Keys to a successful education system – BBC News Report
BBC News recently ran a report on 3 education systems – Hong Kong, Finland, and South Korea, to find out what are the reasons that these countries emerge as the top in the world.
There is a huge emphasis on hard work and diligence, and less about natural ability. Parents are often very concerned about their child’s education, and will complain if the schools do not provide enough homework. Thus, students are used to working under pressure and believe that that good grades can create some form of social mobility. While there is a lot of focus on memorisation, it not done without understanding.
The teaching profession is highly regarded in this European state, and a masters degree is required of even an elementary teacher. Thus, educators are generally given a lot of freedom and responsibility to tailor teaching according to the needs of the child.
Similar to Hong Kong, there is a lot of focus on tests and examinations, as it is a vehicle for selection and social mobility. Exams are a national affair – traffic and planes will be directed during this period to minimise the noise.
I have personally gone through close to 20 years of education under the Singapore education system – from pre-school at 4 years old all the way to university. Similar to the situations described in Asian countries above, there is no escape to a rather rigid education system focused on getting into good schools and achieving good grades. There is a lot of emphasis on subjects such as Math and the Sciences, and parents generally believe that it is important to get a head start in childhood years. At 4 and 5 years old, we were memorising Chinese characters and doing simple mathematical questions in school. While this is so even till today, the government is trying to include a more holistic approach in the education system. Some initiatives include the setting up of School of the Arts, and the Singapore Sports School, where students can choose to develop in the areas they are strong in. In recent years, there is also an introduction to project work, taking away some weightage of written examinations in the overall grade.
How’s the education system like in your country? Share it with us!
If you are keen to find out how are schools and educators leveraging on technology to improve the education system these days, don’t forget to join us at the inaugural Digital Education Show Asia, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this May. You can sign up for free seminar sessions on e-learning here.