Finnish children spend the least time in class in the developed world, often finishing just after lunch, with about one hour of homework a day. Private tuition is uncommon. The British school day is quite long in comparison, around 6 hours, and secondary school pupils do 2 or 3 hours of self-study a night.
The Korean education system, like many in Asia, is intensely competitive, with students even competing to get into the best cramming schools, to help them get ahead. Finnish education is far less cut-throat. Classes are all mixed ability, and there are no league tables. British schools again occupy the middle ground, with quite high levels of competition for places at university, and schools and universities battling to come top of league tables for everything from exam results to student satisfaction.
Korea and Finland both do well, yet their education systems are so different. So what lessons can Britain learn from these two swots?
Well, there are some similarities in Asia and Finland. In those countries, teachers have high status in society, and education is very highly valued. Those attitudes can't change quickly. But it can be done. They might be the star pupil now, but until the 1970s, Finland's educational system was poor. Their radically different approach to schooling has taken them to the top in just a generation.
Quiz 測驗 1. According to the article, who spends more time studying, Korean or Finnish children?
Korean children.
2. Do British schools and universities care about league tables?
Yes, they battle to come top of league tables.
3. Is the following statement true, false or not given? Finnish education was excellent in the 1970s.
False. Education was poor in the 1970s.
4. According to this article, why do Korean children fall asleep in class?
Because they are tired, after hours of private tuition in the evenings.
5. Which rather negative word for private tutoring or tuition is used in the article?
Cramming.
Glossary 词汇表 top scorers得分最高的人（國家） league table（學校）排名榜 top of the class位居榜首 private tutoring私人課外輔導 hothousing溫室強化式的拔苗助長，超前的 cramming填鴨式(教育) private tuition私人補習 self-study自學 intensely competitive競爭激烈的 get ahead取得進步 cut-throat殘酷的 mixed ability（學生）水平參差不齊的 occupy the middle ground取中 battling掙扎 student satisfaction學生滿意度 swots勤奮刻苦的人（國家） high status高（社會）地位 attitudes態度 star pupil優秀生 radically different approach截然不同的方法 schooling學校教育 generation一代人
