I want to move to Finland. Yep, you heard me right. The small Nordic country with high taxes and free college. I have had enough. Quite simply, they do it better in Finland. I want better education and overall happiness, two things Finland is known for. But I can’t just move there. I would miss my friends, California’s magnificent weather, and my mom’s cooking. We need to bring some of Finland’s optimism and different style of education to the U.S.
Finland is ranked first in the world in happiness, according to the World Happiness Report 2018. Surprisingly, the U.S. is ranked 18th. Finland’s high level of citizen happiness is partly attributed to their unique academic atmosphere. The Finnish school day is significantly shorter than the those in the U.S., beginning between 9:00 and 9:45 a.m. and ending around 2:00 and 2:45 p.m. Piedmont has made strides in this area recently, with the addition of the block schedule and the later start times for finals.
Personally, I have noticed a difference in my ability to focus when I get enough sleep. Students are more likely to be engaged at school if the school day is shortened. In this case, less is more.
According to Business Insider, Finnish teachers are required to give their students a 15-minute recess for every 45 minutes of instruction. Students are given a maximum of 30 minutes of homework because it is assumed that mastery is attained in the classroom.
Every minute I spend doing homework feels like a minute wasted because I am not doing the thing I love. Soccer is my passion, not Pythagorean identities. Half-heartedly doing homework that is not useful does not help anyone. The educational benefit does not outweigh the amount of time it takes students. For this reason, there is a mutual trust between Finnish students, parents, and teachers that students will be instructed sufficiently in class and students will get their work done. Work outside of class is encouraged if a student is passionate, but it is not mandatory.
Additionally, Finnish schools provide free meals, access to health care, psychological counseling, and individual guidance for each student, according to Big Think. This goes beyond education, creating a safe environment which allows students to focus and thrive. With the Wellness Center, PHS is already moving in the right direction, but there is still work to be done. We need to look out for every student. The Finnish education system provides the means for every student to succeed. If a student is falling behind in school, teachers are required to meet with the student and get them caught up, no matter how long this takes. Likewise, if a student has already mastered the material being taught, they will be accommodated with extra work to challenge them.
Students in Finland spend less time in school and have significantly less homework. Surprisingly, this has led to increased academic performance. In fact, Finland outranks the U.S. in every educational aspect: education system, test scores, student cognitive skills, educational attainment. For example, Finland scored higher than the U.S. on the 2015 PISA exam, according to Business Insider. Finland was fourth in reading, fifth in science and 13th in math. Comparatively, the U.S. finished 24th in reading, 25th in science and 40th in math. For the self-proclaimed “greatest country in the world,” this is both alarming and pitiful. So U.S. education system, high and almighty, I want to spend time doing what I love. Our methods obviously aren’t working, so we need to do something about it. I should note that Finland’s cultural and ethnic homogeneity, along with their small population, is part of the reason their education system works so well. The majority of the population supports the current education system. In the U.S., there are differing opinions about how education should work. Everyone can get behind this plan.
Finnish education emphasizes learning over grades. Grades are not mandatory until eighth grade, prompting students from a young age to understand that learning is the most important aspect of education. In the U.S., it seems like students are forced to choose between comprehension and grades. It is just memorization for a test then moving on. I have to decide whether to do an assignment as fast as possible or go through it thoroughly to master the concept being taught. Students today, like myself, have a million extracurricular activities, so this is not even a choice. I am a very curious person. I love to learn and read. However, I have to prioritize my grades over all of this when I should not be in this situation in the first place. This learning mindset continues with Finnish students for the rest of their schooling careers and lives. This results in a healthier, more positive learning environment and improved academic performance.
While there are many upsides to the U.S. education system, its benefits mostly affect college students and beyond. We are the home to many of the top universities in the world, all of which have close connections to employers. This gives students an excellent higher education and the chance to get an internship or job right after college. However, not everyone in the U.S. is given the chance to pursue a higher education. We need to shift our focus to kids learning at younger ages when they are more open to ideas and their surroundings.
The U.S. education system values competition over cooperation, an excessive workload that forces students to choose between learning and grades. This creates a toxic atmosphere that disincentivizes learning. If someone walks into a U.S. kindergarten classroom, kids are bouncing around with energy and curiosity, raising their hands and asking questions. However, if someone walks into a high school classroom, they would feel like they were in a prison rather than a school. Few students raise their hands and few want to be there. Our education system forces the U.S. to prioritize the wrong things. In this mad dash to be the best, we have forgotten how to live the best.
A student should never have to sacrifice sleep, extracurricular activities, or time spent with family and friends for school. Anything less is a complete disservice to the millions of kids that we are setting up to “success.” We are teaching them to prioritize getting the right answer instead of understanding how they got there. We are teaching them that they cannot be wrong. We are teaching them to stick to the book, and not think outside the box. And worst of all, we are teaching them that they need to grow up well before they are adults. This pains me and breaks my heart. Kids need the time and the opportunities to experience life and experiment in the world. If we adopt parts of the Finnish model, our country will experience higher levels of happiness and increased academic performance. At the end of the day, as much as I want to move to Finland, I need to give the U.S. a chance. We are moving in the right direction, but have not taken all the steps. We need to put students first and prioritize their happiness. I need change. We all do.
