There are many false interpretations and incorrect conceptions about school education in Finland. In recently published policy brief titled “Facts and Myths About Finnish Schools” by Center for Strategic Education (CSE) in Melbourne I bust some of the most common myths about Finland’s schools.
I first discuss two fallacies that have unintended consequences: that the most important single factor in improving the quality of education is teachers; and that the quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers. I then focuses on three common myths about Finnish schools in Australia and beyond – that there is no homework; that Finland is scrapping curriculum subjects; and that only the best and brightest are to teach. My purpose is to argue that interest in international borrowing and lending of educational ideas has sometimes led to wrong conclusions regarding the power of imported solutions from one country to another, expresses caution in this regard, and concludes with recommendations for future policy making.
CSE’s work highlights connections between educational practice, research and policy; between independent, Catholic and government educators; between local, State, national and international levels of activity; and between the teaching profession, education agencies and policy makers.
Link to CSE’s website and other publications in this series is here.