Comparing Finnish and Brazilian Education Systems

How to compare two different countries?

In our class of February 9th, 2015, we discussed about the differences between Finnish and Brazilian education systems. I have searched in internet for some “evidences” to certify what I think about these differences.

In a news published at BBC - London in 2012, based in a research carried out by Pearson Company, Brazil was placed in penultimate position in a global ranking related to education quality. This ranking was established comparing 40 countries and was carried through tests and analysis of teachers quality, among other factors.

This research was ordered to the < Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a british consulting company, by Pearson, company that builds education systems and sell its products in many countries.

In first place was Finland, followed by South Korea and Hong Kong. Brazil and Indonesia were in the last two places.

The Report highlights the importance of find and employ high quality Teachers, the need to find ways to recruit the best Teachers and pay them good salaries.

There is also a question related to the economic results of the high and low quality system. In other words, the need of creating an education system that effectively can help economic development of the country, based in a global economy and the need of professional skills and knowledge.

Brazilian students.

Link of the note at BBC: BBC - in Portuguese

We carried out our discussion based in some questions about Finnish and Brazilian education system:

Where do they differ most?

In my opinion:

Basic education – in Brazil we have a huge lack between basic education and under-graduation;

People conclude their basic education without the basic skills needed;

One of brazilian weaknesses is that we have three different institutions taking care of education and sometimes political decisions change all the system without a deep and long term planning;

Equality of opportunities - in Finland everybody study in the same school, for free, for rich and poor people;

Teaching Education - the quality of basic education is directly related to the teacher quality. There is a need to develop a Teaching education system.

Teaching Payment and Value - there is a need to pay good salaries and to create a real path to attract good professionals to act as teachers.

What is better in the Brazilian System?

I don’t know if there is a worst or best practice in Brazilian system. Maybe it’s a political and social question, complex to explain in few lines. But there is one thing new in Brazil that has happened in last 8 or 9 years that was the increasing of Federal Institutions and the creation of a Federal Network of Education, Science and Technology schools. The Federal Institutes may can change our reality and qualify our students and improve our workforce and technology.

In few words, I believe that there are some things really good in this network. One of them is “Verticalization”, name given to the type of course in which student can start at high school and make their path till doctorate degrees in the same institution and with same teachers, labs and structure. It may can help the development of long term research and innovative practices. Other example of good practice is the need of teachers in being flexible to teach and carry on research with high school students, under graduation and graduation students. This can cause improvement of teaching skills as well as easy the use of pedagogical material.

What is better in the Finnish system?

Equality of students and teachers;

Quality of courses and teacher development;

International education (English teaching courses);

Opportunities for all those who want to study and develop their education.