I found this article that outlines a few points of the Finnish school system as compared to the USA.
1.Finnish children don't start school until they are 7.
2.They rarely take exams or do homework until they are well into their teens.
3.The children are not measured at all for the first six years of their education.
4.There is only one mandatory standardized test in Finland, taken when children are 16.
5.All children, clever or not, are taught in the same classrooms.
6.Finland spends around 30 percent less per student than the United States.
7.30 percent of children receive extra help during their first nine years of school.
8.66 percent of students go to college.The highest rate in Europe.
9.The difference between weakest and strongest students is the smallest in the World.
10.Science classes are capped at 16 students so that they may perform practical experiments every class.
11. 93 percent of Finns graduate from high school.
12. 17.5 percent higher than the US.
13. 43 percent of Finnish high-school students go to vocational schools.
14. Elementary school students get 75 minutes of recess a day in Finnish versus an average of 27 minutes in the US.
15. Teachers only spend 4 hours a day in the classroom, and take 2 hours a week for "professional development".
16. Finland has the same amount of teachers as New York City, but far fewer students. 600,000 students compared to 1.1 million in NYC.
17. The school system is 100% state funded.
18. All teachers in Finland must have a masters degree, which is fully subsidized.
19. The national curriculum is only broad guidelines.
20. Teachers are selected from the top 10% of graduates.
21. In 2010, 6,600 applicants vied for 660 primary school training slots
22. The average starting salary for a Finnish teacher was $29,000 in 2008. Compared with $36,000 in the United States. However, high school teachers with 15 years of experience make 102 percent of what other college graduates make.
23. There is no merit pay for teachers
24. Teachers are given the same status as doctors and lawyers
25. In an international standardized measurement in 2001, Finnish children came top or very close to the top for science, reading and mathematics. It's consistently come top or very near every time since.
26. And despite the differences between Finland and the US, it easily beats countries with a similar demographic
Of the multitude of things I find, one startling one pops out. Teachers are paid more AND they spend less per student. The combination is troubling. Where is all our extra money going? Oh yeah, testing. Testing companies are private companies... with stocks. These companies are growing exponentially in profits. With every education funding increase, our taxes go up and go to these very companies.
I could be pretty pissed off... but instead, I'll just know where to invest ;)
I'll go live my life as I see fit and do my best to live true to my heart. Never compromising my heart-- even in the face of armagheddon. I will remain true to my heart. I will find a way to live as an example to others. Whether in the teaching career in some new and exciting way or simply by living as a I truly feel in my heart and knowing that I AM the change I wish to see in the world.
