A student walks into a school. They are not tired, but well-rested, they are not dreading the day, but rather looking forward to it. There are no stressful standardised tests, nor are their life-determining exams. They spend more time outside the classroom than in it, more time having fun, and more time learning skills that can be transferred to their future lives. They are given the same opportunity as all of their peers and have a greater chance of succeeding than any other students around the world.
This is not a dream ideal school, it is just one in Finland.
It only takes a glance at a website like, “37 reasons why Finland’s education system is better” to realise how much the Australian system is behind.
The Finnish system in comparison with Australia’s looks a bit like this: less school, less homework, fewer exams, more extra-curricular activities, more breaks, and more fun. Sounds quite counter-intuitive doesn’t it? But in fact, recent studies have shown that this seemingly rudimentary, laid-back approach to education is actually extremely effective.
Now Australia does not have the worst education system, I mean, here I am bending the English language to my will; but it could still learn a thing or two from our Nordic friend. In fact, I propose that we not only learn but implement some of the Finnish education policies and practices which have made their students so successful. Because Australian students are not failing the system, the system is failing our students.
With this in mind, I would like to give a quick overview of the main lessons Australia can learn from the Finnish education system.
Firstly, Finnish students are given more time to pursue their passions such as music, art, and sport. They also have much less stress placed on them with only one mandatory standardised test throughout their entire schooling lives. This is of course in comparison with Australia’s NAPLAN, HSC, VALID, and other standardised tests, which place extreme amounts of pressure on students to perform the tests, as well as teachers to prepare their students for them.
In many cases, this can lead to test-teaching which takes away vital learning time and replaces it with specific text-based content. For instance, language conventions and spelling as preparation for NAPLAN, which is supposed to test students on basic skills they have, not the ones they learn 2 weeks before the test and forget 2 weeks later. Finnish teachers need not waste time teaching test-related content and can focus on helping their students grow.
Secondly, students are taught by the best of the best, literally. In order to become a teacher in Finland, you need to graduate high school in the top ten percent and obtain at least a master’s degree. However, the major difference between Finland and Australia is the nature of teaching itself. In Finland, teaching degrees are government subsidised, it is an honourable profession meriting prestige near that of a
doctor, and teachers are given almost complete freedom in what they teach and how it is taught. This autonomy allows teachers to cater their practices to each individual student’s needs, and thus provide a better education.
Finally, joy and play are a part of the curriculum. A recent study by the Smithsonian Institute found that Finnish students are among the happiest in the world, with 91% even stating that they “want to be at school”. In fact, student welfare is so important to the Fins that every school has a welfare team dedicated to advancing student happiness. How cool is that?
But the most important difference lies at the heart of education systems, the discrepancy between schools. All schools in Finland, including independents, are state-funded and receive the same allocation of money, same programs, and same
high-quality resources and staff. This means that regardless of where you live, whether it be in the richest or poorest area in Finland you are guaranteed an equal opportunity to that of your peers. Is that not how it should be?
So with all of these differences in mind, the real question is not what Australia can learn from the Finnish system, but what it will learn. Because Australian students are not failing the system, the system is failing our students.
About Author
Jared Smith
Studying in Year 10 at Campbelltown Performing Arts High School
Hobbies: Music, public speaking, debating, programming and reading.
Email: [email protected]