Finland's Education System: A Superior Model Essay

I will be discussing Collette Fontenot’s essay “Finland’s Education System: A Superior Model”. In it, Fontenot explains how Finland has improved the quality of its educational system by overhauling it entirely. Aspiring teachers must meet rigorous requirements in order to be in the program. In order to teach in Finland, one must have a Master’s Degree, and only one in ten applicants are accepted. This is comparable to the acceptance rates of Ivy League schools in the United States. In addition to the changes made to the teaching program, Finland has eliminated standardized tests and out-of-classroom homework. Fontenot writes that these steps made Finland one of the leading countries in education. Finland has made efforts to reduce the stress of students in school, which has greatly improved their performance.

By abolishing standardized testing, Finland has successfully reduced students’ stress throughout the school year. In a survey done (WHERE WAS THIS SURVEY DONE?) in 2015, over 50% of students and teachers believed too much time was spent preparing for standardized tests. Fontenot mentions that “American children sometimes take up to a month or more of the various standardized tests”. Hence, learning is no longer

In a survey done by Stanford University, students reported that a homework load of over three hours per night led to sleep deprivation. When students are trying to balance eight hours of class; ten hours of sleep per night; a social life—vital to mental health, and copious amounts of homework, they become overwhelmed with stress. Finland has counteracted this by enacting the principle that “Knowledge, comprehension, and proficiency are mastered in the classroom and not at home” (Fontenot). Students have more free time in the evening and are able to enjoy their childhood. When the major stressor homework is lowered, students are able to focus on