When a Country Gets it Right: Finland

I having been following tweets, videos and articles on Finnish education. For those not in the know, Finland ranks number one in the world on test scores and yet standardized testing and curriculum are not part of their practice.  Instead, extremely well-trained teachers who are given autonomy to carry out a well-thought curriculum are the foundation of Finnish education. In Finland, it is harder to become a teacher than it is to become a doctor! Schools are also autonomous, prep time is vast, administration is flattened and teachers plan how the schools run. Each school is underpinned by a very sophisticated approach to curriculum design.I have finally been able to get a hold of a curriculum document from Finland. Thanks, Esa, for the translation - I hope more are to follow.

http://ianchia.com/2011/04/25/finlands-visual-arts-curriculum-for-schools-architecture-visual-arts-and-craft/