Compare and Contrast

Finland and Singapore schools have similar subjects and equally teachers. However the education system in Singapore is quite different from Finland. The Singapore education is a traditional system where control is important whereas the Finland education system emphasizes a happy learning environment. Some of the differences are the compulsory education and the examination system.
One difference is the compulsory education in Singapore which provides the basic knowledge for the pupils. Singapore allocates the students according to their performance in this compulsory education, while the Finland students are allocated according to their residences and ages. Also the Finland students can choose the comprehensive school by themselves. Moreover, the education period of Finland (9 years) is shorter than Singapore’s (10-11 years).
Another difference in both countries is the examination system. Singapore’s education has national examinations at the end of education levels. For examples, the primary school students will be taking the national Primary School Examination (PSLE), the secondary school students will be taking either “N” level or “O” levels, and students will be taking either “A” level or International Baccalaureate Diploma for admission into the university. In contrast, Finland’s education doesn’t have the national examination until the students have finished the High School. It is called the national matriculation examination for the admission into the university.
In spite of these differences, these two are completely opposite education structures. However, both countries have similar subjects and teachers.
The education system in both countries is similar because both emphasize the main subjects such as English, the mother tongue, mathematics and sciences. Other subjects include environmental studies, civics, ethics, history, social study, craft, economic, visual arts etc. The students have to complete all of the subjects. In addition, both countries are still class taught by class teacher in the first period of the compulsory education and taught by subject teachers in the subsequent periods.
In conclusion, although the education system in Singapore and Finland are differences in the compulsory education and the examination system, the subjects and teachers are similar. However, the students in both countries study a lot of subjects but using different methods.