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Finland’s emergence as a world-leading education system surprised even the Finns. But there are also many myths about how they did it.
There are no short, simple answers to frequently asked questions about what makes Finnish schools so good. It is important to keep in mind that the Finns never planned it that way, it was an accident. Here are three commonly mentioned factors of success.
First, just like in any other walk of life, decisions regarding how to do your best should happen as close to the practice as possible. Therefore, Finland’s education policies have pushed the authority from the central administration to local communities and schools.
Furthermore, teachers in Finland enjoy a fair amount of professional autonomy compared to their Irish peers, for example. This independence in schools is not a total freedom to do whatever teachers want. It is rather autonomy that is built on professional collaboration and trust within schools.