Innovation
Finland excels with no private schools/ less study time; Korea's rote system brings results/ deaths
By Finfacts Team
Jan 3, 2012 - 9:28 AM

Society at a Glance 2011: OECD Social Indicators

Finland is acclaimed as one of the rare countries that has managed to build a school system where all children learn well and most schools succeed. It has no private schools; study time is low compared with other countries and a master's degree is the minimum qualification for a teacher. In South Korea students also get impressive results in a culture where parents regard failure to gain entry to university a huge shame.

The high cost of private education in Korea including cramming schools known as hagwons is cutting the birth rate while the factory-style study system has put the country at the top of the league for teen suicides. In the US, many middle-class families now struggle to get by on two paychecks, whereas most got by on just one back in the 1950s and ’60s. It is claimed that part of the reason is that many second paychecks today go toward financing a largely fruitless bidding war for homes in good school districts.

To continue reading this article, subscribe to Finfacts Premium for the low annual charge of €25.

It's a simple fact that in the prevailing economic climate, the provision of high quality content cannot be sustained through advertising alone.  If you are a regular user of Finfacts, 50 euro cent a week is hardly a huge ask to  support the service.

This article can be accessed here.

Today the Irish Times has a number of articles on fee-paying schools. 

Some additional information on Finland is provided in a blog post:  Irish have little interest in reform despite economic crash

Finland pays its teachers well as they are comparable with earnings of medics and lawyers - - but still lower than levels in Ireland.

In 2009, the rate for a primary teacher after 15 years was €50k in Finland and €68k in Ireland according to the OECD. It was €61k at upper secondary level and €68k in Ireland.

In Finland in 2009, a Finnish GP’s pay was 1.8 times the average wage and 3.5 times in Ireland; a salaried specialist earned 2.6 times the average wage in Finland and 4.5 times in Ireland.

According to the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2011, Finland spent 5.8% of GDP on education in 2008; Ireland spent 5.6% (Ireland’s GDP is inflated by the profits of foreign multinationals and GNP is about 20% lower. So effectively Ireland spends more on education than Finland). The United States spent 7.2%; South Korea 7.6% and Norway 7.3%.