Draft

Dear Board Member,
I appreciate your commitment to improve education. The information below indicates the direction in which the USA should go if it wants its students to achieve the standards that students in Finland and New Zealand are presently achieving. I believe it is clear that the balanced neurological development of children depends on all round curricula and not a narrowly focused one. Perhaps it should be incumbent on administrators to examine countries that outperform the USA to see where and how lessons can be learned that will be of benefit to students here. It is also widely accepted in Finland and New Zealand that young children will learn more through play and, most importantly, will learn to love learning.

The recent OECD study of student achievement amongst countries in the developed world (Knowledge and Skills for Life PISA - Program for International Student Assessment) published on Tuesday 6 April 2004 showed that Finnish teenagers are the best readers and their youth excel in science and mathematics. All this in a country where per capita income is about two-thirds of the USA (The latest year where comparison can be made is 2001: Finland $23,260 USA $35,271 with California and San Diego higher.) Yet imagine an educational system where: a) children do not start school until they are seven; b) spending is under $5,000 a year per student; c) there are no gifted programs.

In the USA, we would say this is a prescription for failure, yet this describes the Finnish education system. Furthermore, how can Helsinki, a city of around 550,000, support five symphony orchestras while nationwide, there are 21 more, as well as 12 regional opera companies? All this is happening in a nation of 5.2 million. Two-thirds of a total 250 Finnish operas have been composed after 1975. As is repeatedly pointed out to visitors Finland has devoted itself to music, not for any emotional or moral uplift, but because it is good for the brain. It is accepted that it is essential to the neurological development of children and that, "When you invest in culture, it always comes back, always."

The source of Finland's success is empowering teachers resulting in flexible and individualized teaching. The USA, and certainly California, is focused on obtaining measurable teaching results by continual testing students of all ages. The curriculum is test-driven and teachers are forced to employ standardized teaching in content and methodology.

However, Finland and New Zealand (New Zealand came joint second in the OECD report) fully appreciate that learning patterns can be different. In a recent article describing the situation in Finland, "So long as schools stick to the core national curriculum, which lays out goals and subject areas, they are free to teach the way they want. They can choose their textbooks or ditch them altogether, teach indoors or outdoors, cluster children in small or large groups." The Ministry of Education, New Zealand state, "Successful outcomes for all students require a range of learning pathways. One size does not fit all. Children arrive at school with different early childhood experiences and different levels of development. How students learn, the pace at which they learn and their interests vary between individuals."

We find two countries whose students out-perform those of the USA possess quite different education administrative structures to those of the USA. In fact, we find that nationally and statewide the USA has been moving for some considerable time in the opposite direction to those of Finland and New Zealand. Project fifty years in the future and which countries will be in ascendancy and which in decline?

I have experience of education and teacher training on three continents namely Europe, North America and Australasia. I would appreciate the opportunity to make a presentation to the Board and place my experience and expertise at your disposal. Details of some of my work can be viewed at http://members.cox.net/tei although work is still in progress. I look forward to hearing from you.