Finland’s education system is considered one of the best in the world. Finland (芬兰) is not only the top European country but also competes with Asian giants like Shanghai, Singapore and South Korea. But what makes the educational system in this small country so different from others in the western world?
Until the 1960s Finland’s school system had been influenced largely by its neighbor, the Soviet Union. Most students left school after six years; some went on to private (私人的) schools. Only the wealthy ones got a better education. In the middle of the 1960s the Finnish government saw the need to reform and modernize (使现代化) their education system if they wanted to be internationally competitive.
Most of Finland’s schools get their money from the government. The people who are in charge of the education system, from teachers to officials are trained teachers, not politicians like in other countries.
Teachers work with their pupils in school as much as possible. When teachers are not with the pupils, they spend a lot of time in schools working on the curriculum and new projects.
All Finnish children, whether they come from the city or the country, whether from a rich or poor family, have the same chances in education. There are not so many differences between the wealthy and poor, as in America or other western European countries. Education experts say that there is very little difference between very good and the worst students. Two thirds of Finnish pupils move on to higher education, the highest rate (比率) in the European Union.
【小题1】What did the Finland government do in the middle of the 1960s?| A．They encouraged students to go to private school. |
| B．They lengthened preschool education. |
| C．They reformed the school system. |
| D．They learned modern education from neighboring countries. |
| A．the children in Finland attend preschool at the age of six |
| B．the children in Finland are educated equally |
| C．the school system in Finland is better than that in Singapore |
| D．the school equipment in Finland doesn’t meet international standards |
| A．the school system in Finland has been very successful |
| B．Asian countries are successful in school education |
| C．students in these places are better than those in European countries |
| D．the educational system in Asia is different from that in the western world |
| A．What Differences European Schools Have | B．Why Finland’s School System Has Changed |
| C．What Good Schools Provide Students With | D．Why Finland’s School System Is Successful |
