The exceptionally high attainment of Finnish students on the PISA test in all three literacy domains has aroused continuous international interest toward the Finnish education system.

Since the release of the first results of PISA 2000, Finnish students’ good performance has generated many candidates for, ranging from the phonetic character of the Finnish language to reading as a common pastime across the social strata, and from free school meals to research-based teacher education. When writing the national report on Finnish results for PISA 2006, however, the close affinity of the objectives of the Finnish basic school reform of 1970s with those of PISA a quarter of a century later began to emerge as the salient factor underlying many of the explanations given for the Finnish success.

These are some of the differences between the Finnish educational systems and general Western educational models:

GENERAL WESTERN MODEL: Standardization Strict standards for schools, teachers and students to guarantee the quality of outcomes. Emphasis on literacy and numeracy Basic skills in reading, writing, mathematics and science as prime targets of education reform. Consequential accountability Evaluation by inspection. 

THE FINNISH SYSTEM Flexibility and diversity School-based curriculum development, steering by information and support. Emphasis on broad knowledge Equal value to all aspects of individual growth and learning: personality, morality, creativity, knowledge and skills. Trust through professionalism A culture of trust on teachers’ and headmasters’ professionalism in judging what is best for students and in reporting of progress.

Even preschool and university are free

In the US, you can pay between US$4,460 and US$13,158 for a year of preschool – and US$3,520 to US$33,480 for college tuition fees. These prices mean that less privileged students are priced out of a world-class education from the age of two until adulthood. But the Finnish understand the best education starts in infancy and carries all the way through to higher education. This is why Finland provides free education from preschool level all the way through to university degrees – to every child in the country. The result is a society of well-educated citizens who have all had equal opportunities to succeed in life. Rather than a person’s life being determined by the wealth of their parents, Finland provides every child with the tools they need to make the most out of their life.

Source:  https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/75640/opm46.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y