Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM SET EDITION: U.S. INTERNATIONAL MÉXICO ARABIC Sign up Log in TV: CNN CNNi CNN en Español HLN Home TV & Video U.S. World Politics Justice Entertainment Tech Health Living Travel Opinion iReport Money Sports Why Finland's schools are top-notch SHARE THIS By Pasi Sahlberg Print updated 11:10 AM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 Email More sharing Recommend 10k More from CNN: Education in the United States is too much defined by testing and data, says Pasi Sahlberg. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Editor's note: Pasi Sahlberg is visiting professor at Harvard Many American parents worry University's Graduate School of Education and former director about their kids getting good general in the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. Follow him 10 works of art that 12 laundry mistakes grades and doing well in school on Twitter: @pasi_sahlberg. The opinions expressed in this shocked the world you're probably Pasi Sahlberg: Finland has one commentary are solely those of the writer. making of the leading education systems in the world (CNN) -- Millions of American parents spend countless hours trying He says U.S. can learn from to figure out how to help their children get better grades, better Finland in building an education system that enhances equity teachers or better schools. Sahlberg: U.S. education focuses on testing and data, They may want to take a page from Finland, which is considered to Musk teases Mila Kunis and which skews teaching priorities have one of the leading education systems in the world. Finnish something new from Ashton Kutcher's Tesla: The D baby's name is... students consistently score near the top in the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, for reading, mathematics and science. The 2012 PISA results tell us that in these three subjects combined Finland ranks third after Korea and Japan. In comparison, American students' combined performance in reading, mathematics and science places the United States at 21st among 34 The trouble with y'all Why so many Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. moving to Texas children aren't ready http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 1 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM For some, education in Finland is utopia: a dreamland where for school teaching is the most desired profession, authorities trust schools and political parties agree on the direction of educational reforms. CNN Money: For others, they are surprised to hear that in Finland children don't start school until they are 7 years old. They have less homework than their peers in other countries. A child's socioeconomic background is less of an impediment to academic performance. And there is only 2015 Mustang: Ford's Branson: Take as one standardized test, which is administered in the final pony has new tricks much vacation as you year of high school. want! Pasi Sahlberg What are the main factors that prevent American students Promoted Stories: from achieving the kind of success that Finnish students attain? There are three things that have positively affected the quality of Finnish schools that are absent in American schools. First, Finland has built a school system that has over time strengthened educational equity. This means early childhood education for all Don’t Touch that School Lunches Kids children, funding all schools so they can better serve those with Ketchup: Keep Will Love special educational needs, access to health and well-being services Healthy by Avoiding Snip.ly: Social Media for all children in all schools, and a national curriculum that insists these 8 Germ Havens Conversion | Home AARP that schools focus on the whole child rather than narrow academic achievement. Opinion: Should schools ban homework? Second, teachers in Finland have time to work together What's Your Color What Your Feet Say with their colleagues during the school day. According to Personality? Find Out About Your Health the most recent data provided by the OECD the average Here! Health Central teaching load of junior high school teachers in Finland is BHG about half what it is in the United States. That enables teachers to build professional networks, share ideas and Spurlock visits Finnish classroom best practices. This is an important condition to enhancing teaching quality. Part of complete coverage on Opinion on the news Finally, play constitutes a significant part of individual growth and learning in Finnish schools. Every class must be followed by a 15- minute recess break so children can spend time outside on their own Pentagon spending getting out of hand activities. Schooldays are also shorter in Finland than in the United updated 3:13 PM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 States, and primary schools keep the homework load to a minimum As it considers next year's budget request, Congress has so students have time for their own hobbies and friends when school a responsibility to make the is over. Pentagon justify every dollar of spending it is asking for, writes William Hartung The difference is pronounced in America, where a national poll of elementary school principals found that up to 40% of U.S. school districts have reduced or eliminated recess in order to free more time Protecting against Ebola trumps for core academics, and one in four elementary schools no longer personal liberty updated 9:42 PM EDT, Sun October 5, 2014 provides recess to all grades. Danny Cevallos says Voices quarantining people, depriving by CNN I hear people often arguing that because the United States is much them of liberty, is justified to protect the interests of society bigger, more diverse, and more unequal, it's harder to reach higher quality education. But even if this were true, it would not explain why Read Magazine in Finland students learn better in their schools than in most other places in the world. This is Elizabeth Warren's moment updated 1:41 PM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 Julian Zelizer says the Opinion: Let kids sleep late Massachusetts senator has just been handed a giant Some aspects of the American school system are not helpful in political opportunity -- secret tapes on U.S. regulation of improving education quality and equity. First, education in the United Goldman Sachs States is too much defined by testing and data. If getting the data using frequent standardized tests occupies up to one-third of all Get proactive about screening for http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/opinion/sahlberg-finland-education/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Page 2 of 13 Why Finland's schools are top-notch (Opinion) - CNN.com 10/6/14 6:51 PM available time to teach, that will alone prevent students from making Ebola the marks they should. updated 9:03 AM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 Sen. Rob Portman says it's time to move from passive to Second, American education places too much faith in marketplace active screening for the choice, which parents have because of expanded access to charter disease at U.S. airports schools. This weakens the public school structure that is fundamental to many successful education systems elsewhere. 'Sexy' clothes don't excuse sexual Finally, more students in America have novice or nonprofessional violence teachers in their classrooms today than ever. Frequent turnover of updated 3:12 PM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 teachers in thousands of American schools undermines the entire Carol Costello says the notion education system. that men are provoked to assault by revealing clothes is a convenient, troubling myth What would be the way forward then? The United States can't become Finland, but there is a lot it can learn about what works and what doesn't. Ebola quarantine is perfectly legal updated 2:38 PM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 One affordable and smart step would be to terminate policies and Paul Callan says government practices that prevent American teachers from teaching what matters has sweeping power to suspend individual rights to most to their students. Redesigning current punitive accountability for protect the larger society schools and abolishing unnecessary standardized tests would remove a big burden from schools and leave teachers with more time to focus on real learning. How Supreme Court's non-decision Opinion: Get schools out of the 1890s helps gay marriage updated 5:07 PM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 Jeffrey Toobin says that by not The ultimate test for the American education system will be whether hearing five states' same-sex it can bring equity to the forefront of education policies. When poverty marriage challenges, the Supreme Court allows explains up to half of student achievement, schools must have marriage equality to continue measures to better cope with the harmful consequences that its march toward being law of disadvantaged family backgrounds have on teaching and learning in the land many schools. Enhancing equity has been one key to success in Finland. Would Jesus OK same-sex marriage? updated 8:45 PM EDT, Fri October 3, 2014 Read CNNOpinion's new Flipboard magazine That depends on how you understand the context of Scripture, says Jay Parini. But Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion. there's good reason to think Jesus would have preached acceptance Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion. Why strong defense is critical to America updated 8:36 AM EDT, Mon October 6, 2014 Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Promoted Stories Recommended by Sen. Jim Talent say that by preferring to lead from behind, President Obama has allowed global threats to fester Why