What are Finnish schools doing right and what are we doing wrong in the US?

I don’t know. It’s clear that US schools have problems – especially when it comes to school districts that are under-funded. But I wonder if we aren’t over-emphasizing the fact that US schools are lacking in many areas and teach to the test, etc.

My coworker is from India, and we were discussing cultural differences and attitudes towards education. He said that in his experience, cultural (and family) attitudes about education in India are completely different then they are here. Education is valued above nearly everything. There are expectations about what a child should study (physician or engineer), and parents shape family life around these values. In much of the US, this is just not the case. We were not saying if that was a good thing or not – he was just commenting that there is a difference.

I was an awful student. Horrible. I can point to bad teachers, an uninspired school system, uneducated parents who didn’t value education, divorce and money-related problems at home during my early childhood, etc. But I don’t really know why I did so poorly.

I guess I am asking if it’s possible that we have two problems:
1. An educational system that needs large reforms.
2. A culture that doesn’t really value education.

Good point about valuing education, or the lack of it. Has it lost it’s value because everyone has the opportunity now, not just those who can afford it?

What they’re doing right is not being American. Our values in general are terrible. We care about money, other countries care about people more.

@rojo: “Has it lost it’s value because everyone has the opportunity now, not just those who can afford it?”

I don’t know. But here’s an uncomfortable fact that I don’t know what to do with: When I was in school, children of upper-middle class professionals excelled and did really well, while poor/working-class kids (like me) struggled. There were exceptions of course, but I am also noticing that in my current town with my kids. There are populations that are excelling (Indian, Chinese, and extremely-rich sections of town), while others are struggling a bit.

We could look at these differences and (incorrectly) assume that we’re just seeing inherited intelligence playing itself out. But I really think there is a huge family education-emphasis component to education. So, while I suspect that the US as a whole doesn’t value education, I don’t think this applies to every population and socioeconomic class equally. There are families who bring their kids’ education to unhealthy levels, in my opinion. There are wealthy parents in my town who have identified short lists of ivy league schools for their kindergartners. And they use every resource available (private tutors, etc) to make sure their kids succeed. These kids are not falling through the cracks – because they have parents who won’t let them. But there are cracks, and what happens if you don’t have a support system? What’s to keep you falling through those cracks and being a victim of a crappy school system that seems to work fine for the privileged?

Finland has significantly fewer children born to women aged 15–19 than the US. These numbers are old but I can only assume the US is worse now.
Finland 13 births per 1000 women
US 64 births per 1000 women.

Fewer birth means more girls finishing school, with higher education.,
Higher education means better chances for their children to learn about how to behave and become a productive members of society.
Better role models and value of education .

We can’t continue to keep throwing money at kids having kids and expect them to suddenly see the light.
——————————
Source:
According to a study sponsored by the Robin Hood Foundation, American taxpayers will spend nearly $7 billion in 1996 to deal with the social problems resulting from recent births by girls under the age of 18. Number of births per 1,000 women aged 15–19,1990–1995
Country Fertility rate Country Fertility rate
Japan 4 Belarus 28
Switzerland 5 Poland 28
Netherlands 7 Iceland 29
France 9 Slovenia 30
Italy 9 Croatia 32
Belgium 10 Lithuania 32
Denmark 10 Bosnia/Herz. 33
Malta 12 United Kingdom 33
Spain 12 Estonia 34
Finland 13 Latvia 35
United States 64

I think that there is an over valuing of math and science. It is like the USA just wants better tech , like I phones, rather than having a diverse education standards. More and more resources are put into maintaing Moores Law rather then contributing to culture.

The theory of little value on education is interesting. I think education is still valued in Germany, though, and we are definitely asking ourselves the same question.

The Fins are brilliant at teaching children according to where they are, developmentally. Personally, I think that’s the most important difference. It’s ridiculous to expect thirty kids to be able to learn the exact same thing at the same time, all of them needing just the allotted time.

These Finnish children start school at age 7 and, in addition to Finnish, learn Swedish and English as well. Seems like we can’t even get ours to learn their own language.

Another thing that bothers me is our attitude that if we (Americans) did not come up with it, it is not even worth our time to consider. I see this in many different areas, not just this one. The one I recall right now is health care.

It is as if we feel we have to re-invent the wheel every time we do something instead of building on the successes of others from different nationalities.

I suspect it is the same reason that the Chinese beat us in Math