper Secondary Education

( Optional ) Higher Education

( Optional ) Adult Education And Training

Covers education leading to a qualification, degree studies, training preparing for competence-based qualifications, degree studies, and further continuing education updating and extending the professional skills, etc.

Students wake up later in the morning

Studies have shown that early starting times at school can be detrimental to the student’s health and well-being. Schools in Finland usually start at 9:00-9:45 and end at 14:00-14:45! Honestly, this is a dream come true. As if it couldn’t get better; there are 15-20 minute breaks every 45-minute lesson; isn’t this the BEST?

Consistency of teachers in classes

Students tend to have the same teachers throughout their school years; by doing that, the teacher is able to create a bond with their students and take on the role of a tutor or even a family member. The teacher learns the positives and negatives of the students and how to specifically work with them. As much as I like this, imagine being stuck 6 years with a teacher you can’t get along with? In a blink of an eye, the dream switches to a nightmare.

A more relaxed atmosphere

Students only have a couple of classes a day, and a lot of time to enjoy recreational activities and relax. As explained previously, the 15-20 minute breaks have the aim to make the students relax a bit, get some air and stretch. Children spend much more of their time playing outside even in winter times, that is because Finland strongly follows their “belief” which is “ learning through play ”. All the activities are planned around the holistic wellbeing of being a child, supporting their learning journey. The teachers also work in a relaxed atmosphere; they only spend around 4 hours a day teaching. They spend their extra time building curriculum and assessing their students. The Finnish teachers also have their own rooms where they can relax, socialize or prepare for the day.

Less homework and outside work are needed

According to the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), students in Finland have the least amount of outside work and homework than any other student in other countries around the world. According to the same source, the differences between the extremely talented and strong students to the ones that still require some help or development is the smallest in the whole world. 93% of Finnish students graduate from high school while only 75% of students in the USA graduate. Students in Finland spend around half an hour at night working on school activities; the pupils are getting everything they need to get done in school without adding the pressures that come with excelling academically. By not having to stress about grades and a ton of homework, they can focus on their true task: learning and growing as human beings.

To conclude, Finland, even with a crazy educational system that we are not accustomed to, managed to be one of the countries with the best education. This system has brought a lot of success to the students, and all of them receive the same amount of education. All Finnish students speak 2-3 languages and have opportunities to learn new things such as baking, poetry, and music. It seems weird how a school can operate like this, and it would be interesting to see this system spreading throughout the world. I believe that with this “policy”, students wouldn’t have that many emotional problems and suffer from stress with the amount of work and time they stay at school. Yet, this reform is complicated and may take time. In addition to that, there are many reforms that must be done not only in the educational sector for this to happen, so it is very complex to make all countries function this way. But, fingers crossed; we can never lose hope!

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/09/10-reasons-why-finlands-education-system-is-the-best-in-the-world

https://okm.fi/en/education-system

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/why-are-finlands-schools-successful-49859555/

https://www.newnordic.school/news/blog-finland-education-system

https://leverageedu.com/blog/finland-education-system/

https://in-finland.education/homework-in-finland-school/

https://lead-prep.org/2017/08/there-is-no-homework-in-finland/

https://theprint.in/india/education/20-hours-a-week-no-homework-thats-the-finland-school-system-rss-chief-wants-in-india/278603/

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6 Facts You Need to Know About the Finnish Education System

Paulina Bouzas was born and raised in Mexico and has an MA in Linguistics from the University of Eastern Finland. She enjoys writing about education, language and Finnish culture.