Education in Finland

1234ats

Finland's education system has been the role model for the rest of the world in the last decade or so.
There are many clips in youtube about education Finland. Here is one of those.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0__9s3A2pcA

We have so many complaints on our education system here in HK. It seems that Finland just don't have our problems and worries at all.

It should be quite sensible to ask how Finland achieve that and why we fail to do the same. Or at least we should get some inspirations from them.
However I really find it very strange that we can hardly find serious discussions on the differences between the two systems here in HK.

cstchan

I do agree that there's something wrong with our education system.  However, I don't think we can just apply Finland's system as well.  There's one main difference between these two, not the system itself, but the cultural difference.

Asians put more emphasize on comparison.  In the past, only the academic results.  But now, in all different areas!

In Finland, I think (I have no first hand experience, only have the impression from books) they (including schools, teachers, parents and society) put more emphasize on the growth and the need of the students.

However, there's a point that make me confused.  Finland's suicide rate is not low.  Any relationship with the education system?

[ 本帖最後由 cstchan 於 11-11-20 06:45 編輯 ]

1234ats

原帖由 cstchan 於 11-11-20 06:44 發表
I do agree that there's something wrong with our education system.  However, I don't think we can just apply Finland's system as well.  There's one main difference between these two, not the system it ...

I'm not suggesting HK to copy the whole Finnish
education system. And their system cannot be
ideal.

But I think we should review their approach in
details and see if there is anything we can learn
from them.

If our culture really does prefer comparison,
then there should be some criteria to classify
the students into different categories according to their academic capabilities. And we must
accept the fact that there are always "losers" in any comparisons.

If our society only takes entering university as
the major criterion of success, which I believe
many parents in HK agree, then by this
definition, probably the majority of our students
fail.

You can hear so many complaints on every
aspect of our education system---the
government policy, the schools, the teachers,
the parents, the tutors, and the students as well. But I've never heard anyone suggesting a
feasible system which satisfies different parties
in our society.

This idea of "comparison" distorts the true
meaning of education to the extreme. And this also converts the education problems into
political ones. The real education problems will
never be solved.

1234ats

Just a few points:

In Finland,

- Average students can speak 3 to 4 languages. Most can communicate in English fluently when they are around 15 years old. Parents don't need to worry about using which language as the teaching medium.

-No homework and no tests.

-They have a policy not allowing any form of marking system to differentiate the ability of different students in primary stage.

-School life starts at 7 years old. (their parents never thought of avoiding their kids lagging behind at
the starting line)

-Their class sizes are around 20 students or less.

- Some of their classes have 3 teachers working with students of different levels. (In contrasts,our society allocates so many resources to tuition outside schools)

-Students do not have much pressure in learning. They are in general very focus and enjoy their classes.(How about our kids' attitude in the classroom)

-To promote teamwork, they encourage the bright students to help their less capable classmates.

motherotk

I read a book written by Taiwanese mother who brought her two daughters to Finland for few years and the experiences they documented in the book is very reflective and interesting for my parenting ideas. I also talk to a Finnish teacher the other day about their education training. I love the education philosophy in North Europe, I believe that if my child grow up want to study education, he/she should go to these countries, to learn what is education.

I believe all teacher trainees + thise government officials  should have exchange tour to Finland to open their eyes and to experience what is education there..