Education system in Indonesia and Finland

By: Eviyana Rismawati

Finland is one of the countries recognized by the world to have the best education system.  Their system is different from the basic principles of education in Indonesia. This country has never given homework to its students. Indonesia was also rumored to want to adopt this system.  But it might require a process because the difference is still quite far.

The educational portrait between Indonesia and Finland is very different. This is due to many factors that influence it, one of which is Indonesia is a developing country that is looking for forms of the education system while Finland is a developed country that is no longer focused on the search for forms of the education system but on its development.  If likened, Indonesia is still building the foundation of the education system so that it lags far behind Finland.

In Indonesia, objectives of learning are formulated based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. 1945 Constitution in paragraph 4 mandating that Indonesian education must be able to provide the best service for the nation's children in order to educate life nation. Current education system shows that National Education Institutions are so enthusiastic to do the competition. Many schools have found a favorite class system that recruits the highest ranked students. Sorting students who have potential and intelligence above average students who have below average intelligence potential are wrong one implied evidence.

Whereas the educational objectives of Finland are determined by students and their parents. The government only makes learning targets, but what students will learn, which is determined by students. Equality education and culture are very important strategic targets that the Finnish government wants to achieve. It is stated in the Strategy Ministry of Education of Finland in 2015. Classes are filled with a maximum of 20 to 25 students. This makes it easier for teachers to control students. There is no discrimination against students, both from high and low economic students. The teachers believe every child is unique and smart based on the talent they have. When we test a fish in a climbing contest, it is the same as testing a child with language intelligence to take a mathematical logical test. So teachers in Finland don't make favorite classes for students feel comfortable and enjoy the learning atmosphere.

Study time in class in Finland only lasts four hours in one day.  45 minutes studying in class and 15 minutes resting. Even though Finland is the country with the best education system in the world, it doesn't make the school schedule tight. In fact, children from elementary to junior high school in Finland only spend about 4-5 hours at school. While high school students study like college students.  They come only during certain study hours according to their interests and talents. When compared in Indonesia, students must study 6-9 hours a day. Especially if you apply five days school, school hours increase to 10 hours a day. This certainly makes children don't have enough time to play because after school they also need to spend time doing the homework.

In Finland, Finnish people feel more honored to be teachers than to work as doctors. To become a teacher requires competencies equivalent to a master's degree with the best value. For the welfare of the material shown through the provision of large salaries for teachers. While teachers in Indonesia have at least a bachelor degree with a recruitment process through the CPNS selection system. Teacher salaries in Indonesia are still relatively low according to rank, class and years of service. However, recently the government has begun to pay attention to teacher welfare through increasing teacher certification allowance programs.

I think it's hard for Indonesia to adopt Finland education system. It is because the size of Indonesia's population will be very expensive to have 'free education' or high quality government sponsored.  Finland enjoys a high income with a small population. While Indonesians are low-income people with gasoline subsidies over education and health care. However it doesn't rule out the possibility of Indonesia to adopt the Finnish learning system if the government is serious about making major changes in the field of education.

Adha, M. A., Gordisona, S., Ulfatin, N., & Supriyanto, A. (2019). Analisis Komparasi Sistem Pendidikan Indonesia dan Finlandia. TADBIR : Jurnal Studi Manajemen Pendidikan, 3 (2), 145-160.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.29240/jsmp.v3i2.1102

Setiawan, W. A., (2018). Differences of education systems in develop and developing countries curriculum, educators and financing in Indonesia and Finland. Didaktika Religia, 6 (1), 139-152. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331168715_DIFFERENCES_OF_EDUCATION_SYSTEMS_IN_DEVELOPED_AND_DEVELOPING_COUNTRIES_CURRICULUM_EDUCATORS_AND_FINANCING_IN_INDONESIA_AND_FINLAND