Finland's schools are the best in Europe, some might say in the world. Only three countries—China, Singapore, and South Korea—can compete with Finland in exam results. So, what is the secret of Finland's success?

Surprisingly, Finnish children spend less time in school than children in many other countries. They don't start school until the age of seven, their school days are short, and their vacations are long. Education in Finland is relaxed. Classrooms often look like living rooms. Students don't wear uniforms and they call teachers by their first names. What's more, they have only 30 minutes of homework each night.

Many people believe that the Finnish system works because its teachers are so good. It’s a popular, well-paid job, and teachers are usually kind and not strict. They also have an unusual way of teaching. Rather than having separate subjects like history and geography, students learn everything together. There are seven things that Finnish students must learn in school:
• how to think clearly;
• how to understand and join in Finnish culture;
• how to use language, numbers and other information;
• how to use technology;
• how to take care of themselves;
• how to be successful at work; and
• how to be a good person for the future of Finland.

After finishing high school, Finnish students can also attend university for free. This is very different from the United States, where the cost of a degree is around $30,000!

芬蘭的學校是歐洲頂尖，有些人甚至認為可登上世界寶座。 只有中國、新加坡與南韓這三個國家，能在考試成績方面媲美芬蘭。那麼芬蘭的成功秘訣到底是什麼？

令人驚訝的是，芬蘭兒童的在校時間，比其他國家的兒童還 少。芬蘭兒童到了七歲才開始就學，上學時間短且假期長。芬蘭的教育方式十分愜意，教室看起來像客廳，學生不用穿制服，甚至對老師直呼其名。還有，他們每天晚上只花30 分鐘寫作業。

許多人認為，芬蘭教育體制成功的原因在於師資優良。教職是一份搶手且高薪的工作，教師通常親切和藹而不嚴厲，教學方式亦與眾不同。他們不劃分歷史與地理等學科，而是讓學生同時學習各科內容。芬蘭學生在校一定要學會的七件事如下：

● 如何讓思慮清晰
● 如何了解與融入芬蘭文化
● 如何運用語言、數字與其他資訊
● 如何運用科技
● 如何自理
● 如何成功做好自己的事
● 如何成為芬蘭未來的棟樑

芬蘭學生於高中畢業後，還可免費上大學。這樣的制度與美國大相逕庭，因為在美國修一個學位就要價大約30,000美金！