How the Finns got it so right [IrishTimes]
- Published: 11 May 2010
The Finnish education system is regarded as the world’s best. But what’s their secret? A visit to Helsinki gave valuable pointers on what can we learn from their success
THE MOST STRIKING aspect of any visit to Finland is how familiar everything appears – both inside and outside the classroom. Finnish schools – like those in Ireland – complain about a lack of resources and about class size. The provision of information technology in schools is still patchy. Schools are functional, sensible places. And here’s another surprise. Finland spends no more than the OECD average on education. But there is nothing average about its performance.Finland is top of the class. In science, Finnish 15 year-olds were ranked first among 56 countries in the latest 2006 OECD survey. In reading literacy, the Finns were second to South Korea (they came first in 2003).
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
