If you have a chance to study abroad, which country are you going to choose? Maybe some of you will choose USA, Germany, or Japan because those countries have good educational systems. But do you know which country actually has the best educational system in the world? The answer is Finland.
Based on a survey from OECD through a test called PISA (Program for International Students Assessment) in 2006, Finland got the highest rank. As we know, most schools in many countries have a tendency that makes the students stressful because of the learning method. Unlike other countries, the learning method in Finland is quiet relax, but still effective and make students excel in the school subjects. Education system in Finland is really effective for student development based on several reasons, such as providing fun learning, giving freedom to students to learn according to their interest, and having simple and flexible programs.
Providing fun learning process is one of the keys to reach the effectiveness of learning. If the learning process is mediocre, the students will be bored and lose their enthusiasm. At the end, they can't understand the lesson well. There are some ways that have been applied in Finland to make the learning process more fun. First, teachers do not continuously give lectures. Can you imagine sitting in a class and just listen to your teacher talking for a long time, it will make you bored and sleepy, right? Such thing won't be happen in Finland because the ones who are more active in class are the students, not the teachers. At that point, teachers do not control the way the students study, but the students choose their own way to study. Second, there are study groups among students. This learning process will be more interesting than study individually, because they interact more with others. Besides, studying in groups also help them to learn faster. Some students have difficulties to understand something or solve the problems alone, and sometimes it wastes their time because in the end they can't find the answer of to the problems. However, they can exchange ideas with each other to save their time. Third, students have more chances to practice. They do not only sit in class and learn about the theory, but they mostly practices in the learning process such as by exploring the nature in order to understand the lessons.
Some people think the students need to study and study continuously to be smart. But in fact, such method is not as effective as people understand, If the students spend their
time to study without taking a rest, it can make them depressed. So, it is better to give them freedom to learn according to their interest. There are some examples of this case that have been applied in Finland. First, there are less examinations and tests. The most important thing is the learning process, not the result. Teachers are the ones who really know about their students’ ability. So, it is not too important to many exams test like mid-term test, final exams, or national exams because teachers can evaluate them better through classroom activities. Second, there are less homework. Giving them too much homework can decrease their time to enjoy their hobbies, and gather with family. There are less school hours and longer rest time. For elementary and middle school students, they only have 4-5 hours per day to study in school, and they take a rest every 45 minutes when study. Those things can make them more productive because their brain will work better and more focus.
Finland has applied a simple and flexible education program in order to make the students do not feel stressed and enjoy studying. If the program is simple and flexible, absolutely the learning process will be easier to do. There are some programs that have been applied. First, every school has the freedom to develop their own curriculum. In this case, the government just gives basic curriculum to be used as a guidance to every school. Moreover, the student's parents can also participate in arranging the school curriculum. Second, the students in Finland can choose what subject they are interested in since middle school. Most students from various countries have common problems, namely they are lazy to go to school. It is because they have to learn something they don't like. But such things won't happen in Finland. Third, the students can choose the place to learn where they want. Students should not always study in class, but they can study outside the class so the learning process becomes more flexible and comfortable.
To summarize, because of those several reasons, Finland has successfully become a country with the best educational system in the world. This system is worth trying to the other countries mainly for our country. The reason is that in the near future and in long run, it will bring many benefits toward the students. This system creates generations with remarkable abilities both in academic and non-academic aspects.
By : Nura Hadziyah
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