Tuesday, May 17, 2022

No Tests, No Homework! Here's How Finland Has Emerged As A Global Example Of Quality, Inclusive Education

No Tests, No Homework! Here's How Finland Has Emerged As A Global Example Of Quality, Inclusive Education

No Tests, No Homework! Here's How Finland Has Emerged As A Global Example Of Quality, Inclusive Education

Student-oriented approach to education in Finland has been recognised as the most well-developed educational system in the world and ranks third in education worldwide.

No Tests, No Homework! Heres How Finland Has Emerged As A Global Example Of Quality, Inclusive Education

Image Credit- Wikipedia, Pixabay (Representational)

"A quality education grants us the ability to fight the war on ignorance and poverty," - Charles Rangel

The uniqueness of the Finnish education model is encapsulated in its values of neither giving homework to students every day nor conducting regular tests and exams. Instead, it is listening to what the kids want and treating them as independent thinkers of society.

In Finland, the aim is to let students be happy and respect themselves and others.

Goodbye Standardised Exams

There is absolutely no program of nationwide standard testing, such as in India or the U.S, where those exams are the decisive points of one's admission to higher education like Board Examinations or Common Entrance Tests.

In an event organised by Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat remarked, "It is because they teach their children to face life struggles and not score in an examination," reported The Print.

Students in Finland are graded based on individual performance and evaluation criteria decided by their teachers themselves. Overall progress is tracked by their government's Ministry of Education, where they sample groups of students across schools in Finland.

Value-Based Education

They are primarily focused on making school a safe and equal space as children learn from the environment.

All Finland schools have offered since the 1980s free school meals, access to healthcare, a focus on mental health through psychological counselling for everyone and guidance sessions for each student to understand their wants and needs.

Education in Finland is not about marks or ranks but about creating an atmosphere of social equality, harmony and happiness for the students to ease learning experiences.

Most of the students spend half an hour at home after school to work on their studies. They mostly get everything done in the duration of the school timings as they only have a few classes every day. They are given several 15 -20 minutes breaks to eat, do recreational activities, relax, and do other work. There is no regiment in school or a rigid timetable, thus, causing less stress as given in the World Economic Forum.

Everyone Is Equal - Cooperate, Not Compete

The schools do not put pressure on ranking students, schools, or competitions, and they believe that a real winner doesn't compete; they help others come up to their level to make everyone on par.

Even though individualism is promoted during evaluation based on every student's needs, collectivity and fostering cooperation among students and teachers are deemed crucial.

While most schools worldwide believe in Charles Darwin's survival of the fittest, Finland follows the opposite but still comes out at the top.

Student-Oriented Model

The school teachers believe in a simple thumb rule; students are children who need to be happy when they attend school to learn and give their best. Focus is put upon teaching students to be critical thinkers of what they know, engage in society, and decide for themselves what they want.

In various schools, playgrounds are created by children's input as the architect talks to the children about what they want or what they feel like playing before setting up the playground.

Compared To The Indian Education Model

Firstly, Finnish children enrol in schools at the age of six rather than in India, where the school age is usually three or four years old. Their childhood is free from constricting education or forced work, and they are given free rein over how they socialise and participate in society.

Secondly, all schools in Finland are free of tuition fees as there are no private schools. Thus, education is not treated as a business. Even tuition outside schools is not allowed or needed, leaving no scope for commodifying education, unlike in India, where multiple coaching centres and private schools require exorbitant fees.

Thirdly, the school hours in Finland do not start early morning at 6 am, or 7 am as done in India. Finland schools begin from 9.30 am as research in World Economic Forum has indicated that schools starting at an early age is detrimental to their health and maturation. The school ends by mostly 2 pm.

Lastly, there is no homework or surprise test given to students in Finland. Teachers believe that the time wasted on assignments can be used to perform hobbies, art, sports, or cooking. This can teach life lessons and have a therapeutic stress-relieving effect on children. Indian schools tend to give a lot of homework to prove their commitment to studying and constantly revise what they learn in school.

Delhi Govt's Focus On Education

The Delhi model of education transformed under the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) tenure in the capital. In line with the Finnish model, Delhi government schools have adopted 'Happiness Classes' to ensure students' mental wellness through courses on mindfulness, problem-solving, social and emotional relationships, etc., from 1st to 8th classes.

Delhi government also introduced 'Entrepreneurial Mindset Classes' in 2019 to instil business and critical thinking skills among students of 9th to 12th classes. The practical approach in this class is indicated in the 'Business Blasters', a competition started by the Delhi government to encourage students to come up with start-up ideas and students were provided with ₹1000. Approximately 51,000 students participated in the first edition of the competition, according to Citizen Matters.

Through these endeavours, India is steadily investing in creating human resources that can get employment and generate employment for themselves.

India is at its demographic dividend stage; more than half of its population is within the working-age group of 14 to 60 years. Education is an essential factor in utilising this considerable advantage to grow economically and socially. Finland's education model is how India can strive closer to its goal and progress as a nation.

Also Read: Connaissance! Delhi Board of School Education Pens MoU To Add French In Government Schools

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Sunday, May 15, 2022

Singapore detects first three local cases of new Omicron sub-variants | The Straits Times

Singapore detects first three local cases of new Omicron sub-variants | The Straits Times

Singapore detects first three local cases of new Omicron sub-variants

All three were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, and did not require hospitalisation. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

SINGAPORE - Singapore has detected its first local cases of the new Omicron sub-variants that are driving a fresh increase in Covid-19 numbers all over the world.

On Sunday (May 15) night, the Health Ministry (MOH) said it has found two cases of the BA.4 variant and one case of the BA.5 variant through active surveillance.

The cases were first detected via polymerase chain reaction tests and confirmed through whole genome sequencing.

All three were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, and did not require hospitalisation. They were fully vaccinated and had gotten their booster doses.

They self-isolated upon testing positive for Covid-19 and had not been exposed to vulnerable settings, MOH said in a statement.

"We will step up local surveillance efforts and continue monitoring the spread of BA.4 and BA.5 in Singapore," it added.

"While our society is now more resilient against the virus, everyone should to continue to play their part and remain vigilant to mitigate the spread of Covid-19."

It urged people to ensure they are up to date with recommended booster jabs and exercise caution in areas with many people, especially for those who are more likely to develop complications if infected.

BA.4 and BA.5 were first detected in South Africa early this year and are now the dominant variants there. This means they have overtaken the BA.1 and BA.2 strains, which drove the original Omicron outbreak - including in Singapore.

The new variants have mutations in the spike protein which make them more effective at evading the immune system and more transmissible, MOH said. They are considered variants of concern by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

"However, emerging real-world evidence from other countries supports that BA.4 and BA.5 infections will likely give rise to similar clinical outcomes, compared to previous Omicron lineages."

As at last Wednesday, at least 1,000 cases of BA.4 and BA.5 had been reported in at least 16 countries, according to the World Health Organisation.



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Friday, May 13, 2022

Hottest temperature since 1983 recorded in S'pore during recent weeks of warm weather

Hottest temperature since 1983 recorded in S'pore during recent weeks of warm weather



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Mercury in S'pore hits 36.8 deg C in April, second-highest temperature on record | The Straits Times

Mercury in S'pore hits 36.8 deg C in April, second-highest temperature on record | The Straits Times

Mercury in S'pore hits 36.8 deg C in April, second-highest temperature on record

Weather experts say Singapore is not in the grips of a heatwave, and that the temperatures seen are not outside the norm. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

SINGAPORE - Weeks of sweltering heat in Singapore saw the mercury race past 34 deg C several times in the past six weeks, and hit the second-highest temperature on record last month.

On April 1, it peaked at 36.8 deg C in Admiralty, just 0.2 deg C shy of the all-time high recorded in Tengah on April 17, 1983.

Weather experts say the Republic is not in the grips of a heatwave, adding that the temperatures seen are also not outside the norm.

But it will get hotter for Singapore and the rest of the world, with climate change making its presence felt.

Typically, the months of April and May are warmer for the country owing to inter-monsoon conditions, which are characterised by strong heating from the sun and light variable winds, National Environment Agency's Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) told The Straits Times.

This week, the mercury hit 35.6 deg C at Paya Lebar and Marina Barrage between 2pm and 3pm on Tuesday, it said.

Temperatures have stayed high in recent weeks even with a natural climate phenomenon called La Nina, which has been bringing cooler and wetter weather to South-east Asia since late 2020.

Despite warmer weather due to the current inter-monsoon period, the threshold for declaring a heatwave has not been breached, MSS noted.

A heatwave in Singapore occurs when the daily maximum temperature is at least 35 deg C on three consecutive days, and the daily mean temperature throughout the period is at least 29 deg C, said MSS.

Based on past records, the nation experiences one to two heatwaves per decade, it added. The last heatwave occurred in April 2016.

But there was some relief in April with higher-than-usual rainfall.

Despite maximum temperatures soaring past 34 deg C for nearly half of April, thundery showers during the month helped to moderate the overall temperature, making it the third-coolest April in the last 10 years, said MSS.

About half of the island was drenched by above-normal rainfall for that month.

Weather and climate scientist Koh Tieh Yong from the Singapore University of Social Sciences said the conditions in April are within normal climatic variations.

He added that the temperatures currently experienced is not linked to the severe heatwave in India.



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Friday, May 6, 2022

Fwd: Is S’pore facing a recession risk? | The US, divided within, needs to reinvent itself: Harvard's Graham Allison



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Begin forwarded message:

From: ST Editor's Picks <editorspicks@edm.straitstimes.com>
Date: 6 May 2022 at 3:33:12 PM SGT
To: changchengliang@gmail.com
Subject: Is S'pore facing a recession risk? | The US, divided within, needs to reinvent itself: Harvard's Graham Allison

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FRIDAY, MAY 06 2022

Warren Fernandez
Editor-in-Chief

Dear ST reader,

In his May Day Rally speech on Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong warned of economic challenges ahead for Singaporeans this year. These include slower growth and a possible recession as Russia's war in Ukraine and China's Covid-19 lockdowns roil global supply chains and push up prices.

Senior correspondent Ovais Subhani speaks to experts on the issue. Also, look back on our tips on how to save costs during this time.

Meanwhile, parents with questions about their child's PSLE preparation can get them answered at an upcoming ST forum. It is free for those who are ST subscribers. If you are not one yet and wish to sign up for the forum, do subscribe. You can do both here.

I wish you a good weekend. Thank you for reading The Straits Times.

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