Comparisons

Finnish Pedagogy vs the Chilean Education System

Chile runs a national curriculum with heavy standardised testing through SIMCE. Here is how that compares with Finland's low-stakes, teacher-led approach to primary education.

In brief

Chile's Educación Básica runs six years from around age 6, part of a longer guaranteed education pathway set by the Ministry of Education under national curriculum guidelines used since 2012 for grades 1 to 6.
Schools sit national standardised tests through SIMCE, overseen by Chile's education quality agency, a higher-stakes accountability model than Finland's largely exam-free basic education.
In PISA 2022, Chile scored below the OECD average in reading, mathematics and science, with mathematics among its lowest recorded PISA results and a notable gender gap favouring boys in maths and girls in science.
Chilean policy discussion has pointed to gaps in initial teacher training around reading instruction as a factor in literacy outcomes, a contrast with Finland's consistently research-based, master's-level teacher education.
Chilean schools have some flexibility to write elements of their own study programmes within the national framework, a partial echo of the local curriculum autonomy Finnish schools have, though it operates alongside much higher-stakes testing.

Two different views of assessment

SIMCE sits at the centre of Chile's accountability model, giving policymakers and parents a standardised, comparable measure of school performance. Finland takes a different route through its own basic education, relying on formative, descriptive assessment rather than standardised exams, an approach we cover in more depth in why Finland has no standardised tests.

The PISA gap between the two systems is instructive here too. Finland's own results are explained in our PISA rankings explainer, and while Finland's scores have eased over the past decade, they remain well above Chile's in reading, mathematics and science as of the 2022 results.

Teacher training as the deciding factor

One of the clearest contrasts is teacher preparation. Finland requires a research-based master's degree for all class teachers, discussed in why all Finnish teachers have master's degrees, alongside ongoing professional development. Chilean policy discussion has pointed to gaps in initial teacher training specifically around reading instruction as a contributing factor to weaker literacy outcomes, suggesting the difference in results may have as much to do with how teachers are trained as with curriculum design itself.

Where the systems partially overlap

Chile does allow schools to write elements of their own study programmes within the national framework, a partial parallel to the curriculum freedom Finnish teachers and municipalities have. The difference is what surrounds that flexibility: Finnish autonomy operates in a low-stakes assessment culture, while Chilean schools exercise their flexibility inside a system built around SIMCE and PISA accountability.

Frequently asked questions

Does Chile have standardised tests like some other countries?

Yes. Chilean pupils sit SIMCE, a national standardised test overseen by the country's education quality agency, a markedly different approach from Finland, which has no equivalent standardised testing in its own basic education.

How does Chile perform in PISA compared with Finland?

In PISA 2022, Chile scored below the OECD average across reading, mathematics and science. Finland has historically scored well above the OECD average, though its own results have eased somewhat over the past decade, as covered in our explainer on Finnish PISA rankings.

Do Chilean schools have any curriculum flexibility?

Some. Chilean schools can write elements of their own study programmes within the national framework, similar in spirit to the local curriculum autonomy Finnish schools have, though Chile's system operates alongside much higher-stakes standardised testing.

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