The Finnish School System

American students dream of going to schools that have less homework, less school hours, and less standardized tests. But this is actually a Finnish student's reality. American parents, teachers, and students might be skeptical that the Finnish school system is superior, but according to Pearson (an education firm), Finland is one of the best countries in the world for education. By comparison to other developed countries, America ranks 17th out of 40. America's school system needs to be improved, and the Finnish school system may be our answer. First, Finland's school system has outstanding results. According to The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), a worldwide study that ranks the knowledge of 70 countries in reading, science, and math, Finland is first in science and second in reading and math. The United States did not rank as high. The US is 25th in math, 17th in science, and 12th in reading. Also, 93% of Finland's students graduate from high school. That is 17.5% better than American students. Not only are the statistics great for graduating high school, also 66% of Finns are accepted to college. That is a higher rate than the US and every European country. …show more content…
According to Stanford University, Finnish students don't get homework until they are late into their teenage years and don't receive grades until they are in high school. Those are two of the most important features in an American school, and the Finnish don't use it. Not only that but, students in Finland only take one mandatory standardized test at the age of 16 and don't start school until they are seven years old. While these strategies seem out of the ordinary to Americans, it's safe to say that the strategies are able to get incredible