In 2009, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) administered the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The test measured the abilities of students from schools around the globe in a comparable format. For the fourth time, Finland placed among the top three countries in science, math and reading. Their competition for the top spot? It is the drill-heavy education systems of Singapore and South Korea. “Wow,” I thought, “what are the Finnish children eating over there?!” The answer is inspirational, Finnish children are eating Freedom O’s for breakfast, with a side of well-educated and revered teachers!
After reading Finnishing School in TIME Magazine, I am intrigued the educational philosophy of the Finnish: shorter school days, less homework, strong teacher-student relationships, highly educated teachers, equality and non-competitiveness. These aspects sound great on paper, and appear to work well in practice in Finland, but could the same philosophy be implemented in America? Would Americans adapt to the non-competitive mindset? What do we stand to learn from the Finnish and how can we make it work for American schools? I am curious to hear what you think after reading the TIME Magazine article, and to see if there are other Finland fans out there! Drop a comment below and we can chat! 
