For many years, the Scandinavian nations have topped the PISA list of the nations with the highest percentage of an educated population. The high scores did not come easily but the governments had to restructure the education system and come with better innovative ways. Learn the top 3 secrets to Scandinavian innovation in education.
The Scandinavian government had first to create a conducive environment for all children to join a school and continue learning to the highest level. Teachers also needed incentives while teaching. An overhaul in the Scandinavian education system was done through the following steps.
Education is not about exams
Most education systems internationally are test-based systems where students learn for a given period and then sit for tests before graduating to the next phase. Test-based education systems have major challenges that affect teachers, students, parents and governments.
On one hand, teachers rush through syllabuses to evade blame that the students failed because they didn’t cover the whole syllabus. On the other hand, students are preoccupied with passing exams and therefore, they spend their time cramming notes instead of understanding concept.
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Parents and governments put pressure on students and students and judge their performance by the number of As students score. The Scandinavians were quick to notice this gap and the governments chose to focus on knowledge-based education.
They scrapped off exams from early childhood to the junior high. Students only sit for an exam when they are preparing to join higher education. The no exams policy has helped teachers and students to focus on quality instead of quantity.
It has also helped ease off the pressure on students and teachers that can come from parents and government demanding exam-based performance. Instead, students are graded individually and it is the teacher who sets the grading system.
Buying a college paper
College education prepares students for long-term work life. One of the best ways to prepare the students away from lectures is assignments which can include homework, essays, dissertations and research paper.
Due to inexperience, the college student can be faced with challenges on how to structure their papers. One solution to this challenge is asking for a help from the professional writing service writix.co.uk. Assignments require students to commit themselves to study and research and this is where the writing will help you immensely.
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The policy of the balanced school and work-life
In the traditional education system, teachers are rewarded according to hard work. The measure for hard work is done by the number of hours the teacher spends in class and how fast they cover the syllabus.
Students are also rewarded according to hard work. They need to study as many books as possible and possibly spend their entire school life on books. Teachers also spend every free minute they get to prepare notes for the next lesson or marking homework and assessment tests.
A visit to Scandinavian schools will reveal a different scenario. Lessons are sufficiently balanced to create time for relaxation in between. Lessons take forty-five minutes, followed by a 15-minute break. The purpose of the break is to help teachers relax before they go for the next lesson.
Students also spend this time relaxing and catching up with their on a few conversations with their classmates. In the Scandinavian education system, there is nothing like wasted time.
The many breaks between lessons help students and teachers to relax and you will rarely meet a stressed teacher or student. They always have fresh energies before the start of any lesson.
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The free mandatory education system
It is possible to meet with children who dropped from school due to lack of fee. Every year, thousands of students drop from basic education schools, high schools and universities because of fee-related challenges. Nations end with a generation where half the population is learned and half is not.
The Scandinavian nations were able to overcome this challenge by declaring education free and accessible for all citizens. At the age of six, children join the mandatory early childhood classes.
The mandatory classes continue up to junior high school. In senior high school and university, the education system is not mandatory but remains free. The government believes that an educated population can be better innovators.
The top 3 secrets to Scandinavian innovation in education – Conclusion
The Scandinavian education system took many years of reforms to become what it is today. Although the political leadership in the Nordic region actively took the initiative and pioneered reforms in their education systems, the generation population was supportive even today. The result was an educated population and the benefits can be seen in Nordic technology, arts and innovation. Governments around the world can replicate the Nordic secrets of the knowledge-based education system to produce a productive population.
The top 3 secrets to Scandinavian innovation in education is written exclusively for Daily Scandinavian by Emma Rundle. Emma works in the sales department of an engineering and technology firm and her work is mostly at the B2B level. Her side gig as an academic writer for a thesis writing agency is something she really admires. Her free time is for drawing cartoons, enjoy skiing and meditating.
Feature image (on top): Photo by Annie Spratt / Unsplash