Time waits for no one and the leaders of today won’t be living forever to govern the world. A few decades from now, countries worldwide will be led by the youth of this day, hence the future success of a country depends on the education of its children, right from the primary school stage.
Children’s thoughts, as well as their actions, are actively being shaped by what they’re taught in school and by their learning experiences. This is why a country’s education system is the best predictor of its future success.
Children must have access to quality education and a safe environment to learn in. A well-developed public education system begins on a holistic foundation and pays due attention to the needs of developing minds and bodies, with a drive towards the demands of the future.
Ever wondered why some countries seem to be thriving in almost every aspect while some seem to lag? Take a closer look at some successful countries and you’ll find that they have some of the best systems in terms of education. Systems between the countries vary though, some quite vastly, as seen from the few examples here.
Finland
The Finnish school system has been consistent in its international top ranking for education systems. The country is quite known for its unorthodox approach in education, going against the popular evaluation-driven centralized model set forth and followed by the Western world. Compared to students in other countries, Finnish school kids rarely take exams or do homework until they are 16. They complete their work and assignments diligently in class. Although they aren’t even measured in any way for the first six years in school, they generally outscore some high performing Asian nations whose students receive hours of additional tutoring and are evaluated multiple times during their schooling life.
Children of all learning capabilities
From fast learners to slower ones, all learn in the same classroom. They also get 75 minutes of recess each day. The kids start school at the age of 7 when they are developmentally ready to learn and focus. They only have nine years of compulsory schooling. – . Everything after the ninth grade is optional and students can choose to either proceed with upper secondary school, go into vocational school, or even enter the workforce if they wish to.
As for the teachers, they have the same status as doctors and lawyers. They are selected from the top 10% of graduates and must have a master’s degree, which is fully subsidized. Quite simply, society trusts the schools to hire good teachers who do their job well and students follow the educational path that suits them best.
As of 2017, teachers have been working with researchers, architects, and furniture makers to create ideal learning spaces for school children. These open-concept classrooms make it easier for teachers to change the setting according to the requirements of the lessons, as well as create the most comfortable and conducive learning environment for the students. As NO 1 for education systems in the world, Finland has got it sorted out!
Japan
The Japanese value excellent manners. According to the Japanese culture, it’s more important to teach proper etiquette to young students than to focus on students’ energy on studying for upcoming standardized tests. That’s why Japanese students are not required to take exams until after fourth grade Since they strongly believe that children’s character must be developed first, the schools avoid judgements (via tests, exams, etc) during students’ learning progress.
Developing respect for others is taught in the classroom, among the students, and towards their teachers. The student-teacher relationship is so revered that out of not wanting to disappoint their teachers, students won’t defy or act out.
They’re taught to clean up after themselves and also to tidy their classrooms as well as keep the lavatories in clean, working order.
All students are served nutritious meals at school. Japanese students are taught to eat healthy from a very young age. Menus at schools are a collaboration between healthcare professionals and trained chefs and are largely prepared using fresh ingredients.
Academically, the elementary school curriculum covers Japanese, social studies, mathematics, science, music, arts and handicrafts, homemaking, and physical education. Emphasis is given to music, fine arts, and physical education. The middle school students receive instruction from specialist subject teachers and the curriculum includes Japanese, mathematics, social studies, science, English, music, art, physical education, field trips, clubs, and homeroom time. The pace is quick and textbook oriented because teachers have to cover a lot of ground in preparation for high-school entrance examinations. Although Japanese schools are obliged to use textbooks that have been evaluated and approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, individual schools and teachers free to choose classroom content and presentations aside from government approval of texts and teaching materials. As a result of the country’s excellent education system, Japanese school graduates are some of the cleverest, most well-mannered bunch of young people on the planet.
New Zealand
The educational system in New Zealand is extremely varied and is one of the best in the world. According to scores, it has the highest levels of literacy, mathematics, and sciences around. The public educational system is one of the best-funded in the world; New Zealand offers the highest percentage of public funding in education in the world. Several indices rate New Zealand as the number one country in the world for education.
So what makes New Zealand so unique?
What makes it different than all of the other developed countries that provide education to their children? It is based on several things; first, because New Zealand natives believe in giving everyone the education that they deserve. There are many private schools, but because the country is so great at giving their public schools the monies they need, many parents are just as happy using the public system.
The other reason is that the educational system focuses on both practical and academic achievement. Instead of sticking to a regimen that no one really understands and doesn’t tell us anything, the New Zealand public education system focuses on being open-minded and letting children explore, thus allowing them to learn in the best way that they can. This gets them ready for college or the workplace upon finishing their secondary education.
Estonia
According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a premier global metric for education, compiled by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the results of Estonian 15-year-olds are the best in Europe and among the strongest in the entire world. The PISA study of 2015 concentrated on natural sciences and also tested pupils in mathematics and functional reading.
According to the study, the knowledge and skills of Estonian 15-year-olds in biology, geography, physics, and chemistry are among the best in the world – the first in Europe and third on a global scale. The number of top achievers who can solve extremely complicated tasks is higher than ever before – standing at 13.5 percent, while the OECD average is eight. Among the European countries, Estonia has the least low performers – over twice as little compared with other countries’ averages, the Estonian ministry of education said in a statement.
The Estonian minister of education, Mailis Reps, said the results showed the Estonian schools are ambitious and teachers very determined at their jobs. “We’ve developed our education system, dwelling on the correct principles, because the effect of these changes will also be seen in 10-15 years,” she said. “I’m glad that we’ve ensured and kept the status of a top country in the field of education, despite our more austere means compared with other countries.”
In mathematics, the Estonian youths came second in Europe together with Switzerland, and ninth in the world. Almost 90% of the Estonian youngsters have at least the basic knowledge in mathematics, which puts Estonia among the five best countries… In functional reading skills, Estonian pupils come third in Europe and sixth in the world.
Barbados
The school education system in Barbados adheres closely to British norms and is paid for by the government right through tertiary levels too. The nation enjoys a literacy level in excess of 98% thanks to the emphasis the state places on this. The 6 years of primary school education begins at age 4. At age 11, the children write their common entrance examination in order to qualify for secondary school. Secondary schooling follows through to age 18, although it becomes non-compulsory 2 years earlier. At that point, students write their Caribbean examination council examinations similar to gce o-level. Those who remain on for their final 2 years may write the Caribbean advanced proficiency certificate that leads on to opportunities for tertiary education.
The Barbados vocational board provides skills both to employed and unemployed persons. These range from short courses through to 5 year apprenticeships in all disciplines.
There are no universities per se in Barbados. There is however a Branch of the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, the Barbados Community College, a Teacher’s Training Institute, and the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic. The latter is named after the first person of African descent to be elected to the Barbados Parliament, and who was later named the right excellent.
Singapore
For more than a decade, Singapore has managed to emerge as one of the top education systems in the world. In general, classroom instruction in Singapore is highly-scripted and uniform across all levels and subjects. Teaching is coherent, fit-for-purpose, and pragmatic, drawing on a range of pedagogical traditions, both Eastern and Western.
Singapore’s schooling system primarily focuses on coverage of the curriculum, the transmission of factual and procedural knowledge, and preparing students for end-of-semester and national high stakes examinations.
Surprisingly, Singaporean teachers only make limited use of “high leverage” or unusually effective teaching practices that contemporary educational research (at least in the West) regards as critical to the development of conceptual.
Understanding and “learning how to learn”
Teachers rely heavily on textbooks, worksheets, worked examples, and lots of drill and practice. They also strongly emphasise mastery of specific procedures and the ability to represent problems clearly, especially in mathematics. Classroom talk is teacher-dominated and generally void of extended two-way discussion.
Teachers also make limited use of checking a student’s prior knowledge or communicating learning goals and achievement standards. While they do monitor student learning and provide feedback and learning support to students, they largely do so in ways that focus on whether or not students know the right answer, rather than on their level of understanding.
