Does Finland have something to teach us about education?

There has been a lot of attention paid to Finland’s success in international testing. Look at this link and follow some of the links on the blog. I find the comparison between Finland and Norway to be of interest. It counters the argument that the Finnish model can’t be applied elsewhere because the Finnish population is more homogeneous.

What I find most encouraging is that in this age of high tech fixes, the Finns turned around their education system by investing in people, their teachers. Given the education system in the U.S., I never gave serious consideration to becoming a teacher, even though my view and style is largely academic. If I had grown up in Finland, I may have felt differently. Teachers there are actually given respect and teachers are considered professionals on a par with other occupations.