Mariam Moawad

Professor William Skelly

English 1201

12 July 2020

Education System

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its

whole life believing that it is stupid” Albert Einstein. The education system differs from a

country to another, that cause education to rank around the world. The United States education

system is getting worse for a variety of reasons which include the education’s structure, teachers,

curriculum, and more.

Education system refers to the social and economic factors that typically make up public

schools at the federal, state, or community levels. There are three types of education. The three

types are formal, informal and non-formal. Formal education occurs in a hierarchical structured

environment like schools whose explicit purpose is teaching students. Formal education was

found 16thcentury, Europe. Informal Education is like real life examples of learning. Last

example is non-formal, which is learning from experience like environment, work and more.

According to Worldtop20.org, Finland’s education system is considered the best education

system in the world as of 2019 final ranking. Finland's major principles are shorter school days

(190 days per year), and students are not required to attend school until 6. According to

NSBA.org, The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development administrate the

program for International Student Assessment (PISA), every three years a survey get conducted.

PISA tests the knowledge of 15 years old student. NSBA.org said, “Finland is one of the

countries that consistently scores at the top in these international assessments, performing
significantly above the OECD average in reading, writing and math. Conversely, the U.S scores

at, or in the case of math, below the OECD average” (Unknown).

Firstly, the structure of the education system is one of the keys to the education system.

The education system structure in the United States is a primary school (elementary school),

middle school, Secondary school (high school), and then post-secondary education (such as

degree programs). Finland’s education system starts with pre-school education that is voluntary,

followed by a nine-year compulsory basic education, and then secondary education. Secondary

education is divided into two, General and vocational. General education is all the freedom to

choose their study schedule. Vocational education is job focused. Lastly, higher education is the

university or university of applied sciences. These two countries have a great education system.

The main difference between them in the structure is in the secondary how it is divided. Students

in the United States work at a young age, in high school. In Finland, students get an opportunity

to be job focused. The Finland education system makes it better to get a job with the school

system. Finland's way is the best to make sure students are getting the best opportunity and

experience.

Secondly, the teachers are a key player in the education system. In Finland, it is

challenging to become a teacher. So, not everyone can become a teacher. The process is long and

hard. It takes about five to six years. To become a teacher, it needs a bachelor's degree and a

TESOL/CELTA certification. It is a competitive field in Finland. According to the Washington

Post, “It is true that only about 10 percent of those who send an application to primary school

teacher education programs in Finnish research universities will be accepted each year”

(Strauss). This shows that out of 10 people only 1 get accepted and shows how hard competitive

the field is. Students in Finland usually have the same teacher for up to six years of their

education. That shows there are fewer teachers that are needed. On the other side the bonding
built up and trust. In the United States, needs a bachelor's degree and a license. The United

States decreased teacher salaries. The average salary of public elementary and secondary school

teachers has dropped by 5% between 2009- 2020. In other states the salary average has decreased

about 17%. These states are Oklahoma and Colorado.

Thirdly, the curriculum is one of the important keys to the education system. According

to stand.org, a strong curriculum is focused on critical thinking and strong 21st-century

communication skills. Finland has a national core curriculum. The curriculum outlines how

teachers should focus on developing student management, creativity, and skills. Finland has a

more relaxed atmosphere. In Finland, students have less homework. They get everything they

need to get done in school. The United States doesn't have a national curriculum. American

curriculum school can be specific to a state's curriculum or be focused on Common Core State

Standards. This shows that there is a state curriculum. The United States has a strong dedication

to all individuals to receive good education. According to teach-nology.com, “Every state in the

U.S has a different educational curriculum because it is primarily based on the accessibility,

autonomy and diversity of a state” That explains the reason behind not having one curriculum for

all fifty states.

Overall, Country’s education system is different from country to country. There are ranks

for the countries' education system. The United States ranking is decreasing. According to

History net.com, “Overall, the United States still has an excellent education system, even if it is

not Number One … it simply has been surpassed by those of other rising countries”. The quote

indicates that the United States education system is decreasing. One of the reasons for

America’s education system to rank down is lack and shortage of government funds. There is a

chance for that problem to keep going down due to the virus and pandemic. Another major

miserable reason is school safety is declining. In the United States the first shooting occurred
February 2000, Michigan. The last shooting was February 2020 Texas. According to CNN, over

the past decade, there have been 180 school shooting (at K-12) across the United States. That

equals 30 shooting per year. The shooting is keeps increasing yearly.

A third problem would be with the curriculum is the standardized testing. The focus on

standardized testing has been increasing. These tests might not be the most accurate or fair way

to measure efficacy and such. The amount of pressure on students from these tests is shocking.

Lastly, one of the problems that are in the education system in America is mental health.

Students are facing bully in schools. A research had shown that two-third of college students

experienced overwhelming anxiety and anxiety in general.

The solution will not be easy. Transition are not easy most of the time. Focusing on the

doers would be a key to improve the education system. Einstein once said, “It is the supreme art

of the teacher to awaken to joy in creative expression and knowledge”. So, by increasing the

salary will make teacher worry about one less problem and have more of a clear mind to educate

with the best education. Adding on that providing the teachers the best quality of education

would help produce a better quality of education. Second solution could be stepping away from

the letter grade system and standardized tests. In the real world the skill of creativity and

problem solving are more valued than whatever the results from standardized testing. There are

alternatives to standardized testing like portfolio-based assessment. The portfolio-based

assessment are such as collective projects, presentations and such over time. That will also help

student prepare for the real world. That will help decrease anxiety, stress and more. Another

solution would be increasing the funds. That will help give everyone “equal” opportunity. The

UN estimates there are 263 million kids globally who are not getting a full-time education. That

a huge shocking number.

 The United States education system rank is decreasing. 1.3 million high school students

don’t graduate yearly. Adding on that only one out of four high schoolers graduate college. The

education system's success is based on structure, teachers, curriculum, and more. According to

factretriever.com, For every dollar is used towards adult illiteracy, society gets $7.14 in returns.
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