Learning It the Finnish Way

The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education. ~Albert Einstein

There’s a tuition teacher who hypes about how good he is at forecasting exam questions. In fact, he advertises his expertise in his pamphlets.

Man, he totally gets on my nerves! He calls himself a teacher? Bah, he’d be better off being a soothsayer in the Temple of Goddess of Mercy! I really don’t understand why there are so many gullible individuals flocking to his tuition centres and seminars. Does the world ever get short of idiots? But, why don’t I see people rushing to my house to worship me instead?

Tuition has become so widespread nowadays. I’m not against the idea of going for tuitions but when people start attending tuitions just because it’s a trend, you know it’s getting unhealthy alright. Without any authority regulating the operation of tuition centres, it has become a thriving trade as lucrative as selling caskets.

When I asked some of my friends why they go for tuitions, one of them gave me an odd look as if I was asking an obvious question like, “Why do you eat?” Then, there was an “I don’t know” and a “because my parents want me to”. For God’s sake, these people just never sit down and really think, do they? And, I suppose, that’s why they need to attend tuition classes.

Thinking back, it was foolish of me to dutifully go for maths tuition classes despite being confident in the subject. I’ve always wanted to stop but I lingered on longer than I should have just because my crush was there, notwithstanding the fact that my teachers in school are much better than the balding old chap who is irritatingly business-minded.

I can’t help but to admire and envy Finns for their excellent system of education. Finnish, who rank top in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), “spend an average of just 30 hours per week on schoolwork, including homework”. (Source: Top of the Class, Reader’s Digest, September 2005) On the other hand, Koreans, who rank just behind Finland, spend 50 hours a week instead. Too bad Malaysia didn’t participate in the assessment or we’d have the chance to make comparisons.

In a pioneer project in Poikkilaakso Primary School, students are given lenient supervision. Each one is allowed to go on his own pace and learn according to his own style. We tried this alright, but too bad it was a futile effort. It is a great idea indeed but I doubt it will ever get off in Malaysia.

What I like the most is, in Finland, “standardised testing is shunned”. I quote from Reader’s Digest: ”Many countries believe that by emphasising testing their education will get better… But we believe the other way around. Too much testing makes you start teaching for the exams. But many aspects of learning can’t be measured that way.”

Whoa! They definitely hit the nail on its head. It really annoys me when some teachers answer, “Don’t worry. That won’t be tested,” in reply to a question. I mean, that’s definitely not the way to learn. Studying for the sake of exams? No way! That’s exactly how you breed non-thinking entities who do nothing good for the society.

Sigh. I say, we do have a lot to learn from Finns!

And, oh yeah! As for the soothsayer-cum-tuition-teacher, may Socrates’ ghost haunt him forever!