Finland's schools score top, yet school hours are shortest

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8601207.stm

Why do Finland's schools get best results?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.This isn't a one-off: in previous PISA tests Finland also came out top.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.'' 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.

-sighs- It's really nice seeing teachers that really care about their kids, you know. And over here in America half of them act like they want to eat children!

...the topic name doesn't quite match the story...I thought they had 3 hour school days and were doing well school wise, not keeping them with the same school and staff for so long (my school did this-didn't help in our case though).

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

^This is the main reason.My school also had them combined (K-8th) and from 6th to 8th we had the same teachers.
Our school still did poorly because of students just being so uncaring and ADD strewn and the teachers were so fed up with trying to deal with them that it didn't help much if any.
I Really miss school and wish i had tried a lot harder, but the past is the past and all i can do is hope the future gets better for everyone.

mds64 · #2...the topic name doesn't quite match the story...

My quote isn't the whole story."Finland's schools score consistently at the top of world rankings, yet the pupils have the fewest number of class hours in the developed world."

hehehehehee Its good to be from Finland I guess.

Finland doesn't have black people running around, I will be intrigued to see how they will do then.

Replying to #6

You cannot be serious.

Replying to #7

I am 100% serious. Throw in inner city black kids and see the scores dip dramatically. Granted, you can't blame everything on the skin of their color, but the culture they live in does not harbor any learning environment. Cultural difference is the explanation for the score differentials, nothing else. I went through the public school system and I turn out just fine.

Replying to #8

If the black children you are referring to come from an impoverished environment then it would be the environment that would be at fault, not a general black culture. It could just as easily be said that caucasian youths (or asian et al,) coming from a poor environment would bring down the average score if they were to partake in the Finnish tests; why single out black people?
"You can't blame everything on their skin colour" Not everything, but some things?, what things could be blamed on their skin colour?

They have less hours but very much homework.

Replying to #10

Beats boring lectures where you have to listen to the teacher talk so slowly in my book. TALK FASTER DAMMIT! Good to see someone with experience with the school system, though. Adds more insight.

I always thought China was up top with education, etc... And north korea apparently has decent education as well.

markswan · #9If the black children you are referring to come from an impoverished environment then it would be the environment that would be at fault, not a general black culture. It could just as easily be said that caucasian youths (or asian et al,) coming from a poor environment would bring down the average score if they were to partake in the Finnish tests; why single out black people?
"You can't blame everything on their skin colour" Not everything, but some things?, what things could be blamed on their skin colour?

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.After reading this, doesn't it sound like they, basically, are saying that:"We don't have black people, so our children in primary/secondary schools do better at studying. No for black gangsta-kiddies in Finland's schools!!!" ???

stirgo1212 · #12I always thought China was up top with education, etc... And north korea apparently has decent education as well.

Eduxcation in China sucks,everybody just do huge number of homework to get high score,no other things . The teachers or professors in the university suck
too, just read the book and copy some dissertations.

Petey · #6Finland doesn't have black people running around, I will be intrigued to see how they will do then.

Uh-oh. Looks like somebody's trolling......