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2010-04-09 11:19:02
By Tom Burridge
BBC World News America, Helsinki
Last year more than 100 foreign delegations and governments visited Helsinki,
hoping to learn the secret of their schools' success.
In 2006, Finland's pupils scored the highest average results in science and
reading in the whole of the developed world. In the OECD's exams for 15
year-olds, known as PISA, they also came second in maths, beaten only by
teenagers in South Korea.
Education in South Korea In South Korea, the school day is long and pupil's
have a much stricter study regime.
This isn't a one-off: in previous PISA tests Finland also came out top.
The Finnish philosophy with education is that everyone has something to
contribute and those who struggle in certain subjects should not be left
behind.
A tactic used in virtually every lesson is the provision of an additional
teacher who helps those who struggle in a particular subject. But the pupils
are all kept in the same classroom, regardless of their ability in that
particular subject.
Finland's Education Minister, Henna Virkkunen is proud of her country's record
but her next goal is to target the brightest pupils.
''The Finnish system supports very much those pupils who have learning
difficulties but we have to pay more attention also to those pupils who are
very talented. Now we have started a pilot project about how to support those
pupils who are very gifted in certain areas.''
Late learners
According to the OECD, Finnish children spend the fewest number of hours in the
classroom in the developed world.
This reflects another important theme of Finnish education.
Primary and secondary schooling is combined, so the pupils don't have to change
schools at age 13. They avoid a potentially disruptive transition from one
school to another.
Teacher Marjaana Arovaara-Heikkinen believes keeping the same pupils in her
classroom for several years also makes her job a lot easier.
''I'm like growing up with my children, I see the problems they have when they
are small. And now after five years, I still see and know what has happened in
their youth, what are the best things they can do. I tell them I'm like their
school mother.''
Children in Finland only start main school at age seven. The idea is that
before then they learn best when they're playing and by the time they finally
get to school they are keen to start learning.
Less is more
Education in the United States "If education is expensive, try ignorance"
Finnish parents obviously claim some credit for the impressive school results.
There is a culture of reading with the kids at home and families have regular
contact with their children's teachers.
Teaching is a prestigious career in Finland. Teachers are highly valued and
teaching standards are high.
The educational system's success in Finland seems to be part cultural. Pupils
study in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
Finland also has low levels of immigration. So when pupils start school the
majority have Finnish as their native language, eliminating an obstacle that
other societies often face.
The system's success is built on the idea of less can be more. There is an
emphasis on relaxed schools, free from political prescriptions. This
combination, they believe, means that no child is left behind.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8601207.stm
Published: 2010/04/07 15:19:11 GMT