Education systems around the world have been tested and redefined to produce good academic results and develop more prepared citizens.
Although neither system is perfect, there are some nations that have had great academic gains and results with their education systems.
4 Countries With Exemplary Educational Systems That Set an Example
Wherever your school is located, it is undoubtedly influenced by your country’s mindset and culture. Although none of the systems are perfect, there are some nations that have had great academic gains and results with their education systems, as well as personal skills that have helped students stand out in life and in the job market.
Next, get to know 4 countries with exemplary educational systems that serve as an example to redefine our priorities and improve education:
Japan
Developing character before knowledge
Anyone who has ever visited Japan must have remarked that the Japanese people are extremely polite and have exemplary habits. The reason for this impeccable behavior is that the country’s culture is focused on building the child’s character even before the educational process, with tests and expository classes.
The early years of a child’s school life in Japan are dedicated to developing respect for others, compassion and generosity, as well as introducing the concepts of right and wrong, justice, self-control and determination. These skills establish the balance necessary to succeed within the classroom and throughout a student’s life.
Students clean their own classrooms.
While many schools hire professionals to clean every corner of the school, in Japan classrooms, hallways, restaurants and cafeterias and even the toilet are cleaned by the students themselves.
Divided into groups, students make cleaning a daily habit. The purpose of this practice is not only to teach them the importance of cleanliness, but also how to work as a team and have respect for their own work and the work of others.
Finland
Less is more
Finland is also in the hall of countries acclaimed for its exemplary education system. Part of this success is due to the “less is more” midset. Teachers in Finland spend about 600 hours a year in the classroom, which represents half the hours spent by teachers in the United States. The advantage of spending less time standing still talking in front of students in a classroom is that teachers gain more time to invest in their own skills and professional development, which has resulted in higher quality, not quantity, of the hours taught. That is, gain for teachers and gain for students.
More time outside the classroom.
Finland and other Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Sweden place great importance on contact with nature. For this reason, children in Finland spend a great deal of time exploring and playing outside the classroom , which offers lessons just as important as those given in class.
Even during the harsh winter, it is possible to see children playing or taking lessons in the country’s forests and mountains. In addition to avoiding sedentary lifestyles and encouraging the little ones to be more active, being close to nature also offers benefits for the mind and well-being of students.
Singapore
Greater investments in technology
Singapore is one of the countries with the best statistics on completion of school term in Asia and also in the world, thanks to massive investments in technology in the classroom for teachers and students.
In the country, it is believed that technology plays an essential role in improving schools and also the opportunities for accessing information. Investments in more technological school practices include high-speed internet for all and books on digital platforms, making teaching materials more accessible, especially for students with lower purchasing power.
The Importance of Positive Psychology.
In recent years, Singapore’s education system has undergone profound reform. One of the changes applied was the development of social and emotional skills, based on recent discoveries in positive psychology, which contribute to the creation of a new mindset and greater resilience. These changes are fundamental within the classroom and have been applied to shape the way subjects are taught, in addition to encouraging positivity in children’s lives.
Germany
There is no competition between schools.
In most countries, there are tests and competitions used to compare the level of different schools. With this, immense pressure is placed on children to have the best possible performance. In Germany, these indices are not published, which means that schools are not constantly concerned about their reputation and are less focused on that single goal.
German schools ensure that not having excessive monitoring of students and teachers ensures that teachers can act more creatively, being more concerned with the education process itself than with achieving results by putting pressure on students.
Less segregation between different levels of learning.
Separating children with different levels of learning is a very common practice around the world, placing them in different classrooms. In Germany, however, schools act in a more generalized and comprehensive way, allowing children of different levels to learn together, in the same classroom. This reduces segregation among students and increases flexibility in dealing with different people.
Is There Perfect Teaching?
There is not yet an educational system that includes all needs, opinions and cultural differences, but one thing that stands out in all of them is the investment in emotional and positive strategies, which help to develop the skills and mindsets necessary for the rest of the life of the student or kid. Furthermore, valuing investment in the quality of teachers also appears as something important and common to large education systems.