Text 2:
What makes a school good? (Part II)
Another reason the schools may be so successful is
the teachers. Teachers in Finland are seen as very
important. They are well respected and the field of
education is considered to be a science, with its own
methodology, theory and principles. Every teacher
studies for five years before they can teach. This is in
contrast with the status of education in many other countries. Perhaps this explains why it's actually
rather difficult to get a job as a teacher in Finland, as
well as the reason that it's such a popular job.
In order to get students' opinions about what makes a
school 'good', I visited my local school playground to
do a little informal research. The thirteen-year-olds I
spoke to were interested to hear about the Finnish
schools. I asked them if they thought British schools
were too strict and whether they thought more
students would go to university if things were
changed. Fay, one of the best students in her year,
said she didn't think British students would benefit
from a school that was too easy-going. She felt her
teachers weren't strict enough, and that was why few
students in her school went on to higher education.
So it seems that the Finnish education system has
come up with a 'formula' that works successfully in
that country. Their example can serve as a model for
other countries, but each country will have to work
hard to put together an education system that will
meet the needs of its people.
Taken from: Chapman, Joanne. Laser B1 +. Teacher's book.
Macmillan, 2008.