TRANSLATOR: Salma Syeda
KEYWORDS: Best, Education Model, Finland, Modern school , Heliskini , Pasi Salberg, Uno Cygnaeus, No Exams, Curriculum, Extra curriculum, classroom ,over burden.
Finland’s approach to modern school education and to sparking creativity in the minds of young people- an approach that is seen as a sign of educational innovation,has a history that dates back to the 1860s. Uno Cygnaeus, referred to as the father of Finland’s Basic Education, said that in an ideal classroom, students should speak more than the teacher where focus is more on interaction rather than on dictation. Pasi Salberg, the world-renowned personality said: ” Uno Cygnaeus’ belief system has strongly influenced the attitude of this country, and in Finnish education, there is a clear emphasis on growth that is equipped with basic life skills.This is how Salberg describes the Finnish Education Roadmap
Raising a perfect child
In Finland, the principle of the “perfect child” means that the school curriculum must strike a balance between different subjects and that the success of each child must always be based on the child in various fields, not just in a few standard fileds.Perhaps the best theoretical model of this view of the “perfect child” is Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence, which he proposed in the early 1980s. The theory of multiple intelligence emphasizes that we all have not just one or two, but several different types of intelligence or “ways of being smart” and the school education should also cater to these different domains.
Consider competence alike in the curriculum is the need of the hour.
That is why Finland has been so reluctant to accept standardized tests on important subjects. Finnish schools use more generalized tools and methods in evaluating students and reporting on school performance. Elementary students do not get any grades in their assessments before the fifth grade. Finnish teachers and parents do not send their children to the school for a grade , or to compete for the best grade.Instead, most Finns know that, especially in the early years of childhood, learning and personal development must be based on the upbringing of a complete child, and that each child, at that age, learns at very different speeds. Many educators say that when students do not get grades, they focus more on their own learning.
Principle 80-20%
School days are often from about 9 a.m. to about 2 p.m. for younger ones and up to 3 p.m. for older students. After every 45 minutes of class, children have 15 minutes to rest. This is exactly the principle that Google introduced to its educators a few years ago. Teachers also benefit from this principal as they get refreshed for next lecture.
The needs of each child in the classroom
Psychologist Lu Vygotsky said “What a child can do in cooperation today, he can do alone tomorrow” and he was right. Collectivism/cooperation and individualism, as people often think wrong, are not mutually exclusive. Many basic needs are better met by group learning and social psychology .
Score, compete and rush for the test. How can schools go beyond this?
All parents want the best for their children. They do what the system expects them to do. Many education systems are based on outdated testing models; Models based on how well the children remember what the teachers told them, or the test of how well students can pass the standardized choice based tests. The problem is often in the system itself. Above is the university admissions system, which still emphasizes test scores and scores.
Below is a response model that pressures the school to use subject test scores to answer.
In short, schools in many parts of the world are still plagued by outdated methods. Fortunately, there are new models that are growing rapidly, challenging these historical remnants of school education and inviting them in more beneficial ways.