Education system myths: Is Finland really the golden standard?

Finland’s education system is often called the “gold standard,” with Minister Anders Adlercreutz highlighting trust, equality, and freedom as its core pillars. But here’s a question we rarely hear: should we even try to copy Finland’s model elsewhere — entirely or even partially?

Speak Your Mind! 🎯 “Is the Finnish education model really that golden — or simply uniquely Finnish?” by Dejan Trpkovic

25–OCT–2025 |  The cultural, economic, and political environment shapes how any education system functions. Finland’s model is built on high institutional trust, professional respect for teachers, consistent funding, and a strong welfare infrastructure that ensures equality among schools. These conditions are not easily replicated elsewhere — and certainly not in countries where inequality, instability, or politicized policymaking dominate.

This leads to a deeper point. Are Finnish students — who grow up in a stable, predictable, and well-organized system — necessarily better at adapting to real-world challenges than those who come from more chaotic, unpredictable environments? Young people from less structured systems often learn to improvise, to compete for every opportunity, and to find creative solutions. That kind of resilience and drive can be a powerful advantage later in life.

I’d love to hear your thoughts: can Finland teach lessons that are truly transferable, or does its system mostly serve as a reminder that context matters more than the method itself?

What drives Finland’s schools? Minister Anders Adlercreutz shares the three key principles.

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Dejan Trpkovic
Managing Director, PRODIREKT
Founder of Verbalists Education & Language Network

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Speak Your Mind!

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Verbalists, a world-leading language network, is about connecting people to the power of languages and joy of journeys that inspire, surprise and entertain. Verbalists is a brand of Prodirekt, a US based education group, which is a certified, and often exclusive representative of prestigious schools and colleges in world renowned university centers.