Reevaluating Indonesia's Failure to Adopt Finland's Education System: What Went Wrong?

Educational Access Disparities

Finland has an equitable education system across all regions, while Indonesia faces significant challenges in infrastructure inequality. Many schools in remote areas lack basic facilities such as electricity, internet, or even proper buildings.  

Focus on Exams

Indonesia still heavily relies on national exams to assess students' success. This approach is in stark contrast to Finland, which evaluates students based on their ability to grasp concepts, think critically, and collaborate.  

Teacher Quality  

In Finland, teachers are selected from the best graduates and undergo rigorous training. In Indonesia, teacher quality varies widely. Many teachers have yet to fully grasp creative teaching methods, which are the core of Finland's approach.  

Inconsistent Policies

Frequent changes in Indonesia's education policies create confusion at the school level. This inconsistency also hinders the implementation of new principles adopted from Finland.  

Learning from Finland Realistically

To bring about real change, Indonesia must understand that education systems cannot be transformed simply by copying another country's policies. The education system must be tailored to the local context, including existing social, cultural, and economic challenges. The first step is to ensure that all schools have equal access to educational facilities. The government must improve infrastructure in remote areas so that students there have the same opportunities to learn.  

In addition, improving teacher quality should be a top priority. Teachers need training to adopt interactive teaching methods relevant to students' needs. On the other hand, the evaluation system must also change. High-pressure national exams should be replaced with competency-based assessments that are more humane.