Where they really do achieve excellence in education

The Smithsonian Magazine decided to go to Finland to find out what the Finns were doing to excel in education. They are in the top five percentile in science, math and reading of all the countries in the world.

Ninety-three percent of Finns graduate from academic or vocational high schools, 17.5 percentage points higher than the United States, and 66 percent go on to higher education, the highest rate in the European Union. Yet Finland spends about 30 percent less per student than the United States.

Besides Finnish, math and science, the first graders take music, art, sports, religion and textile handcrafts. English begins in third grade, Swedish in fourth. By fifth grade the children have added biology, geography, history, physics and chemistry.

Kids get 15 minutes of outside play after each subject. Outside play is usually what my kids tell me is the highlight of their school days here in America.

What it all seems to boil down to is that the Finns are committed to education as the foundation to building their economy and their nation. They are willing to do whatever it takes to help each child succeed.