Performance Trends in Education: Finland vs. the U.S.A
“Equality is the most important word in Finnish education.” Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the differences between weakest and strongest students in Finland are the smallest in the world, according to the most recent survey by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). A society that bases its education and curriculum on equality and equity across all socio-economic factors inevitably should be a leading figure and model in modern day education. A country that values and cherishes the growth of every individual in its nation, regardless of background, is a country that is destined for success.
Let’s compare two statistical models found on the OECD page that are based off the PISA test between the U.S.A and Finland (starting with the U.S):
We can observe here that the United States through the years has remained very stagnant and around the OECD average. I feel that this is a direct reflection of the U.S educational system in which they rely on traditional methodologies and whitewashed textbooks to instill knowledge. In addition, one finds that equity related to socio-economic status is simply inadmissible. According the OECD, “socio-economically advantaged students outperformed disadvantaged students in reading by 99 score points, some 27% of advantaged students in the United States, but only 4% of disadvantaged students, were top performers in reading, and socio-economic status was a strong predictor of performance in mathematics and science.” Therefore, race, culture, location, and background directly impact and individual’s opportunity to achieve a quality education. Lastly, the school segregation gap in the United States demonstrates how its education was founded on systemic racism. Many students, especially disadvantaged students, hold lower ambitions than would be expected given their academic achievement. “In the United States, one in nine high-achieving disadvantaged students – but 1 in 100 high-achieving advantaged students – do not expect to complete tertiary education” (OECD).
Now let’s take a look at how Finland has placed through the years on the PISA:
It is clear that Finland’s trends demonstrate that they have remained above the OECD average for countless years. However, one must note that there has been a gradual decline across all three subjects since 2006. According to school principals, in Finland 94% of teachers in advantaged schools and 91% in disadvantaged schools are “fully certified”. The proportion of teachers with at least a master’s degree is similar in advantaged and disadvantaged schools.
Some additional elements of how Finland contains a progressive outlook within their curriculum: playtime is social development is crucial, kids have very little homework, school is high quality and universal, and college tuition is free. In addition, there are no mandated standardized tests, apart from one exam at the end of students’ senior year in high school. There are no rankings, no comparisons or competition between students, schools or regions. Finland’s schools are publicly funded. Most importantly, the people in the government agencies running them, from national officials to local authorities, are EDUCATORS, not business people, military leaders or career politicians. Every school has the same national goals and draws from the same pool of university-trained educators. The result is that a Finnish child has a good shot at getting the same quality education no matter whether he or she lives in a rural village or a university town.
Glatthorn et. al. states, “without a doubt, data collection and analysis continue to provide curriculum leaders with the power to make better decisions; to work intelligently, effectively, and efficiently; to understand the impact of hard work; to help prepare for the future; and to know how to better benefit children” (p. 182). After observing for countless hours of all the compiled data and statistics of education around the world, it is without a doubt that curriculum developers and educational leaders should be looking at who is doing the best and research how & why. Education and instruction is constantly evolving and progressing; especially as we are entering the era of advanced technology. For me, competition and standardized test scores aren’t as important as skill development, classroom equity, and risk taking. I believe that the United States should be observing Finland’s teaching models and curriculum and implementing their progressive methodologies.
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