I’ve been reading about the Finnish education system. It has many proponents and I think these are the reasons vis-a-vis the North American model:
-more outdoor playtime
-smaller schools and class sizes
-long-term educator – student partnerships (students and teachers are paired for more than five years)
-“whatever it takes” attitude towards struggling students (for instance, one-on-one instruction, more than adequate learning supports)
-Teachers have high status and autonomy (politicians and business people don’t influence policy)
-positive discrimination is used in high-need catchments (funding is provided for special resource teachers, counselors and special needs classes)