The Association "Otraescuelaesposible.es" has published on its website a great report of the reasons for the success of education in Finland today. Your title is: "Education in Finland. Every student is important."
In the Reports of PISA, Analyzing the success of educational programs and systems, published in 2000 and 2003, Finland achieved exceptional results. Meanwhile, Spanish students remained in a position well below the economic and development level of our country. This data, which should make us reflect on the reasons for this failure, has had a low impact on the methodology and programming of Education in Spain.
The Association "Another School is Possible" has been analyzed in depth, based on an article by Paul Robert, director of a Lyceum in France, the reasons for the results of Finland. In this study he makes them known. They are hugely revealing.
Education is not mandatory until 7 years. The spaces are as familiar as possible, preventing the school from being an oppressive or tax place. Even clothes favor comfort. The ratios they are especially low In all cycles. Teachers are close and warm, without trust excluding respect, which must always be mutual.
Learning is the least directive possible, with teachers being more guides and companions than teachers who teach a fixed subject. The particular qualities and interests of each child are enhanced. The teaching hours are only in the morning. Even much later the evenings are dedicated to free play.
Class time does not exceed 45 minutes and between one and the other there are always 15 free minutes in which children can talk, move and use computers according to their preferences. Even the concept of evaluation is very different from the one here.
The way to teach it's not the master lesson, but an open process with activities and workshops, with proposals from students and highly practical. Fundamentally they are participatory. We have much to learn from them.
