Unlocking Potential: Insights from the World's Happiest Education Systems
Over the last few week’s I have been exploring the diverse landscape of global education systems which has unveiled a huge assortment of approaches, priorities, and outcomes. At the forefront of this exploration are the top-performing nations identified in the latest OECD report on Education, which employs PISA testing to gauge students' aptitude in real-world problem-solving across reading, maths, and science.
Leading the pack is Finland, celebrated for its holistic approach to education and remarkable student performance since 2000. Finland's model prioritises student well-being, fostering a nurturing environment where children only begin their formal schooling at the age of seven. With an emphasis on critical thinking, creativity, and individualised progression, Finnish schools delay standardised testing until high school, allowing students to explore their interests freely.
Canada, though lacking a national system, stands out for its commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunities across provinces. Remarkably, Canadian students excel irrespective of linguistic background or socio-economic status, a testament to the country's dedication to education for all.
Singapore, renowned for its innovative "Teach Less, Learn More" approach, emphasises holistic education over rote learning, leveraging technology to facilitate collaborative learning experiences. Conversely, South Korea and Japan's outstanding academic achievements could be seen to create environments which counter-balance student well-being through intense pressure and long study hours.
Germany's vocational-academic balance empowers students with real-life skills, while Sweden champions a child-centric approach, nurturing critical thinking and digital literacy from an early age. Throughout these systems, some commonalities exist: commitment to student well-being, experiential learning, and the cultivation of practical life skills.
While researching these systems I was hard pressed to find information that wasn’t directly related to achievement. While academic success is important, I decided to also look at the happiest countries in the world and see if I could find any correlation.
Funnily enough Finland comes out on top for the world's happiest country! Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Norway and Sweden also rank very highly.
While academics are important these countries, which consistently ranked among the world's happiest, prioritise equity, inclusion, and equal opportunities in education. I believe this is fundamental if we are to move towards a more conscious society where are youth have a shared compassion for themselves, each other and our planet. The Nordic Model, embraced by Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Denmark, epitomises this ethos, advocating for fairness and access to education for all.
In the pursuit of equity, it's not enough to merely grant rights; but proactive measures must be made to ensure marginalised groups can realise these rights. This principle underscores the Nordic approach, which seeks to dismantle structural inequalities and foster a truly inclusive education system. The thing that really stood out to me was that is that these countries are proactive in ensuring these rights are met and do not just pay lip service to this lofty dream.
I think this quote from the book ‘Equity, Equality and Diversity in the Nordic Model of Education’ sums up the Nordic Model well.“The equalisation of structural inequalities and creation of equity was—and still is—the task of the education system in the Nordic countries. Worldwide, especially within the Nordic countries, the view is being shared that the education system should be fair and provide access and opportunities for further education, regardless of where someone lives, the status of the parental home, where someone comes from, what ethnic background someone has, what age or gender someone is, what skills one has or whether someone has physical disabilities (Blossing et al., 2014; Quaiser-Pohl, 2013).
Another powerful and I think, pertinent quote is “For example, it is not enough to formally grant equal rights in the education system to disadvantaged groups, but something must also be done actively to ensure that marginalised groups can use and realise this equality”
As we reflect on these systems there are also striking similarities in the fundamentals that underscore how students are taught in these Nordic countries.
These include:
a reverence for nature and play,
minimal standardised testing, and
a strong focus on student well-being.
I think it is interesting to note the similarities here between the Nordic Model and the principles that underlie both the Montessori Method and Waldorf Education. While not advocating for a wholesale adoption of any one model, it is interesting to note these similarities and the very real difference they make in the daily lives of students.
It’s apparent that the way we educate our youth is not leading our world in a positive direction, things need to change and while teachers around the world are doing the best they can, there is a fundamental flaw in our systems. We must recognise the profound impact of quality education on societal happiness and well-being and begin looking at what we can do to lead humanity towards a more equal, sustainable and happy future.
In working toward a more conscious education system, we draw inspiration from diverse models, integrating these insights to nurture creativity, independence, and compassion in our youth. By embracing the best practices from around the world, we can forge a path toward a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come.
Thank you and I hope that you have gained some new insights by reading through this post today.
If this work interests you please connect with me on Facebook or Instagram as I would love to share ideas with other passionate educators.
Take care and see you again next week,
Natalie
