Finnish Ahead in Education

The article on the education system in Finland was really eye-opening. Immediately I saw major contrasts between what the Finnish do versus what we do here in the U.S. As we discussed in class, our U.S. schools tend to emphasize a lot of extracurricular activities. School becomes a vehicle for competition and fun in those activities instead of for expanding students' thinking skills. Actual class time loses its value and kids don't see the purpose of sitting in class when their other activities, like sports, are being emphasized so much by parents, coaches, and friends.

I also think that the lack of competition to get into college is an advantage that the Finnish have. In the U.S. we often get caught up in working for the grade so that we can get into a good college. In college we work for a good grade so that we can get a good job. We don't go to class to enjoy ourselves or to solely work at our own academic progress. Rather, we go to class so that we can get the material that we need to pass the test and do better than our classmates. The classroom has become a competitive arena at many ages. Kids are comparing scores all of the time trying to see who's "better" or "smarter". This often leaves kids feeling inadequate and dumb. School shouldn't be a competition because when kids fear being the losers, then they won't want to try to succeed.