Why Finland is the answer to our problem

Hong Kong’s educational competitiveness has never been fiercer in today’s market. Parents put heavy academic pressure on their children’s studies in hope of academic excellence. This academic oriented city centered mainly on achieving academic excellence that it has neglected more important things for instance personal development. 

Academic competitiveness in Hong Kong has caused a strain on developing an all-rounded individual. As Hong Kong parents’ first priority is their child’s future, they concentrate on competing to get the best education for a secured future. Studies found that academic priority has resulted in Hong Kong teenagers becoming more narcissistic and lack in ethics and empathy (Chan). Emphasis on attaining academic excellence for the exam that determines our future has blindsided the importance of other aspects besides studying. 

Hong Kong students face immense academic pressure. However, the academic pressure does not guarantee a university seat. According to statistics collected by the Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) and the University Grants Committee (UGC), in the year 2012, 72,876 candidates fought for only 22,110 seats for a bachelor degree in 8 public-funded universities. In other words, only thirty percent of students will be able to continue their studies directly into a bachelor degree. 

The problem with Hong Kong’s education system is the stress on good academic results and ignorance on the non-academic aspects. In order to improve its education system, Hong Kong should use Finland’s education reform as a model.

In recent years, Finland’s education system has ranked among the world’s finest with Hong Kong just a few positions behind. However, the education systems of Hong Kong and Finland are two worlds apart. This will be demonstrated by both countries’ academic competitiveness and equity, educating methodology and educators. 

Hong Kong’s education culture emphasizes on grades and examinations which leads to academic competitiveness. Academic competition start from searching for the best kindergarten up to the best university. The idea of superiority is what drives Hong Kong people towards competition. However, Finland opposes the ideology of competitive education but rather focus on equity. 

According to Finland’s policy on equal opportunities for education, each child will receive the same benefits regardless of family background, geographic location or income. While Hong Kong’s schools are competing with one another to produce finest results, Finland’s schools cooperates with each other. This may seem farfetched to Hong Kong, but the Finns say otherwise. According to Pasi Sahlburg, director of Finnish Ministry of Education's Center for International Mobility, “the main driver of education policy is not competition between teachers and between schools, but cooperation.” (Partanen, 2011). The plausible idea that every child in Finland is entitled to tuition-free, quality education is a compelling factor in assessing Finland’s education system, something Hong Kong should note. Results collected by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which assesses reading, mathematical literacy, and scientific literacy of fifteen-year-olds across thirty-four nations shows Finland being one of the highest-performing school system for consecutive years. The results proves positive outcomes despite opposite ideology.

Finland’s unusual approach to education is the reason behind its success. For starters, although voluntary pre-school education is provided, and ninety-eight percent of adults utilizes it, it is not compulsory for children to attend school until the age of seven. The idea behind it is to allow children to play until they are ready and want to start learning. In addition to their late start in schooling, Finland does not adopt standardize testing mechanism. Finnish students have to take standardize tests at most three times in their lives. In comparison to Hong Kong’s countless assessments, Finnish students are less pressurized into studying for tests and examinations. The education reform in 1970 has over the years transformed “into a model of a modern, publicly financed education system with widespread equity, good quality, large participation—all of this at reasonable cost.” (Sahlberg, 2009, 2.) 

The bliss in Finland’s impeccable education does not stop there. Students are rarely, if ever, given homework. If so, homework usually won’t take more than half an hour worth of work. It is customary for all Finnish elementary school to give students 75 minutes of recess time, 15 minutes after each class. Furthermore, Finland’s education system provides one free meal per day, access to health care and free psychological therapy. These aids are all part of the package deal that helps nurture and grow young children’s mind. Instead of highlighting educational excellence, Finland’s education system emphasizes on nurture and growth in a stress-free environment.

Moreover, educators of Finland are the vital ingredient that creates such impressive outcomes. Educators in Finland are required to have a master’s degree in their specialized content and education, all in which are fully subsidized. This policy ensures all children get quality education. Also, since all teachers do not have standardized guidelines in assessing their students, teachers of master degree holders are more capable to use formative assessment regularly to update their teaching strategies so as to keep up with students’ needs. As all educators need to hold a master’s degree as a minimum entrance level into the career, teaching is now seen as prestigious and on par with doctors and lawyers. It is noted according to a Finnish official that education system and their educators are what can make a difference for the betterment of a nation. "Empowerment of the teaching profession produces good results…Teachers are ranked highest in importance, because educational systems work through them." (Laukkanen, 2008).

Finland’s education system is the answer in ending Hong Kong’s education system’s nightmare. Rather than pushing students to academic excellence, Finland is doing the exact opposite. They are letting children grow without pressure for excellence. In fact, their education reform did not prioritize in academic excellence that when 15 year-old students produced one of the world’s best results in reading, mathematics and science in PISA, it shocked their own nation. Although this may have boost Finland’s confidence in their education reform, these tests results give no incentive to them. Neither schools nor students learn its scores administered by PISA and no one is rewarded or punished because of it. In addition, no one can prepare for the PISA tests and there is no incentive to cheat. Hong Kong needs an education system that fosters personal growth and not just academic excellence. It is worthy to take notes from Finland’s successful education reform.

In conclusion, the solution to Hong Kong’s educational emphasis rather than growth is by adopting the education reform used in Finland. This allows children to get the best possible quality education while encouraging personal growth and development. Hence, creating an all-rounded individual for the future leader of tomorrow.

Work Cited

Abrams, S. “The Children Must Play: What the United States could learn from Finland about education reform.” The New Republic. N.p., 2011. Web.

Chan, Candy. "Monster Parents' Share Vanity Blame." The Standard. The Standard Newspaper Publishing Ltd., 24 Apr. 2013. Web. 

Finland. Ministry of Education and Culture. Finnish National Board of Education. “Finland Education in a nutshell” Kopijyvä, Espoo, 2012. N.p., 2013. Web. 

Hancock, LynNell. "Why are Finland’s school so successful?" Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Magazine, Sept. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. 

Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority. “2012 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Result Released.” Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority. HKEAA, 19 July 2012. Web. 

Laukkanen, Reijo. "In Teachers We Trust: An Interview with Finnish Education Expert Reijo Laukkanen." Interview by Claus Von Zastrow. Learning First. N.p., 29 Sept. 2008. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.

Lewin, Tamar. "Once a Leader, U.S. Lags in College Degrees." New York Times, 23 July 2010: A11. Web. 

Partanen, Anu. "What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland's School Success." The Atlantic, 29 Dec. 2011. Web.

Sahlberg, P. (2010), “Educational Change in Finland”, in A. Hargreaves, A. Lieberman, M. Fullan and D. Hopkins (Eds.), Second International Handbook of Educational Change, Springer, New York.

Sahlberg, P. (2011), Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland, Teachers College Press, New York. 

Sahlberg, P. 2012. A Model Lesson. Finland shows us how equal opportunity looks like. American Educator, 36(2), 20-27.

Sahlberg, P. 2012. Finland: A non-competitive education for competitive economy. In OECD: Strong performers and successful reformers – Lessons from PISA for Japan. Paris: OECD, pp. 93-111.

Enjoy an infograph about HK & Finland Education System

English: The Power to Change Lives

 And yet another novel I’m reading ends but I'm still mourning the death of the character. That's who I am when it comes to fiction, no matter a novel or a blockbuster. I get so caught up in the life of the characters that I forget for a tiny moment what reality is. I celebrate characters' achievements as if they were my own and their deaths like they were part of my life. My friends thinks I get too involved in the fiction characters' life more than my own, and it is true. But that is only because I see the beauty in writing, whether it is a novel, a screenplay or a drama script.

Writers have the ability of a higher power. They can choose what happens in the plot, which characters they want to destroy, or where the plot should be set.  They have the world in their hands when they start writing, whether they know it or not. That is the kind of power one can only dream of in reality. What draws me to fiction is the power to change lives of audience just by cleverly putting down words and scenarios. The tricky part is to make sense of everything that is going on at the same time making it appealing.

Writing itself is a masterpiece because of how language is used. For example an excerpt from an author Jodi Picoult. “People say you can't believe in a ghost, because you can't see it or touch it or capture it. By that criteria, though, those people have to say that love doesn't exist, either… and yet most of us have experienced that in some form or another.” How many people can think of those two subjects being compared in such a way that they now have a similarity? How we use language to describe or to narrate a story does make a difference in creating a work of art.

I would like to be a writer someday or at least something in the field involving the English language. I enjoy making up scenes and telling them to an audience. I love reading. And I am fascinated with literature. Literature in English was a difficult course in high school and it took a while for me to understand the depth literature brings. Now however, I see literature daily, and sometimes I tend to over-analyze things. I have so many ideas I’d like to express with language and art. In order to do that as a profession, I need to major in the English field.

I would like to take up the major of English Studies. I believe this could help me gain an all-rounded understanding about the English language. I would be able to learn about English in the corporate and professional stream and English in the creative stream. This would allow me to broaden my horizons and not just focus on creative writing but also on other aspects the English language serves.

The English language is the most extensively used language internationally. It can open doors to many opportunities whether it is learning or working. English Studies will enhance my knowledge on different aspects such as literature. Having studied Literature in English during my high school years, I find it quite useful in understanding lessons in life. Literature has enriched my social and cultural knowledge because of centuries of writers and critics trying to explore a deeper meaning within some simple English text.

I want to major in English Studies because English is a beautiful language. It is more than just words strung together to form a comprehendible sentence. Like everything and everyone, the English language has a history, and I want to know learn about it. Whether it is learning from a novel, a philosopher, a movie, a drama script or even a piece of poetry. If there is a message, I want to learn about it. Exploring the English language can lead me to my dream job. One day, it would be someone else sobbing over the ending of a novel I wrote.

UE: Sacrifices of a Mother

A lady who has sacrificed most of her life to raising her family has gracefully aged with time. She looks as if she is in her late thirties, of course, a woman as beautiful as her is able to defy the passing of time. As usual, she was standing in the kitchen with one hand on her hips and the other clutching a pair of tongs. The soft sizzling of oil and aroma of fried chicken floats to the living room where I stood. I walk to the kitchen and watch her cook like I had as a kid. Her curtain-long black hair is twisted into a bun on top of her head, bobbing as she hums the tune I know by heart. She seems to be the same woman who raised me, but something was definitely different about her.

A second glance was all it took for me to realize how much she has aged. Silver strands edges its way out of the shiny black threatening to expose her true age. Her face, once smooth, is now wrinkled. Her features are more prominent as if she was a skilled masterpiece of Donatello. Those chocolate-brown eyes use to glimmer with pride for her children's achievements, now seem tired more than anything. But the smile plastered on her face contrasts her eyes. It was the smile of bravery, a soldier ready for war, reassuring me that she is doing just fine. Her clothes matches that of a woman decades older. She never wears anything fancy, usually sporting plain blue denim jeans, along with an ancient floral designed button-up polo. And she never sprays on perfume. She had the scent of lemon and fabric softener for as long as I could remember.

I notice her hands were rougher than sand paper as she sets a plate of food on the table in front of me. Once again, the past comes flooding back to me. Delicious, appetizing food set right in front of me, yet I refuse to eat until I get what I want. I sat there for two hours refusing a good meal-fried chicken with rice and veggies-wanting something my parents couldn't afford. I wanted a blue with yellow stripped remote controlled toy car. Ashamed, I stuffed down everything until you could see your own reflection on the plate. Only then I was able to look at my mother.

She was already dozing off on the white leather couch, breathing out soft sighs. Under the florescent light of the living room, she seems more fragile and vulnerable. You wouldn't know it from her tiny frame that she has given birth to six children, all more than ten years ago; that she struggled day and night to get her family through the tough situation. The dark circles under her eyes contrasting her ghostly complexion gave away her age.

I wonder whether this was the life she planned out when she was young. Whether she regrets any decisions she made, or thinks about what-ifs. Because if I had to sacrifice all that she has, I would dread waking up. Before I leave for school, I lay a blanket on top of her body as she once had done for me every night as a toddler; our roles reversed.