Finland outperformed over 24 countries on the 2009 PISA. Many of these countries, including the United States are more developed than Finland and should have been able to blow the Finnish out of the water. So why did they beat the United States in all categories. It’s simple really, Finland balances curriculum with professionalism and NOT testing. They focus on a more hands on approach to education including more play and arts and crafts. The students do not see a standardized test until the end of high school. When the students take the PISA tests, they are not rewarded nor face consequences for their performance.
I am a firm believer in relating education to the real world. Through projects and hands on education, students can learn the necessary standards while also learning life skills. The Finland School System emphasizes teaching children to know, to create, and to develop natural curiosity (Glatthorn 189). I believe children in the United States today have lost the art form of curiosity. They want to sit behind a screen and be given anything they want without having to work for it. If we allowed students to learn through trial and error and force them to see how education is used in day to day life instead of education being a means to a test score, I believe more of our students would grow and be more successful.
It is time to do away with more and more testing and start building portfolios of out students discovering education in more meaningful ways.