International+Educational+Systems

=Finland=
 * kids start at age 7
 * not graded before 5th grade
 * masters degrees for all teachers
 * income varies from primary to secondary - very respected
 * 40% less face time compared to US
 * average day form 8-12 or 2 with students
 * teachers had more freedom to choose material
 * teachers held accountable
 * reading is important
 * ages 3-7 preschool options
 * learning broken up into 6 week units
 * very socialistic - everything is included - everyone has something to contribute
 * culturally education is important
 * teaching is the most sought after job in the country
 * no after school activities

=South Korea=
 * Very large population has completed upper secondary education (97% of pop. that left school in 1990s)
 * Education seems as "way of achieving individual and national success" especially in the econmy(BBC News)
 * High level of spending per student
 * Leading mathematics scores
 * historic respect for teachers and education
 * Recent change to modern teaching methods leads to dramatic results[|BBC News Article]
 * Public Education is 6yrs. primary school, 3yrs. middle school, & 3 yrs. high school
 * Primary: Teachers teach most subjects: English instruction begins at grade 3: Courses include moral instruction, music, SS, math Science. PE, arts, Koream Lang.
 * Middle School: Teachers are content specific and students have required and elective courses
 * High School: divided in academic and vocational schools "The aims of education at the high school level are stated as "to foster each student's personality and ability needed to preserve and strengthen the backbone of the nation; to develop students' knowledge and skills to prepare them for jobs needed in society; to promote each student's autonomy, emotional development, and critical thinking abilities to be brought to bear in and out of school; and to improve physical strength and foster a sound mind." [|Asia Society Article]


 * Calendar from March to July then September through Feb. with 10 optional 1/2 days before each semester which 3/4 students attend
 * High school days are long 8-4 with many students attending private school or tutoring until 10 or midnight
 * 220 School days at all levels
 * Teachers frequently lecture with questions answered after class
 * little discipline problems
 * Elementary classes of approx. 50 students
 * Some teachers expressed concern with lack of student interest in small group teaching methods and concern about lack of remedial teaching time

**New Zealand**

 * **School calendar is four quarters with 2 weeks break in between**
 * class size about 20-21

=Canada=
 * school calendar similar to US
 * hours for students increase as grade level increases
 * What did you do in school today - idea of using kids as co-designers
 * spending per pupil has doubled just like us
 * SAT tests similar to US
 * Provinces graded on a criteria
 * year is 185 days for kids and 200 for teachers

Look at these strands within the countries Professioinal developement High quality teachers Differentiation