Notes

Standardized testing & Cost of education (Finland / Slovakia)
Finland:
Finland number 1 education students in the world. Genius that cracked the code of good education.
At the start Finland education rank was very low in the 1960s.
They do not have homework, shld have more time to be kids, enjoy their life, 10 mins of homework or 20?
Spend more time doing sports, reading, spend time with family, climb trees? learn different insects.
3/4 hrs in school a day, brain has to relax now and then, shortest school days and years but do better by going to school less
able to speak different languages, french, spanish, english
American should stop teaching and bringing standardised testing, the people in Finland prefers the students to do things that make them happy, against standardised testing.
they don't have American civics in a test, America took away poetry as they think its a waste of time, don't help them get a job
prioritise happiness in students, "HAPPY, RESPECT OTHERS" think children should be baking, playing.
Finland think neighbourhood school is the best school, prefers near school and thinks all schools are equal.
no private school exists, rich parents have to make sure that public schools are great
rich kid goes to school with everyone else,
independent learning, treated like an adult, children taking the subway going on their own to school, think for themselves and be critical to what they are learning
They can really be what they want to be in the future for the Finland students but for other countries like US, the teachers might have to lie.

Slovakia:
It is one of the countries which is essentially free to go to university.
No debts, they don't owe anyone
For Americans, their school fees are expensive, one student even said that she cant even afford to finish community college
They cut out the W from the alphabets.
The schools offer over 100 courses of study that are taught in English
education is seen as a public good although the people living in Slovakia are paying for the taxes to government, paying for school fees indirectly for them
Slovakia started charging tuition fees which sent shockwaves in the country, protested and said highway robbery. Nine months meeting MOE.
organisation has 40-50 active members and helped to bring down the government and force a new election

What are 3 key details of phenomenon in these societies?
In Slovakia, they have free education for all, even for foreigners.
In Finland, their success was because they prioritise happiness in students, making sure they have free time for them to relax with 10mins or even no homework for them, short learning hours.
Lastly, in Finland, the students would experience independent learning, treated like an adult, causing them to think critically and think for themselves.

Write 2 key implications or arguments presented in the segment. How far do you agree and why? Whose perspectives are not presented here? Why would their opinions be important?
The teachers in Finland argued that there should not be any standardised testing for the students, stressing them and grading the schools according to ranks, therefore knowing which school is the best one. I agree with the teachers as from a student point of view, of course without standardised testing for students, loads of stress would be reduced, not being compared and needing to study the day before the exam staying up late. Without the standardise testing would definitely make the students' lives much happier and relaxed, having more time spent playing with friends, doing one's hobby. This must be provided that the students would always conduct independent learning or else their learning would be stagnant at one level and not improve, gain knowledge to grow up into adults, having the ability to contribute much more to society.
One perspective not presented here could be the tuition teachers, they would go out of jobs as there isn't a heavy need for tuition in Finland, due to lesser stress pushing the child to attain any good results in his/her studies, hence reducing a possible job for people in Finland. Their opinion might be of somewhat important as they help the students improve on their studies and not allow them to be stagnant at one particular area, progressing further in life, assuming one's child is not such an independent learner. Another perspective not presented here could be the parents point of view towards no more standardised testing, some of the parents might agree to not have standardised testing due to the increase amount of stress and poor mental health that the student has. Their opinions are important as their children are the one going for education, as parents they would be very concerned for their children well-being in school and would not want them to suffer.










Write 2 ways in which the depictions in the video segment compare with Singapore. Support your opinion with research and facts. Share two to three weblinks of your research.