Ethnocentrism: noun, the belief in the inherent superiority of one's ethnic group or culture (ethnocentrism). Americans tend to be just that, ethnocentric. Most Americans believe that America is superior to all other countries and that no country can surpass it in any category. Recently, this belief has been proven not to be true when it comes to education. Finnish education has outperformed American education for years and still continues to show improvements. Many experts are curious to know why Finnish schools are so cutting edge. The answer lies not in one, but in many things. Finnish public schools are more successful than American ones because teachers are highly trained and respected, they are more focused on providing students with equal educational opportunities rather than producing a few exceptional students, and they give students lighter homework and a standardized test load . All these things combined have helped the Finnish school system gradually improve and reach the top. Despite America's confident attitude, there are some things it could learn from Finnish schools. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay What American Educators Can Learn from Finnish Schools In Finland, teachers are treated with the utmost respect. They are so esteemed that they are often compared to how doctors are idolized in America (D'Orio). This comparison is often made when reflecting not only on the respect that teachers receive in Finland, but also on the amount of education they go through to become educators. In Finland, only one in eight applicants is accepted into education programs. Once accepted, they must earn a master's degree in education, unlike in the United States, where educators are only required to obtain a bachelor's degree (D'Orio) (How Much Education…). Does higher education mean higher pay for Finnish teachers? Surprisingly, no. Salaries are very competitive in comparison; Finnish teachers earn on average, while the average salary of an American teacher is (D'Orio). Although teachers are not paid more, Finnish schools receive more funding than American schools. There are no private schools in Finland, which means that no school receives more funding than another. Funding comes directly from government officials, who are themselves educators (Hancock). In America, funding decisions are made by government officials who often have no experience in education. This can sometimes lead to limited funds not being spent wisely (Weerda). American school administrators receive a higher salary than the typical teacher, while, on the other hand, Finnish teachers and administrators are paid equally, with the extra money going directly into the classroom (Westerberg). In addition to funding for classrooms, Finnish schools allocate significant funds for free healthcare at school. Students are generally healthy because no student is left without healthcare if they come to school sick, even if it is a common cold (D'Orio). Furthermore, Finnish schools do not have team sports, which means children are less likely to come to school injured (Ravitch). Compare that to American schools, where high school sports take up a large chunk of the funding given to each school. With more students involved in sports, more students come to school injured. TheseInjuries distract American students and cause them to perform worse academically because they are more worried about their injury than their work in class. As for the number of students who visit the training room monthly for treatment, Penn High School athletic trainer Tricia Irvin said they treat an average of a thousand athletes per month. He also said that the number of athletes depends on the season, noting that they handle a much larger amount in the fall than they do in the winter and spring seasons. All these injured American students have a disadvantage that Finnish students do not have to face (Ravitch). American schools spend most of their funds on sports and do not require as much education for their teachers, while Finnish teachers achieve higher levels of education and the schools fund free healthcare and more classroom-oriented activities. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in Finland and a statement was agreed upon by most responses. Equality is the key. This statement refers to the motto of every Finnish school, that every student should be treated equally (Hancock). American high schools classify their students based on academic performance. Their ranking is printed on report cards for the student and their family to see, but this is not the case in Finnish schools. Students in Finland are not ranked because they do not believe in the competition involved in ranking students (Hancock). In Finland, just as students are not classified, schools are also not classified. US schools are assigned a grade by their state's Department of Education, and these rankings can push parents toward or away from certain schools (About Us). Finnish physical education classes are more focused on maintaining health, while American physical education classes are largely competitive and commonly participate in team sports (Ravitch) (“National PE Standards”). Finnish schools do not offer honors classes because teachers believe it does not provide equal educational opportunities for all students. Instead, individual accommodations are made for students who fall behind or who achieve above and beyond (Westerberg). This is not the case in American schools. Honors classes are often offered starting in elementary school in most American public schools. This creates a competition that continues into the middle and high school years (Weinkrantz). The lack of competition in Finnish schools creates a quiet learning environment and, when combined with other factors, creates a relaxed but successful school environment. The typical American elementary school lets children go outside to play for 30 minutes during the middle of the day. Finnish primary schools don't do this, instead they leave students outside for 15 minutes after each lesson to provide them with fresh air and a time to release their energy before learning something new (Hancock). In addition to extra recess, Finnish lessons are usually held outdoors with interactive lessons. This is not as common in American schools, as it is typical for American high school students to not receive fresh air for more than 8 hours. This can cause mental and physical health problems that Finnish students do not experience (Intelligence for Your…). While traveling in Finland, American researchers discovered something particularly surprising about the Finnish learning environment: the amount of technology available.