EDUCATION:
HARD
VS
SOFT,
WHICH
APPROACH
IS
BETTER
BY
ALIA
HASSAN
The
top
countries
in
terms
of
intelligence
are
by
ranking
lowest
to
highest:
Finland,
Australia,
UK,
Norway,
South
Korea,
New
Zealand,
USA,
Japan,
Israel,
Canada
(Ryo).
This
group
is
quite
varied
in
terms
of
the
different
cultures,
values
and
methods
of
study.
And
yet
they
are
all
ranked
among
the
smartest
in
the
world.
We
can
analyze
their
various
educational
methods
though
and
find
that
despite
the
vastly
different
approaches,
somehow
the
outcome
is
the
same.
As
generations
modify
the
education
and
learning
of
their
offspring,
we
are
becoming
gradually
more
and
more
efficient
in
teaching
children
and
outputting
intelligent
humans
from
schools.
In
the
future,
they
may
eventually
be
one
universal
curriculum
of
education
as
our
world
becomes
more
and
more
homogenized.
But
the
question
is
will
this
system
lean
more
towards
the
lenient
curriculums
of
Scandinavia,
or
the
rigid
curriculums
of
Asia?
There
are
stereotypes
across
the
world
about
how
Asians
are
highly
intelligent
and,
although
stereotyping
may
be
wrong,
it
does
also
have
some
truth
to
it.
Asia,
and
the
Chinese,
Japanese
and
Indians
specifically
are
always
named
as
some
of
the
most
intelligent
populations
in
the
world,
but
somehow
many
of
us
overlook
the
fact
that
many
populations
in
Scandinavian
countries
as
equally
if
not
more
intelligent.
If
we
compare
the
two
extremes
in
educational
systems,
Finland
and
China
we
can
see
enormous
differences.
Firstly,
finish
children
do
not
even
begin
school
until
they
are
seven
years
old.
During
their
primary
schooling,
they
rarely
take
home
homework
let
alone
do
exams
at
such
an
early
age.
They
get
an
hour
and
a
quarter
of
recess
a
day
compared
to
the
half
an
hour
given
in
the
USA.
The
concept
is
that
the
children
are
not
ranked
or
measured
in
any
way
during
their
first
6
years
of
schooling,
whose
curriculum
is
only
comprised
of
guidelines
and
not
specific
lesson
content.
The
only
standardized
test
they
take
is
when
they
are
16
years
old,
compared
to
the
USA
for
example
where
standardized
testing
is
the
norm.
All
students
are
taught
together
regardless
of
their
ability,
and
30%
of
the
students
receive
extra
help
during
their
primary
and
secondary
schooling.
And
the
result
of
this
free-‐from-‐rigidity
is
clear
in
the
statistics:
93%
of
students
graduate
high
school.
66%
of
students
attend
university
(this
is
the
highest
rate
in
Europe),
and
43%
of
them
attend
specialized
universities.
It
is
also
notable
that
the
schooling
system
in
Finland
is
completely
state-‐funded,
and
so
all
of
this
high-‐quality
education
is
received
for
free.
(Taylor)
The
educational
system
in
China
is
a
stark
contrast
to
that
in
Finland.
The
primary
years
of
schooling
are
compulsory
and
free,
which
is
similar,
but
compared
to
the
maximum
of
16
students
that
Finland
has,
each
Chinese
class
has
an
average
of
35
students,
ensuring
less
time
for
individual
help
and
attention.
In
rural
part
of
China,
at
the
age
of
15,
when
schooling
stops
being
free,
many
students
are
forced
to
cut
short
their
education.
The
system
breeds
a
very
competitive
attitude
that
is
seen
in
many
Chinese
people
even
as
they
grow
older,
all
student
sit
a
university
entrance
exam
during
their
senior
year.
There
are
many
schools
that
hold
mandatory
math
and
science
classes
on
Saturday
mornings,
and
there
is
‘cram
school’
in
the
evening
where
tutors
are
available
for
one-‐on-‐one
help.
The
teaching
methods
focus
on
memorization
and
the
sciences
and
math,
putting
less
emphasis
on
the
arts
and
literature.
Their
summer
break
is
only
one
month
long.
This
all
seems
quite
harsh
and
serious,
but
it’s
effective.
But
after
seeing
the
differences
between
the
two
systems,
and
seeing
also
the
similar
results
that
they
have,
a
person
has
to
decide
which
would
be
a
better
means
since
the
end
is
the
same.
Thinking
od
the
emotional
and
psychological
development
of
the
students,
the
Finnish
system
is
likely
much
more
beneficial
in
its
ease
and
leniency,