Over the past month and a half of research I have completed, I have been stopped by a rather odd fact. The World Education Index is compiled from the Mean Years of Schooling Index and the Expected Years of Schooling Index - Creative names, I know - which also take into account educational performance. The United States has an index of 0.968, according to the most recent data, and this ranks it at #21 in the world. Finland has an index of 0.993, ranking it at #1.
Why all the success? Well, with some research, it's actually not a surprise. In Finnish counties, teachers and other professionals in schooling are selected from the top 10% of the nation, and are required to have a Master's Degree in Education. Becoming a teacher in Finland also happens to be very well-compensated, so much so that elementary school teachers often carry the prestige of an M.D. - On the other hand, they're also required to go through the nonstop rigors of both student and faculty assessment.
Besides a well-trained and well-equipped teaching staff, Finnish schools also contain a number of elements crucial to early childhood development. Students are expected to help one another, and all of them go through the same program, due in part to the freedom districts allow teachers. Many schools are small enough so that the teachers know every student personally. After secondary school, students can either attend an upper secondary school or vocational school to learn a trade.
As it turns out, it is no surprise to why Finland is leading the race in education. Now, the question is - How do we do even better?
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