Professional Documents
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Children in Finland dont begin school until age seven. That isnt to say they arent being
educated earlier in life. Finland heavily subsidizes daycare for children, and 97 percent of
Finnish children attend preschool, which starts at age five, and emphasizes playing and
socializing.
More Recess
In the United States, our imaginative learners get little playtime, averaging 27 minutes of recess
a day. Finnish children get 75 minutes of recess a day, receiving a 15-minute break after every
lesson. Outdoor physical activity is highly encouraged and some lessons are taught outside
even in winter!
No Testing
There are few, if any, mandatory tests in Finland until a single exam at the end of high school.
Theres also little homework. Why you ask? Finnish school principal and former teacher Kari
Louhivuori told Smithsonian Its nonsense. We know much more about the children than these
tests can tell us.
More Languages
Finnish language education begins on the first day of school. By age nine, students begin
Swedish (Finlands second official language), and at 11, they start learning a third language,
usually English. Many students even take on a fourth language around age 13. Students are
tested on their first two languages in a matriculation exam for university placement.
Less Teaching
A teacher in Finland might only teach for four hours of the school day, spending at least two
hours on building curriculums and assessing student progress. (This is compared to at least five
hours of instruction in a U.S. school.) With fewer teaching hours, students are not overwhelmed
with class, and teachers are not struggling to prepare.
Professional Teacher
You need more than a bachelors degree and a teacher certification in Finlandyou must have a
masters degree. Teachers can get their masters degree at one of eight national colleges, the cost
of which is completely subsidized by the government. Competition for these spots is fierce:
Applicants must be in the top 10 percent of their college classes. In 2010 6,600 applicants
applied for 600 slots.