And the last, (5) High-quality teachers and (6) high freedom for teachers to decide their own contents and style of education are the most interesting parts.

Firstly, the social status of teachers is very high and well respected in Finland.

It’s usually doctors or lawyers in Japan, but not in Finland.

It’s very difficult to become a teacher in Finland. At least a master’s degree is required and it’s very competitive to pass the exams.

Furthermore, the teachers have high power to decide what kind of education they want to do for the children.

This is the point.

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Then, (3) Students don’t attend private or cram school after their study in public schools and (4) less competition is highly related as well.

Why shall we go to school?

This is the question for everything.

If I try to ask this question to people on the street of Tokyo, I’ll never get an answer like “raise one’s cultivation and grow one’s mind.” I believe I would receive answers like “for a prestigious university”, “for higher salary” or “for entering a famous company.”

In my opinion, education is not for studying in a “fantastic university” or for working in a “making people envious company”, education is to make people understand what is important in one’s life. I guess this is the key difference. Of course the welfare system in Finland and in Japan or Taiwan is quite different, which may also make people think differently.

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The Education of Finland is very different from Japan or Taiwan.

As it was reported in PISA (OECD investigation of student achievement) every 3 years, Finland is always at the top positions.

Here I listed up some features of the education of Finland in my image.

(1) Education is fully free of charge from elementary school to doctor’s program
(2) Most schools are public and the quality of education is basically no difference among them.
(3) Students don’t attend private or cram schools after their study in public schools.
(4) Less competition.
(5) High-quality teachers.
(6) High freedom for teachers to decide their own contents and styles of education.

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