Finnish education system rated best in world

Finland has the world’s best education system, according to a recent study carried out by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The report, released this week by UK-based publisher Pearson, placed Finland in first place and South Korea in second. The group said that results were based on attendance, university graduation rates and literacy rates.

Officials from the EIU also noted that the two countries produce good teachers and follow moral missions that work to promote education.

Speaking to YLE about Finland’s education strategy, Harvard Graduate School of Education professor Robert Schwartz said, “[In Finland] kids start school later; school hours are shorter than most others; they don’t assign homework; their teachers are in front of kids less. By one estimate, Italians go to school three years longer.”

Meanwhile, Mexico, Brazil and Indonesia took the lowest three positions among the 40 countries studied. Finland also vastly outperformed its Scandinavian neighbours, with the Danish system ranking 12^th, Sweden ranking 21^st and Norway coming in at 26^th.

Conversely, Asian education systems once again earned high marks, as South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore rounded out the top five.