Finland - Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education

Finland's schools are well integrated in communities and teachers are highly committed, making it a top PISA performer with little variation among pupils of differing backgrounds.
About this project
This series of videos has been produced jointly by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Pearson Foundation to present initiatives being taken by education authorities around the world to help improve the learning performance of their secondary school students. The school systems featured in these videos were chosen for their strong performance in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a three-yearly evaluation of secondary students in reading, mathematics and science. For more information about this project, feel free to contact the Pearson Foundation at [e-mail].

[@K3ROKO]

I've been in Japan for over 3 months now, and I have started to notice how proud I am that I'm from Finland. I miss studying in Finland, though I totally love being in Japan. But this feeling... so Finnish..!

[@ashmantwo]

Finland is legendary

[@BlossomSujuFan]

Wow! I want to live in Finland...

[@StuartLoria]

Finally somebody that gets it, here in Costa Rica education is not even close to this, I think this must be the best education in the world, the whole system is made to provide the best education to ALL students and not to provide money and privileges to teachers. I think the trick is how you form your teachers and the culture around that, most of the people in education are there for what they can get out of flawed systems.

[@fazkhan]

This country is amazing Love it

[@haonguyenpy]

It is very interesting to learn from Finnish education system.

[@marriagefamilythewordtv3025]

Wow! Way to go Finland!!!

[@sudosai]

Nice to see this documentary. Unfortunately from where I'm from (India 🇮🇳) - education is a business. Private schools, private tuitions, private coaching are the norm. - class sizes are high: ~45 in high schools, ~100-500 in coaching classes, and ~100 in colleges - teachers are mostly mediocre. People get into this field when there are no options left. - curriculum is outdated. - competition and stress is extremely high and toxic.

[@you_jay]

Thanks for sharing that! Unfortunately, we share the same (or even worse) moments of disparity in Pakistan.

[@jeffhart1262]

Much like Australia. There is big money to make if you want to promise parents high marks

[@LetsBringPeace]

I graduated highschool in 2009. Went to a university and got a degree in chemistry. The first thing I see different is the type of students. Here they look interested in learning. Where I went to school, which at the time was ranked one of the top 100 public schools in the country, we didn't have many students who behaved in this manner. About half the time kids misbehaved, talked back to the teachers and disrupted class. Those who were in the "Magnet Honors program" actually cared about learning and wanted to go to college. Everyone else except for a few who weren't in these magnet honors program didn't seem to give a damn. You can increase the salary of teachers but unless we start talking about the behavior of students and their lack of motivation for school, it won't have a different outcome at all. Anyone who does not see that our culture is having a bad effect on our students is clearly blind.

[@LetsBringPeace]

***** Its not about the teachers. They can only do so much. It starts at home, it is a culture problem.

[@airsolaja]

This is a country of people that respect each other, look at the children, look at the calm interactions between children and teachers...In noisy western open layout classrooms you can see clutter i in the classroom, tables everywhere, walls glued up with posters and signage, its just overwhelming for everyone, kids and teachers...

[@desertstar11]

This is a remarkable example of the importance of political will in developing citizens. It helps too that Finland is a relatively homogeneous society. Whatever the success formula, they found it. Truly commendable!

[@Msjjangful]

gosh i wish they could do that here in the US...

[@westernproduct1465]

@Mrok Wages are the same in northern parts of Finland and it's cheaper to live up north, so I think that that is one of the main reasons. Also if you've been living your whole life in certain place I think that you want to continue living there. Greetings from the capital of Finland, Helsinki!

[@monimarz]

How small are the class sizes in Finland? This would be a dream to teach. North American classrooms can be anywhere from 25-32 kids. Team-teaching and one on one support...I'm moving to Helsinki!

[@thorhbar1255]

They wouldn't have you you're not qualified enough.

[@Shiroshadow45]

Thank you, I am very happy to see this documentary video

[@FinnishPagan]

I really appreciate your kindness, you´re a good sport. Tell me more!

[@umasheshadri4731]

Absolutely amazing and very informative 👏 👍 wish I was a teacher in Finland. Would have thoroughly enjoyed teaching the kids and learning more 👍 😀

[@Linux4Ever2011]

Thank you very much for that video.

[@wernercaspary7159]

I think Europe and the world need to re evaluate the teaching methodology for young students. A young student will either enjoy or not enjoy learning at a very young stage. It is up to the teachers to teach the subject and make it fun / interesting for the young students. Interesting video 😉 Greetings from Germany...🍺🖐🇩🇪

[@antoniocomjr]

Amazing!

[@anskiusz]

In my school, at least with mathematics, there were different teachers especially for students with troubles. From each class a few kids who had trouble learning went to the special teachers room where the teacher could really make sure we were given all the help we needed. The rest of the students stayed in the other classroom. Extra time in school was only spent a week or two before our maths tests, 2 x 2hr lessons, 1 x 2hr lesson per week.

[@tatianamanateva]

Merci, la Finlande ! Спасибо, Финляндия , за наше сильное человеческое будущее...

[@chemaldonado4026]

I wish the gov. of my little island is taking notes of this.

[@mysticblood212]

I enjoy it here in Finland

[@olectrix]

Great!

[@FinnishPagan]

But this is sensational, now I really have to have the whole story! Tell me much much more!

[@phitbilz_4454]

Amazing

[@Lucuskane]

Cut "defense" by 1/4 a year, we can implement something like this or better in less than a decade.

[@FinnishPagan]

Tell me more, sounds really interesting!

[@arjay2002ph]

i think not all children are designed for school. you may watch Sir Ken Robinson's talk at TED.

[@caoniuncle]

How do Finns keep the education so equal all over the country? I mean those best teachers should always be willing to work in the capital city, since it is more transport convenient and prosperous. How do they persuade the same good quality teachers to work in the far north area like Lapland?

[@sunway1374]

Why would you need masters graduates to teach in pre-tertiary education? Is there anything that the teachers learned there that are needed to become a teacher?

[@ilonaknuutinen]

sunway1374 Teachers-to-be have several practice periods during their university career as showed in the video too.

[@coralandpuppies1582]

It`s obvious. They need a masters graduate because Finland wants to make sure that they have the best qualified for their children and then that no stone has been left unturned in bringing in only the best into their school for this difficult profession.....and it works.

[@brunamartinspuxasacodavitoria]

Finland has 5 million inhabitants, less than New York, the U.S. has 308 mi. Easy easy to compare. PS: Remember also that Finland, despite the tax burden and the example of other Nordic countries, has a highly dynamic with strong support for the free market, home to companies such as Nokia. The company where I work, for example, is a Swedish-Swiss origin and its principles Ethics and Free Markets. Thing from another world countries that curdled the Leftists, like Brazil, are unaware.

[@DisoDc]

No words :'( I'm a victim of a failed educational system that don't have time for kids. Today i'm a sad human trying to find a meaning in this chaos of poverty and misery. None cares about the person and his feeling, in the end they become criminals as they see criminals becoming politicians. Seeing all these sad faces everyday it makes me also sad. They say you are lucky that you where born, i say i wish i was never born.

[@ViewSub]

Christ, Jannika was my French teacher for two years. The world is so small.

[@LimbuRonit]

And some say they are still trying to beat the Chinese.

[@imagiccion]

I would like to mention something...Finland is not such a homogeneous country anymore. Statistics 2010: recent immigrants, mostly from poorer countries, speak more than 60 languages. In some urban schools, half of the students are from immigrant families whose native tongue is not Finnish. And yet, variance between schools that can be explained away by schools' and students' economical, social, and cultural status is only 1%. To put this into perspective, variance [...] in the U.S. is 19%.

[@mundamahi420]

thats not true, many foreighners have left finland, because they were neglected to education

[@snake602008]

Don't worry Finland mass diversity is coming soon x)

[@FinnishPagan]

Hahaha, so true!

[@salimsalim2859]

Hi

[@josephinesosingot-raisanen6743]

with special education they dont always get it right...I came from US Finnish Kids but as I am black they assumed my kids needed special needs I was surprised when they noticed the dad was Finnish, they apologised. But they thought I was a poor refugee so they treated my kids as having special need

[@georger6624]

Putting our kids in so much debt in America is disgraceful we should put it on the Internet only and get the degrees

[@jeffhart1262]

Australia doesn't even rate when compared to Finland.

[@marcoscardilli1770]

I would marry a finnish woman and have many children with her for let's bringing them in this fantastic educational system. Anyone can help me? Thanks very much

[@Scandilady]

+Marco Scardilli Marco dear, you are funny.

[@reethosatsang5036]

Sorry, Finland schools have not done that well in recent times.

[@coolioso808]

Care to explain?

[@vandalton4948]

Well I see very different laudable and claimed to be effective education system throughout the world but still I don't understand one thing. Why is USA at the top when it comes to innovation and "original research". You can do so many things but still fail in one area, nurturing innovativeness. Asian countries fail miserably in this regard. And if you want something heavy on math you still have to look into Russian, German or French literature.

[@Pt-gf9jf]

USA . Not best education. But you have best universites, money and so on. And these brains! All over the world.

[@hatsikujimayonez]

most of these innovations and "original research" come from all the foreigners that go to US top universities from all around the world.