A look at what sets Finland’s approach to education apart — and how the same ethos lies at the heart of world-class private tutoring

The World Happiness Report has once again named Finland the happiest country on earth — for the eighth year in a row. While headlines around the world marvel at this consistency, many parents and educators are asking a more pointed question:

What does Finland do differently — particularly when it comes to childhood and education — and what, if anything, can the rest of us learn from it?

At Tutors International, we work with families in a wide variety of contexts. Their lives are often complex, international, and fast-paced. But their values tend to echo those found at the heart of Finnish society: they want to raise children who are not only well-educated, but well-rounded. Children who are curious, confident and happy. And while not every country can replicate Finland’s education system, families with full-time private tutors often can.

This article explores what Finland does so well — and how the best private tutors bring those same benefits to families around the world.

What sets Finland apart?

There’s no single factor behind Finland’s high levels of national well-being, but education plays a central role. The Finnish system is based on several distinct principles, many of which are documented in the OECD’s Education at a Glance reports:

• Children begin formal schooling at age 7, with earlier years focused on play, creativity and emotional development
• The school day is short, with regular outdoor breaks — including 15 minutes of fresh air for every 45 minutes of class
• There is very little standardised testing, and very little homework
• Teachers are highly trained, well-respected professionals with autonomy in the classroom
• Equity is prioritised — the aim is for all children to thrive, not just the most academically able

As Finnish educator and author Pasi Sahlberg explains in ‘Finnish Lessons 3.0’, "In Finland, the focus is not on winning or beating others, but on learning together, and growing as human beings."  That mindset underpins not just classroom teaching, but the broader societal commitment to childhood as a time of development, not pressure.

These choices are deliberate. Finnish society places trust in children, in teachers, and in the value of rest and play. The result is not just strong academic performance, but long-term emotional health and social cohesion.

But most countries aren’t Finland

This is an important caveat — and one worth stating clearly. Finland’s success reflects decades of policy choices, cultural attitudes and investment in public services. Not every country can simply “be more Finnish.” And not every school system can adopt these practices wholesale.

So this article isn’t here to tell parents they should expect local schools to look like those in Helsinki. That wouldn’t be realistic or fair.

But for families who choose to educate their children privately — whether because of travel, relocation, special educational needs or philosophical preference — there is an opportunity to draw inspiration from Finland. Because a full-time private tutor can build an education that reflects the same values, tailored precisely to the needs of the child.

What does that look like in practice?

Many of the principles found in Finnish schools are already embedded in the work our tutors do. For example:

• A flexible, individualised curriculum that builds on a child’s interests
• A balance between academic challenge and emotional support
• A daily rhythm that respects the child’s attention span and need for rest
• Outdoor learning, creative exploration and hands-on experiences
• A strong mentoring relationship that fosters self-confidence and motivation

We recently placed a tutor with a family whose children were being educated across three continents over the course of a year. The tutor was able to maintain continuity of learning, while integrating elements of local culture, nature, and even language into their studies. The children thrived — not in spite of the disruption, but because the education they received was coherent, responsive, and respectful of their lives.

Addressing the common concerns

Understandably, some parents worry that private tutoring will feel intense or overly focused on outcomes. But at Tutors International, our ethos is different. Yes, we are committed to academic excellence — but not at the cost of well-being.

“We’re not in the business of hothousing,” says Adam Caller, Founder of Tutors International. “The families we work with want more than academic results. They want their children to be curious, emotionally resilient, and confident in who they are.”

The tutors we place are highly qualified professionals, selected not just for subject knowledge but for emotional intelligence, integrity, and the ability to form strong, positive relationships with their students. They are mentors as well as teachers, and their goal is to support the child in becoming a confident, independent learner — not simply a high performer.

We’ve highlighted the growing concern around academic burnout in children, often fuelled by excessive homework and constant pressure — issues Finland has consciously avoided. We know that pressure without purpose can do more harm than good. That’s why we build a complete educational environment around each student — one that nurtures the whole person.

What the Finnish model reminds us

The key lesson from Finland isn’t that we should all copy their curriculum. It’s that long-term success begins with well-being. That children learn best when they feel safe, supported and engaged. That a sense of autonomy, play and joy matters just as much as academic progress.

“The idea that success comes from pressure is deeply flawed,” says Adam Caller. “The most capable, well-rounded young people I’ve seen are those who’ve been allowed to explore, question and grow – not just perform. Finland understands that. So do our tutors.”

Those principles apply whether a child is in a state school, a private school, or learning one-to-one with a tutor. And they’re backed by international research — including OECD findings that link emotional well-being in childhood with stronger academic performance and better life outcomes across the board.

We’ve written before about the strong relationship between emotional well-being and future success — a principle that underpins both the Finnish model and our approach to private tutoring.

While no education model is perfect, Finland shows us that a different approach is possible — one that puts the child’s overall development at the centre.