Finland's education system, mostly based on democratic principles, is considered the best in the world, base on international rankings. PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) test scores show that Finland's reading scores are high.  To match Finland, Malaysia's system is going to have to do a whole lot less! Here are some interesting facts our country can learn from Finland.

1.

To date, the Ministry of Education has increased the minimum entry requirement 7As in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) while students in Sabah and Sarawak must have at least 5As. In addition, new teachers will undergo mental health screening. There will be no guaranteed placement for teaching graduates of Malaysian public universities.

2.

By 2020, all teachers must possess a first degree before they can join the teaching profession. At present, they are only required to complete the post-Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) teachers’ training course as a minimum requirement to join the profession.

3.

Average class size in Malaysia is 28 but for some schools, the number of students can go higher.

4.

Basically, the Asian mind-set is over-stuffing kids with data instead of giving them the free time to synthesize information creatively - which is what Finland does so well.

5.

Compared to high-income nations, the percentage of Malaysia’s skilled workers is still low. To date, we have 434 public and 753 private skills training institutes.

6.

7.

In 2013, more than 18,000 students failed to get places in public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) although they had met the requirements.