Why Finland has the best schools

The Harvard education professor Howard Gardner once advised Americans, “Learn from Finland, which has the most effective schools and which does just about the opposite of what we are doing in the United States.”

Following his recommendation, I enrolled my 7-year-old son in a primary school in Joensuu, Finland. For five months, my wife, my son and I experienced a stunningly stress - free and good, school system.

In Finland, children don't go to school until the age of 7. Until then, many are in day care and learn through play, songs, games and conversation. Most children walk or bike to school, even the youngest. School hours are short and homework is generally light.

Finnish schools have a 15-minute outdoor free-play break every hour of every day. Fresh air, nature and regular physical activity breaks are considered the keys of learning. One evening, I asked my son what he did for gym that day. “They sent us into the woods with a map and a compass and we had to find our way out,” he said.

Finland doesn't waste time or money on testing. Instead, children are assessed every day by their teacher. In class, children are allowed to have fun, laugh and daydream from time to time. Finns put into practice the phrase I've heard over and over again: “Let children be children,”

The atmosphere of the classroom is warm, safe, respectful and supportive. As one Chinese student-teacher studying in Finland said to me, “In Chinese schools, you feel like you're in the military. Here, you feel like you're part of a really nice family.”