Lessons in Education, from Overseas
In Finland, nearly every family puts their child in the
neighbourhood school and the government doesn’t like it when
schools are compared, a Finnish journalist says.
“We’re dead set against comparing teachers or schools and setting
them up against each other,” said Maria Annala, a reporter
for the Finnish News Agency. “We have created an environment of
mutual trust and equality. It’s one of our most important
education secrets.”
Finland’s education system has been lauded in recent years as one that performs better than expectated on international assessments. It’s impossible to say if the environment of mutual trust contributes to that success, but that environment is certainly different from the adversarial relationship found in B.C. and other parts of North America.