Post New Years.

 "The more that you read, the more that you will know. The more that you know, the more places that you will go."

- Dr.Seuss

 

This January, I had been suggested by an unknown soul to continue on my mission of education by looking at the world's leading examples, and comparing them to ourselves. My search has led me to examine the educational systems of Finland, Singapore, and China. So far, Singapore and Finland seem the most likely candidates, but Singapore has major problems with income distribution, and I would not like to further complicate my issue. Finland has its own distinctive cultural problems, but I feel it has more to offer because of its unified and exemplary education.

"Learning and Competence 2020: Strategy of the Finnish National Education Board" was a recent article I examined, and it revealed stirring revelations of Finnish success. As it turns out, the recent successes have only really taken place in the past 10-20 years, as the system was barely implemented in the 1970s as part of a cultural reform. Finland still has strong cultural stigmas within its culture that may hinder its educational system from staying the world's best in the future.

Finland owes multiple things to its success. All teachers require a Master's Degree, and the teaching profession is a very competitive, prestigious field viewed in the same way that we currently view lawyers and doctors. In addition, it seems to be fed by the demands of the job market. In other words, if the demands of the market changes, so do the curricula of the children in the Finnish system.

Overall, my holidays were fantastic. I learned a lot about foreign educational systems, and how we may be able to implement them here. Cheers!