Finnish education system as seen from an Indonesian perspective

Ratih Adiputri

doi:10.51815/fjsr.111110

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to discuss the Finnish education system from an Indonesian perspective, and consider what citizens, notably from middle-income countries, may learn from the Finnish system. The source material is the author’s book, which provides an Indonesian perspective on the Finnish education system, supplemented by discussions from webinars and weekly Instagram Live discussions on the topic. It is known that education is part of a country’s culture, thus the Finnish education system cannot simply be implemented as such in another place. Yet there certainly are elements that can be adopted to the local culture, in this case, in Indonesia. The different models of education in Finland and Indonesia are compared to conclude with lessons that we can learn from Finland, notably regarding a sustainable future and the possibility of learning simple daily life skills.

Highlights

Finnish education is famous throughout the world following Finland’s success in PISA tests
Perhaps the initial idea for looking at the Finnish education system was to reach a higher ranking in the PISA test, but education must aim towards learning and sustainability in the future
While all aspects of the Finnish education system cannot be copied, we may learn some good elements like investing in teachers, adopting local values in the curriculum and focusing on the local government

Summary

Introduction

Finnish education is famous throughout the world following Finland’s success in PISA tests. The PISA is the Programme for International Student Assessment, a global test for 15-year-old students conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD. The Indonesian education assessment system plans to follow the model of the PISA test (Kompas, 3 April 2020). While the Finnish model can be learnt, Indonesia has realized that it is not easy to copy or digest the best practices from Finland, which a small country with a small population (Kalla, 2019). Elements of best practices on learning can perhaps be learnt, and that is why any story concerning the Finnish education system is salable in Indonesia

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Conclusion