Finland's Unconventional Approach to Education: Less Homework, Better Results?

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the amount of time students spend on homework directly correlates with their performance in school. The more time spent on homework, the worse they perform. This conclusion is supported by the Finnish education approach, which has been successful in leading the world in global scores for math and science.

Despite the widespread belief that homework increases student performance, OECD graph shows that this is not the case. In fact, Finland's students who have minimal homework hours achieve top grades. While an average high school student in the US spends about 6 hours a day on homework, Finnish students dedicate only 3 hours to after-school learning.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) tracks these policies and compares the amount of homework among students from different countries. As a result, there are various homework policies around the world.

Finnish people believe that besides homework, there are many other factors that can improve child's performance in school, such as having dinner with their families, exercising or getting a good night's sleep. The truth is that there is nearly no homework in the country with one of the top education systems in the world.

The number of parents who dread nightly battles to get their kids to finish their homework every year at the beginning of the school year is staggering - thousands and thousands of them. In contrast, Finland's education system focuses on a more holistic approach, where students are encouraged to engage in extracurricular activities, socialize with friends and family, and enjoy free time.

The Finnish approach may not be suitable for all countries, but it certainly challenges the traditional view that homework is essential for academic success. The results speak for themselves - Finland consistently ranks among the top-performing countries in PISA tests, despite minimal homework hours. Perhaps it's time to rethink our priorities and give students more time to enjoy childhood and develop their own interests outside of academics.

No homework