| As long as there is a discrepancy between private and public schools; as long as a child's family wealth determines the quality of their education; as long as the gap between rich and poor in our society is allowed to grow, educational standards in England are always going to lag behind other developed nations. Finland is considered to have one of the best education system in the world. It is entirely publicly funded - there are NO private schools in Finland. Equality is at the heart of education policy. Every child, regardless of where they live, receives the same high quality education. Child poverty is almost unheard of. No child comes to school hungry in the morning. There are no standardised tests until one final exam at the end of High School. There are no national rankings, comparisons or competition among schools, regions, pupils. Education leaders at local and national level are all university trained educators - unlike Mr Gove, a journalist who just happened to go to school and is therefore an "expert". And most important of all, teachers are respected throughout Finnish society. Teaching is regarded as a prestigious profession, like medicine is in the UK or US, even though it isn't as well paid. Parents respect their children's teachers and place their trust in them to deliver the best for their child. Our two education systems could not be more different, but I think I know which one I would prefer for my children. |