India looks to Finland for an educational model that works

The world of education has long been aware of Finland’s extraordinary success with its radically creative educational system. The concepts that inspired Finland’s governance were not novel nor unique. For more than a century, educational reformers have discussed, implemented, experimented, and verified them in a variety of settings. Finland is the only country that has implemented them on a national level.

Philosophers and psychologists pioneered the theoretical basis, including key contributions from Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. They came up with the term “constructivism” to describe their educational philosophy. Its core concept is that knowledge is holistic, implying that it is built non-linearly from a variety of interrelated learning experiences. It is in opposition to the widely used linear method, which reduces learning to the mechanical presentation and absorption of officially stated facts, rules, and principles.

Being Guru encapsulates the fundamental elements that underpin Finland’s educational effectiveness goal.

• Collaboration triumphs over rivalry.
• Teaching is a well-respected profession in the society.
• Learning research takes precedence over political reasoning.
• Experimentation with different teaching methods is encouraged.
• Playtime is an important and crucial aspect of the educational process.
• To avoid influencing the emergence of knowledge, homework is prohibited.
• Preschool that is of high quality focuses on creating the circumstances for active, cooperative learning.