This document compares the education systems of the United States and Finland. It provides facts about each country's system, such as the United States having diverse classrooms while Finland's are more homogeneous. It notes Finland's schools have half-day sessions, little homework, and high teacher standards. While the U.S. spends more on education, Finnish students consistently score higher on international tests. The document examines teacher training differences and discusses challenges in comparing the two systems given the U.S.'s issues with poverty, private schools, and language diversity. It concludes with suggestions for improving the U.S. system, such as changing testing and better supporting teachers.

1. EDUCATION IN THE
UNITED STATES VS.
EDUCATION IN FINLAND
By, Katie Sullivan
EDU 557
Professor Stoloff

2. FACTS ABOUT EDUCATION IN THE
UNITED STATES
 The United States has very diverse classrooms and a
wide variety of students from different backgrounds,
ethnicities and races.
 90% of students in the United States do not start formal
schooling until the age of 6.
 The United States spends more public and private
dollars on education than any other country. (Sparks,
2016)
 The American work force has some of the weakest
mathematical and problem solving skills in the
developed world.
 The United States has about 318 million people, and
there are about 300 languages spoken.
 The United States has almost a 25% poverty rate that
grows daily. (Sparks, 2016)

3. FACTS ABOUT EDUCATION IN FINLAND
 Schools hours are cut in half, there is little to no
homework given in schools, there are no
standardized tests, and children have a 50-minute
recess. (New York Times, 2013)
 Children begin formal schooling around 7 yrs. old
 Finland schools are nationally funded based on the
number of students.
 Teachers are required to obtain a three-year
masters degree, state-funded, before teaching.
Only one in 10 primary school teacher applicants
are accepted. (New York Times, 2013)
 Finland has about 5.3 million people and it quite
homogeneous, with most people of Finnish
heritage.

4. EXAMPLES OF EDUCATION IN
OTHER COUNTRIES
 Researchers found that as of 2011, 9 out of 10
students in France, Germany, Italy, and the United
Kingdom had entered formal education by ages 3
and 4. (Sparks, 2016)
 The United States has mediocre high school
graduation rates, leading China, Turkey, and
Mexico, but lagging behind Canada, Germany, Italy,
Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom.
 Canada has a more rigorous and selective teacher
preparation system than the United States
 Shanghai’s students were first in the world in math,
science and literacy on last year’s (2016)
international exams. (Sparks, 2016)

5. EXAMPLES OF EDUCATION IN OTHER
COUNTRIES. CONTINUED..
 Academic pressures in South Korea are very high.
The government officials and school administration
are very aware of the pressures, but they are no
match for the ambitious students and parents, who
understand that passing the countries stringent
graduation exam is the key to a successful,
prosperous life.
 In the United States, sports are at times ‘the core
culture’. Ripley (2013) states, “In Poland, sports
simply do not figure into the school day. The
children play plenty of sports after school on their
own and they know school is for academics only-or
what mattered to kids’ life chances.”

8. WHAT MAKES FINLAND SO
SUCCESSFUL IN EDUCATION?
 The teacher preparation process is very rigorous and
the country hold their teachers in very high esteem such
as doctors and lawyers.
 By professionalizing the teacher corps and raising its
value in society, the Finns have made teaching the
country’s most popular occupation for the young.
 Finnish students have ranked at or near the top of the
Program for International Student Assessment ever
since testing started in 2000. (Tung, 2012)
 Finnish schools avoided nationwide tests to evaluate
teachers, students or schools, instead relying on
sample-based testing and school principals to identify
potential problems

9. WHAT MAKES FINLAND SCHOOLS SO
SUCCESSFUL? CONTINUED..
 Schools are provided additional funding if they have
a higher proportion of immigrants or students
whose parents are uneducated or unemployed.
 Ironically, inspiration for many of Finland's changes
came from research in the United States, which
contributes 80 percent of the world's education
research. It was built on the excellent, high-
performing, equitable system that everyone is
praising today, based on American innovations
(Shumer, 2014)
 By age 15, Finnish students outperform all but a
few countries on international assessments.

10. WHAT MAKES FINLAND EDUCATION SO
SUCCESSFUL? CONTINUED..
 Finland schools are built on a culture of rigor.
 Students work hard because they know it is the
only way they will get into college or university or
even get a job.
 According to Ripley (2013) “Americans educators
described Finland as a silky paradise, a place
where all the teachers are admired and all the
children beloved.”
 All teachers have a real passion for their job.
 Students do not have the technology that the
schools in the United States have available. They
are focused on solely learning from the teacher and
on academics.

11. EDUCATION FINLAND HAS THE BEST
EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE WORLD
-NIGHTLY NEWS (2010)
Click on the link below to view a
YouTube video regarding Finland
school systems.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0__9s3A2pcA

12. SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES AND FINLAND EDUCATION
SYSTEM
 The United States and Finland kindergarten system
both escape standardized testing, however,
students in the United States are regularly
assessed to ensure progress is being made.
 The length of the school year in Finland is almost
the same as the United States.
 Finnish education programs have adopted the two
semester system. The school year last for
approximately 190 days.. There are 180 school days on
the calendar; however, students are only required to
attend 168 of those days

13. OTHER DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES AND FINLAND
EDUCATION
 Day (2015) states, “An average Finnish teacher
teaches 600 hours annually or about 4 or less
lessons daily. An average U.S. teacher almost
doubles that teaching time with an average of over
1,1080 of in-class instruction annually. This equals
an average of six or more lessons daily.”
 Elementary students in Finland often have the
same teacher for up to six years of education.
These teachers know where each of their students
have been and where they are going.

14. IS IT FAIR TO COMPARE FINLAND
EDUCATION WITH THE UNITED STATES
EDUCATION?
 Finland students speak a language at home other than
Finnish. In the U.S. Wilde (2015) found, “8% of children are
English Language Learners, according to the U. S.
Department of Education.
 Finland does not have to deal with the challenges of
immigration, language and ethnic diversity, and, most
importantly, issues of poverty.
 Finland does not have any private schools. Even the few
independent schools are publicly financed. So U.S. charter
and private schools also make comparisons between the U.S.
and Finland more complicated.
 Shumer (2014) states, “It may be more fair to compare the
U.S. with countries such as Indonesia (12.5 percent poverty
rate) or Brazil (21.4 percent poverty rate), the 4th and 5th
largest countries in the world.”

15. 1ST GRADE IN FINLAND VS 1ST GRADE
IN THE UNITED STATES
 The math and reading tests given are very different
from each other. The Finnish tests have
considerable less text and the words are broken
into syllables making it easier for first grade
students to read.
 Student start schooling in Finland at the age of 7,
so when they begin first grade they are just learning
how to be in school and ‘get their feet wet’. The
United States jumps into testing our students the
second they walk into school. The curriculum
moves quickly so teachers can cover all material,
even if mastery is not made.

16. CONFLICT OF INTEREST?
 Walker (2015) observed, the publisher of the first
grade math curriculum is Person. This is the same
company that designs standardized tests for most
NY students in grades 3-8. The same company that
is being paid to design standardized tests for NY is
also being paid to design curriculum for NY
students. It is in the interest of Person to design
curriculum that will help students succeed on their
standardized test.
 This conflict on interest does not exist in Finland.
There is just one high-stakes standardized test and
students are only eligible to take this exam after
passing their high school course. This exam is
created by a board that is nominated by the Finnish
Ministry of Education.

17. WHAT ARE CHANGES THE UNITED
STATES CAN MAKE TO THE
EDUCATION SYSTEM?
 Change the way we test and analyze our students
 Better prepare our teachers for the challenges they
face in the classroom. Show more confidence in
teachers and their abilities.
 Strengthen relationships with students and
emphasize the importance of schooling
 Have shorter work days, less homework, and more
time for exploration and play.
 Look more in-depth into topics and not rush through
curriculum just to cover each area.
 Fewer students and more individual attention

18. HOW DOES THIS AFFECT MY CAREER
AS A TEACHER TODAY IN THE UNITED
STATES?
 Other countries have become more competitive and
are producing higher results in education.
 The United States feels they have to keep making
changes to the education system, and we find
students are failing under our watch.
 I feel there need to be major changes to the
education system, and this may affect my career.
 The United States poverty rates grow daily and
more children are going to school without the
resources they need to succeed.
 More stress is placed on teachers and students
daily.

19. DE-GRADING EDUCATION:
ELIZABETH WISSNER-GROSS
 Click on the link below to view a powerful TED talk
regarding our failing schools in our country today
and why..
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzSnvxejenY

20. RESOURCES
 Sparks, S. D. (2016, January 04). Five Ways U.S. Education Differs From
Other G-20 Countries. Retrieved from
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-
research/2016/01/7_ways_US_differs_G20_education.html
 T. (2013, December 17). Why Other Countries Teach Better. Retrieved
from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/18/opinion/why-students-do-
better-overseas.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
 Tung, S., & Tung, S. (2012, January 20). How the Finnish school system
outshines U.S. education. Retrieved from
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/january/finnish-schools-reform-
012012.html
 Sanchez, C. (2014, March 8). What The U.S. Can Learn From Finland,
Where School Starts At Age 7. Retrieved from
http://www.npr.org/2014/03/08/287255411/what-the-u-s-can-learn-from-
finland-where-school-starts-at-age-7
 Shumer, R. (2014, July 11). Finland not an apt educational model for
U.S. schools. Retrieved from http://www.startribune.com/finland-
not-an-apt-educational-model-for-u-s-schools/266823501/

21. RESOURCES
 Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). What we can learn from Finland's
successful school reform. Retrieved January 04, 2017, from
http://www.nea.org/home/40991.htm
 H. (2016, May 21). First Grade Math Tests in American and Finnish
Classrooms. Retrieved from http://taughtbyfinland.com/first-grade-
math-tests-in-american-and-finnish-classrooms/
 Day, K. (2015, May 12). 11 Ways Finland’s Education System Shows
Us that “Less is More”. Retrieved from
https://fillingmymap.com/2015/04/15/11-ways-finlands-education-
system-shows-us-that-less-is-more/
 Sahlberg, P., & Hargreaves, A. (2011). Finnish lessons: what can the
world learn from educational change in Finland? New York:
Teachers College Press.
 Ripley, A. (2014). The smartest kids in the world: and how they got
that way. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.