Our education system is failing. There’s no denying that the way our students are being taught isn’t really giving them the knowledge that they need. More than anything, schools these days are just teaching children and teenagers how to memorize material that they will forget as soon as they graduate. Even worse still, it’s also causing them intense and unnecessary stress. Our schools have gotten so bad, in fact, that the US has been ranked number 27 in education across the globe.
The country that’s number 1 on that list may have gotten their place due to how vastly different their education system is to that of the US. Furthermore, it’s completely different from any country in the world. That’s because Finland is the first ever country to completely get rid of school subjects.
Changing the System
Although Finland’s schools didn’t always rank highly, they’ve recently shot up to the number 1 ranking in education. That’s all due to the radical reform of how they approach learning. They’ve stepped away from ordinary schooling in favor of a much more diverse and practical method.
Now, Finland uses phenomenon-based teaching and learning in their schools. What this means is that they don’t teach students specific subjects such as math, science, or geography. Instead, they use what they call a “holistic” approach.
By looking at real-world issues, they will learn practical skills and important knowledge. For example, they could have a class on climate change, which would incorporate science, geography, environmental studies, and economics. Likewise, they could have a class on the European Union which could involve politics, languages, cultural studies, and history.
Making Education More Accessible
Finland isn’t just changing how subjects are taught, however. Along with that, the majority of schools in the country have transformed how students learn too. Mainly, Finnish education has moved away from exams. They believe that it’s far more beneficial for students everywhere to focus on what they need and want to learn, not on trying to pass tests.
Furthermore, classrooms are changing too. In many schools in the country, students attend a mixture of both classroom lessons and online lessons. This will, in turn, give pupils the opportunity to be more open with their teachers.
In addition to that, the relationship that children have with their teachers is also vastly different in Finland. They’ve moved away from the idea that teachers are simply there to instruct and be an authority figure. Instead, they are there to support their pupils, Likewise, children are encouraged to be more honest and comfortable with their professors too.
It’s no secret that the education system in the US is in need of some serious reform, as are the systems in many other countries too. As world education goes, it seems that Finland may be doing it right. Perhaps schools around the world could all take a leaf out of their book.
If you think that schools should follow Finland’s lead, share this article with your friends and family to show them how education could be reformed.
