Quality School Systems

Summary

Quality school systems are crucial to a nation's social, economic and political functions. The article on why Finland has the best schools was written by William Doyle and published in the United States by the Los Angeles Times on 18 March 2016. William explores various school systems in developed countries such as the US and China. Being a scholar, a parent and a lecturer at the University of Eastern Finland, William compares and contrasts major aspects of a school system from an experience point of view. The purpose of his work is to prove that developed countries such as China and the US , have poor education systems compared to developing countries such as Finland. He targets the US education department, scholars and parents. He tries to reach out to the US Department of Education to review the country's education system and curriculum with an intention of improving education quality and general education culture in the country. The article is aimed at enlightening parents on elements of good education and ways of achieving proper and efficient education at school and at home. He also reaches out to schools and institutions to learn from Finland. According to William Doyle (2016), b enchmarking and implementation of good schooling systems as they are transformative and deliver the intended cause which is instilling quality education to children and other scholars in an efficient and satisfying manner.

Response

I agree with William that school systems should make children and scholars comfortable and stress-free. Statistically, Finland has always attained high global test scores and literacy rankings. As described by William, Finnish schools are stunningly stress-free and stunningly good. I also believe that the author, William Doyle, has achieved his cause of educating the society on the importance of quality education systems such as that of Finland. His cause has substantial credibility. He too was told about Finland and its outstanding education system, so when he had an opportunity to visit there, he enrolled his son into one of the schools. He was also a scholar and a lecturer which means he was part of the system. He had a vast opportunity of learning the system and he did learn. He observed that children there are not forced to stay a wake in class but outdoor free-play is mandatory. The emotional mood in and out of classes is always peak: happy. William creates an emotional difference between schools in the United States and those in Finland. He uses an example by a Chinese student who claimed that schools in her country feel like one is in the military. She describes that being in Finnish schools feel like one is part of a really nice family. Poor school systems provide unwanted and irrelevant hardships to innocent children. William also uses a logical point of view to expound and justify his case. In a logical view, making children happy at school and implementing children-friendly practices enlightens the children more. The joy and happiness also make them love being in school hence enhancing their concentration and overall children attendance. In my experience, I disliked homework, termly and annual assessments, and the general school mood. I preferred playing more than sitting long hours in a class where our teachers were harsh and concentrated more on formal education.

Quality school systems can be achieved by first understanding the target stakeholder very well. If it involves children, teachers and system developers must first know and understand every aspect of children. In Finland, education is more play than classwork unlike in the US. Children are educated through play, songs, games, and conversation. Finns say, “Let children be children.” Their work is to play, they learn better when they play”. The focus should be concentrated on the children's safety. In Finland, children play all the time regardless of the weather condition, but they have to be well protected in good clothing. Also, children are protected from political interference in Finland unlike in the US where political disturbances are common in the school environment. “Educators are the ultimate authorities in education, not bureaucrats”, a student told William. Respect for teachers and educators should also be a priority. In Finland, teachers rank second after doctors unlike in the United States where the political and business classes dominate. Professionalism is also a factor in quality education systems. Finnish teachers are required to have a master's degree unlike in the US where teachers are hired without excellent skills and qualifications. Short school hours ensure short formal learning sessions. The lessons are precise and less complex to suit the minds of children.

Conclusion

Quality education is a fundamental right to every child . Happy school environments created by strong school systems translates to high attendance rates, increased morale in all stakeholders and socio-economic success. Integration and collaboration of all participants in creating and implementing education systems are a huge step in achieving quality education globally.

Reference  

William Doyle. (2016). Why Finland has the best schools.