Articles

Why the Education System in Finland is the World's Best

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Feb 06, 2016

The school system of Finland has consistently placed among the top for such international rankings, including the world education rankings released by the France-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). However, Finland's education system has not always been that good and was in fact one of the worst in the 1970s. It was the country's huge education reforms of four decades ago that has led to its incredible success today.

Below are the 10 surprising facts about Finland's education system:-

1. Finland and New York City have the same number of teachers but Finland has 600,000 students and the US city has nearly 1.1 million of students.

2. All teachers in Finland need to have a master’s degree, which is fully subsidised by the government.

3. Children in Finland start school at the age of 7 while six-year olds attend preschool for a year.

4. The only mandatory standardised test is taken when students are 16 years old.

5. All students are taught in the same classrooms, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses.

6. Compared to the U.S, Finland spends about 30% less per student.

7. About two-thirds of Finnish students attend college, highest rate in Europe.

8. Only the top 10% of graduates are qualified to become teachers.

9. Science classes are limited to 16 students each so that all students can do practical experiments.

10. Students in Finland get about 75 minutes of recess, while elementary school students in the US get around 30 minutes.