The 10 keys to successful education in Finland 2026

This is one of those stories that I wish we would never have to tell. A five-year-old boy has died in the United States after not being able to overcome a cancer that was detected at a very early age. An injustice and a jug of frozen water that has left us like this, precisely. One of those blows that life gives without further explanations or arguments. The sad news has gone viral when it became known what the child's curious last request was, just before taking his last breath, to see Santa Claus.

The story is that Eric Schmitt-Matzen is an artist who works as Santa Claus (or Father Christmas, whichever you prefer) during the Christmas season. When they called him from a hospital in the city where he works, he did not know that he was about to face one of his most difficult professional and personal moments.

Upon arrival, Eric asked for a few minutes to put on his Santa Claus suit, but the nurse told him that there was no time to waste and that the suspenders he was wearing were enough. He had to enter the child's room as soon as possible. Before entering, the boy's mother gave him a gift to give to her son.

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At that moment he realized how delicate the situation was: "I understood the situation. So I told everyone: 'If you think you're going to lose your composure, please leave the room. If I see you crying, I'm going to break down and I won't be able to do my job.'"

Upon entering the room he gave the gift to the child, but he barely had the strength to open it. The little boy had heard that he was going to die and asked the man dressed as Santa Claus if he could help him. Eric was at a loss for words and then he hugged him with great tenderness and sweetness. At that moment, the child took his last breath and died in her arms. The mother ran into the place shouting "No, no, no, not yet!" After this, Eric left there, took his car to return home on a journey bathed in tears that barely allowed him to see the road, as he himself expressed.

From the first grades, interventions are made to support students with special needs, thereby preventing their difficulties from increasing over the years and minimizing the percentages of school failure. The learning pace of each child is respected and standardized tests and activities are avoided. In addition, teachers usually take care of the same group from 1st (7 years) to 6th (12 years), which helps them get to know them much better.

They foster a passion for reading

Finns' love of reading has been very strong since they were children, which is combined with a vast network of public libraries that are used regularly. Finland is one of the populations with the highest levels of education and love of books: each Finn reads an average of 47 books a year (in Spain there are 10).

Free education

In Finland, all schools are public and free, and great attention is paid to ensuring that budgets are distributed equitably so as not to harm some and benefit others. The public education system establishes that education is mandatory and free between the ages of 7 and 16 and must be provided by public centers. Free education from preschool to university includes classes, lunch, books and even school supplies, although if someone loses it they are obliged to pay for it. The school day usually begins around 8:30-9 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon, with a lunch break at 12-12:30. In total, there are 608 teaching hours in primary school, compared to 875 hours in Spain.

Pleasant school environment

The relationships between teachers and students are informal and warm, mainly because in the first years of school it is encouraged that children spend several years with the same teachers in order to increase their feeling of security and motivation. Furthermore, creating pleasant and stimulating school environments is considered essential.

Source:alaplaneta.com

Fomentan el pensamiento creativo

 La imaginación y la capacidad de emprendimiento son muy apreciadas en la sociedad finlandesa, abundan los profesionales de campos artísticos y creativos y también los de tecnología e ingeniería. Esto también se fomenta en la educación, donde se valora la creatividad, la experimentación y la colaboración por encima de la memorización y las lecciones magistrales. En las aulas de Finlandia se premia la curiosidad e imaginación de los alumnos, fomentando de este modo la creatividad y la capacidad de emprender y experimentar.

Educación personalizada

La clave del éxito de su sistema educativo es "comprender las necesidades de los niños". Así, en los primeros años se evita el fracaso escolar de los niños con dificultades especiales volcándose en ellos desde el principio. Se basan en el aprendizaje por proyectos, que tiene como objetivo desarrollar siete áreas competenciales de las Inteligencias Múltiples.

Desde los primeros cursos se interviene para apoyar a los alumnos con necesidades especiales, con lo que se evita que sus dificultades aumenten con los años y se minimizan los porcentajes de fracaso escolar. Se respeta el ritmo de aprendizaje de cada niño y se huye de las pruebas y actividades estandarizadas. Además, los profesores suelen ocuparse del mismo grupo desde 1.º (7 años) hasta 6.º (12 años), lo que ayuda a que los conozcan mucho mejor.

Fomentan la pasión por la lectura

La afición a la lectura de los finlandeses es muy fuerte desde que son pequeños, lo que se une a una vasta red de bibliotecas públicas que se usan con asiduidad. Finlandia es una de las poblaciones con más altos índices educativos y de amor a los libros: cada finlandés lee una media de 47 libros al año (en España son 10).

Educación gratuita

En Finlandia, todos los colegios son públicos y gratuitos, y se presta mucha atención a que el reparto de los presupuestos se realice de forma equitativa para no perjudicar a unos y beneficiar a otros. El sistema educativo público establece que la educación es obligatoria y gratuita entre los 7 y los 16 años y debe ser impartida por centros públicos. La educación gratuita desde preescolar hasta la universidad incluye las clases, el comedor, los libros y hasta el material escolar aunque si alguien lo pierde está obligado a pagárselo. La jornada escolar suele comenzar sobre las 8,30-9 de la mañana hasta las 3 de la tarde, con el paréntesis del almuerzo a las 12-12,30 horas. En total, suman 608 horas lectivas en primaria, frente a las 875 horas de España.

Entorno escolar agradable

Las relaciones entre maestros y alumnos son informales y cálidas, debido sobre todo a que en los primeros años de escuela se fomenta que los niños estén varios años con los mismos profesores para así incrementar su sensación de seguridad y motivación. Además, la creación de entornos escolares agradables y estimulantes se considera primordial.

Fuente: aulaplaneta.com