Education and Schooling #8: Finland, Finland, Finland

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Which of these comparisons are you most interested in discussing further?

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0 comments on “Education and Schooling #8: Finland, Finland, Finland”

  2. Larraine Reply

    Hmmm. Well, I wouldn’t get to be a teacher in Finland. I would dispute that having a masters degree necessarily makes you a better teacher. I’ve seen plenty of fantastic teachers who do not have one and I’ve also seen plenty who do that are not….. And vice versa I should add. Maybe that’s something that works in Finland but is not transferrable. Just as the homogeneity of the ethnic population in Finnish schools certainly doesn’t transfer to here. (I’d be interested in some comparison data on that if anyone can find it)

    • not a wild hera Reply

      Yes, you and Andy make a good point about the population, though I gather there has been a fair amount of immigration in recent years in the Scandanavian countries.

      With respect to the master’s requirement, I see what you’re saying, but I was interpreting it a bit differently. Not so much that you can’t be a great teacher without a master’s degree, but that it’s such a highly sought-after job that a) you need to beat the competition to get a teaching job and b) we think our teachers are worth investing in and encouraging to do further study. Imagine if you could round up all the teachers without master’s degrees you know who you think are great teachers, and offer them a couple of years to do some more study. That would be enriching, right?

      But I completely agree with you about the situation here – a master’s degree is not shorthand for a great teacher.

  3. Andy Reply

    I’m wondering whether some of the very impressive stats that come out of Scandinavia arise at least in part due to their being almost complete mono-cultures – similar to what exists in japan and korea. the people have similar cultural norms, expectations.

  4. Pingback: Education and Schooling #9: The Finland Plan [Guest] | sacraparental

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