• Today, education is even more important than ever.

• We look at two different approaches to education.

• By treating youth as individuals and with respect, their futures are enhanced.

Many things have changed in the past century, but many education systems have not.

Today many schools look and act the same as they did 100 years ago.

THE TRADITIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM:

Many schools use antiquated systems and schedules.

• Rigid methods produce ill prepared graduates who do not meet today’s needs and cannot find work.

• Many countries have stereotypes of the hard-working, memorization, tunnel vision of study, and work ethics.

• Students are often in dimly lit rooms on robotic schedules.

• The theme often is ‘Work more! Study harder! Live less!’

• Students stress over standardized tests enacted by the government.

• Students often learn to cram to pass tests.

• Teachers are often teaching their students on how to pass the tests.

• Learning is not part of the equation.

• Often, much time is consumed when students have to wake up early, take a bus, or ride to school.

• Some classes start between 6 am to 8 am.

• Students can be sleepy and uninspired.

• Morning and after school extracurriculars consume much time.

• Many school systems are concerned only with increasing test scores.

• Helping students to be happy, harmonious, and healthy is ignored.

• The education process is often stagnant and unchangeable.

• Children are stuck in a circuit jumping from teacher to teacher.

• Each grade is a preparation for the next, then on to college. It’s like being on a conveyor belt.

• Students often incur large amounts of debt.

• They struggle to try to find their purpose.

• Often, students don’t need to go to college and get a worthless degree in order to be successful.

• Teachers are often tasked with a great level of administrative demands.

• Often, teachers are not able to use their initiative.

• Teachers are controlled as to how and what they are expected to teach.

• Teachers are often overworked with heavy unrealistic expectations and responsibilities placed on them.

• The current pipeline for education is often stagnant and unchangeable.

This is not a real learning environment.

AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH:

In the 1980’s Finland revamped its education system.

They implemented some novel and simple changes to completely revolutionize their educational system.

• There are only 9 years of compulsory school that Finnish children attend.

• Everything past the ninth grade, or at the age of 16, is optional.

• Students start school at the older age of seven years.

• Children are allowed to be children and not forced to attend school in their developing childhood years.

• Early morning start times negatively affect students’ well-being, health, and maturation.

• Finnish schools start between 9:00 – 9:45 am and usually end by 2:00 – 2:45 pm.

• They have longer class periods and much longer breaks in between classes.

• They make the basics a priority and balance out social inequality and offer:

  • Free school meals for all school students;

  • Ease of access to health care;

  • Psychological counseling; and

  • Individualised guidance.

• Finland prepares its children for the real world.

• There is a lesser focused division of college-educated versus trade-school.

• Both offer quality professional and fulfilling career paths.

• The overall system does not cram information into their students.

• They create an environment of comprehensive learning.

• Their teaching environment strives for equity over excellence.

• Students in Finland have the least amount of outside work and homework than any other in the world.

• They spend only half an hour a night working on school work. Finnish students don’t have tutors.

• Their students have much less unnecessary stress.

• There is no standardized testing of Finnish students.

• All Finnish children are graded on an individualized basis by their teacher.

• The students receive what they need without the added pressures that come with excelling at a subject.

• Without having to worry about grades they are able to focus on learning and growing as a human being.

• For up to six years in their education, students have the same teacher.

• With students having consistent instruction for a considerable period, teachers are able to take on roles as mentors.

• They build mutual trust and bonding so that both parties know and respect each other.

• Finnish teachers can accommodate the different needs and learning styles of the individual.

• They can chart and care for their progress and help them reach their goals.

• There is no passing along to the next teacher because there isn’t one.

• Teachers are people too and need to be functional so they can operate at the best of their abilities.

• Teacher rooms are set up all over Finnish schools, where they can lounge about, socialize, relax, and prepare for the day.

• All teachers need a master’s degree before entering the profession. Teaching programs are the most rigorous and selective professional schools in the entire country.

• If a teacher isn’t performing well, it’s the individual principal’s responsibility to do something about it.

• There are no lists of top-performing schools or teachers.

• It’s not an environment of competition – instead, cooperation is the norm.

Their students outperform other systems with toxic school-to-life balances.

The result has been an outstanding success as Finnish students have been ranked amongst the best in the world.