Finland: a Model of Success

Finland: A Model of Success

For years the United states has tried to our educational system through programs and tests such as Common Core and ACT. Although, they have failed to ask the question, what do America’s competitors do to achieve academic success and what can they do to achieve their academic standards. One of our most prominent competitors is Finland, who has consistently scored high on the PISA the last few years, and who the United States should use as a model of success. Some of the unique techniques that the Finnish use that we should study is the focus on the teachers and more relaxed schooling. The United States should compare themselves to Finland and make changes accordingly.

Teachers in Finland are almost as important as the student. Applicants to teachers college have to go through a two-stage review; one out of ten applicants pass this screening into this pristine college. In Finland teachers can only teach kindergarten with a Bachelor's Degree, they must have a Masters to teach higher grades. Teachers are not restricted by prescription guidelines, but are given instructional guidelines that are moldable based on the students. Although the teachers go through extraneous schooling, the school itself is more relaxed.

The schools in Finland are more relaxed than most, yet, has brought upon itself the best results. The belief that childhood is very important is prominent in Finland, so much so that children do not start school until they are seven years old. But these seven year olds do not miss out on the socialization because after each lesson, all the classes are allowed 15 minutes of free time. Students are only required to take one test at the end of their upper-secondary school. These techniques have worked consistently with the Finnish, perhaps America should mirro them and see if the educational system improves.

The United States should imitate Finland in how it drives its educational system toward success. Finland, for...