Sharing Educational Wisdom

Can studying abroad happen by not leaving one's country? Not many would agree or think of it this way, however Japan may be doing this by attempting to learn and integrate Finnish teaching methods into their educational system. As Tomoko Otake shared in his article:

First, the purpose of education there is to nurture character and instill a sense of independence among individuals, whereas in Japan, many students study to achieve high scores in exams and thus entrance into high-ranking high schools and universities. Second, Finnish teachers, all of whom must have a masters' degree in education, enjoy relative freedom on what and how to teach. Third, Finland gives no tests to students until the age of 16, which means they are driven not by competition but their own desire to learn.

Kudos to the Japanese educational system for taking the brave step to learn and begin to apply some changes in their current system. Change for the betterment helps society improve, and also helps the educational system improve. I wish in the U.S., we could also learn and integrate from other countries like Japan has in this situation and as it can be seen in their more recent past.