Finland is not satisfied with constantly being top of world's education leagues. government is now planning to reform its education system so that young Finns are better prepared for digital age. key part of proposed reforms is to place as much emphasis on digital and workplace skills as on more traditional subjects. example of this would be to use 3D printers in history classes so students can create models of ancient buildings. government also wants to promote vocational training and encourage learning in real-life work settings. Students' performance would be evaluated by teacher as well as by official from the company helping student.
One teacher, Kirsti Lonka, explained why shift in educational methods was necessary. She said: "Traditionally, learning has been defined as list of subject matters and facts you need to acquire, such as arithmetic and grammar….But when it comes to real life, our brain is not divided into disciplines in that way. We are thinking in very holistic way, and when you think about problems in world - global crises, migration, economy, post-truth era - we haven't really given our children tools to deal with this inter-cultural world." She added: "I think it is major mistake if we lead children to believe that world is simple, and that if they learn certain facts, they are ready to go."
