When we talk about how our education system is failing our students, there are a lot of different options presented on how to ‘fix’ it. Everyone has an answer, a promising new way of thinking, a potential magic bullet. Inevitably, we also examine school systems that are working as a part of investigating what to do or not to do with our own.

And one of those that is working and is almost always mentioned is Finland. Their students regularlytop the charts on global education metrics despite a lack of homework and more away-from-the-desk time during the school day. No homework is a pretty drastic measure in most people’s minds, so how does it work?

The handy infographic below takes a look at why homework doesn’t seem to be a necessity given the structure of the rest of the system. Do you think a Finland-esque education system would work here in the US? Why or why not? Weigh in by leaving a comment below, mentioning @Edudemic on Twitter or leaving your thoughts on our Facebook page.

There’s No Homework in Finland

• Finland boasts a 93% high school graduation rate (78% in Canada and 75% in the US)
• 2 in 3 students go on to college
• The mean PISA score in Finland is 20+ points higher than the next highest scoring country (Hong Kong)
• The ratio of teachers to students is 1:12 (compared with 1:24 in New York city, for example)
• There are no separate classrooms for accelerated or special education
• 1 in 3 students receives some sort of special assistance in school
• Standardized testing is minimized: only one test is taken at age 16
• Students get about 75 minutes of recess per day
• Homework is rarely given until students are teenagers
• All teachers have a Master’s degree, which is subsidized by the state
• Only the top 10% of students are accepted into teaching programs
• Teachers are held in the same esteem as doctors and lawyers