According to the World Happiness Report 2021, Finland has the highest happiness percentage in the world in 2020, at a 7.842 score. Meanwhile, Indonesia has a 5.345 score happiness percentage, 82 out of 104 countries. Finland and Indonesia vary significantly in culture, language, politics, and educational systems. For example, the former has a high level of prosperity, freedom, justice, and a low discrimination rate. It raises the question, does a country’s happiness rely on its education system?
It is generally known that the Finland education system does not emphasize assessment based on students’ academic performance. Despite that, it has become the only nation with the most significant reading interest and the best student satisfaction rating.
Another interesting fact is that Finnish children maintain a good balance between education, relaxation, and extracurricular activities. Such a balanced life is attainable because educational institutions have designed a curriculum that allows students to reach their maximum potential while still maintaining a happy life.
In the case of education, we realize that education should shift from the “one-size-fits-all” format into a more progressive system. While one education system might work in another country, the same case might not apply to another. One must consider political, economic, cultural, and geographical differences, among many others, before designing a learning curriculum. To become a forward-looking school, starting from February 2022, the ABC Kids school enriches its existing curriculum with the HEI School Teacher Toolkit – a learning resource developed in partnership with the University of Helsinki. It will serve as a learning toolkit in assisting teachers at ABC Kids school. Through this program, we hope that children educated at ABC Kids school will become individuals equipped with socio-emotional, academic, social & transversal skills–all of which are necessary and serve as the basis for further learning later on.
In addition to the toolkit, the ABC Kids school also encourages our kindergarten teachers to complete the HEI School Teacher Diploma to enrich our curriculum further.
One of our teachers, Ms. Era Agnesia Saragih, has completed the HEI School Teacher Diploma in 2021. One of the most notable things she learned from completing the program was how Finnish education promotes cultural heritage via games, cuisines, and other fun activities. Ms. Saragih suggested doing the same when introducing Indonesian culture to children. That way, children can learn and absorb information most interactively.
Today, ABC Kids kindergarten is the first school in Indonesia that enriches its current curriculum with the aforementioned Toolkit. With a forward-looking curriculum at a reasonable cost, allow your children’s learning journey to become an enjoyable & unforgettable experience instead of a scary one.
Source: https://worldhappiness.report/