✨ Reflections, inspirations, and adaptations to transform Brazilian education
Imagine stepping into a classroom in Finland and realizing there are no standardized tests. Or walking through a school in Japan and seeing young children cleaning their own classrooms, learning discipline, responsibility, and community care from an early age.
Now picture a school in Canada where students are encouraged to debate, question, and build projects—not just memorize content.
While every country faces its own educational challenges, there are inspiring practices worldwide that can—and should—influence improvements in Brazilian education.
This article is an invitation to explore some of the world’s most effective educational systems, uncover their secrets, and, more importantly, reflect on what we can adapt to our reality.
Because no educational transformation happens magically—it starts with choices, examples, and, above all, the willingness to change.
🎓 Why Look Beyond? Education as a Mirror and Inspiration
Looking abroad isn’t about copying and pasting systems. Every country has its unique history, culture, challenges, and contexts.
👉 But observing successful practices is a powerful strategy. It’s like opening windows to see possibilities beyond what we’re used to.
Learning isn’t about copying. It’s about adapting. It’s about transforming.
If other countries have found ways to improve their education systems, why shouldn’t we ask: “How could this work for Brazil?”
🇫🇮 Finland: Fewer Tests, More Meaningful Learning
✨ What Do They Do Differently?
- No standardized tests until the age of 16.
- Shorter school days and fewer hours per day.
- Teachers are highly respected, well-paid, and required to have a master’s degree.
- Lessons focus on projects, problem-solving, and developing socio-emotional skills.
- Students enjoy about 15 minutes of recess for every 45 minutes of class.
💡 What Can We Learn?
In Finland, quality matters more than quantity.
The focus isn’t on overloading students with content but on helping them develop critical thinking, autonomy, and a love for learning.
How It Could Work in Brazil:
- Reduce the overload of exams and focus on formative assessments.
- Invest in teacher training and real appreciation of the profession.
- Encourage active learning methods where students become protagonists.
🇯🇵 Japan: Discipline, Respect, and Community from an Early Age
✨ What Do They Do Differently?
- There are no janitors in schools; students clean the facilities themselves, promoting responsibility.
- Discipline and ethics are taught as seriously as math or language.
- Punctuality, respect for shared spaces, and organization are core cultural elements in schools.
- School meals are a learning moment about health, sustainability, and cooperation.
💡 What Can We Learn?
Teaching isn’t just about passing on content—it’s about shaping citizens.
Japan shows that when students are engaged in the school’s daily routines, they develop empathy, cooperation, and responsibility.
How It Could Work in Brazil:
- Introduce practices that foster community care and shared responsibility.
- Develop projects focused on sustainability, healthy eating, and ethics.
- Intentionally teach socio-emotional skills from early childhood.
🇨🇦 Canada: Inclusive, Creative, and Multicultural Education
✨ What Do They Do Differently?
- The system is highly inclusive, respecting cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and learning differences.
- A strong focus on developing skills, not just academic content.
- Lessons are built around projects, debates, problem-solving, and collaboration.
- Mental health is a priority, with psychological support provided early on.
💡 What Can We Learn?
More than just teaching, education is about embracing and supporting.
Canada understands that every student has a unique pace, background, and learning style. The system adapts to students—not the other way around.
How It Could Work in Brazil:
- Strengthen inclusive practices with psychological and pedagogical support in schools.
- Promote interdisciplinary projects that foster creativity, empathy, and critical thinking.
- Respect Brazil’s vast cultural and regional diversity within the educational framework.
🇸🇬 Singapore: Academic Excellence Focused on the Future
✨ What Do They Do Differently?
- A rigorous curriculum focused on 21st-century skills.
- Significant investment in continuous teacher development.
- A strong culture of discipline and meritocracy, balanced with emotional support.
- Schools offer programs in problem-solving, innovation, and computational thinking.
💡 What Can We Learn?
High expectations don’t have to mean overwhelming pressure.
Singapore proves it’s possible to combine academic excellence with developing practical and technological skills for the modern world.
How It Could Work in Brazil:
- Integrate technology and logical thinking from an early age.
- Train teachers to nurture digital skills, problem-solving, and innovation.
- Build a culture of excellence that doesn’t neglect student well-being.
🇳🇿 New Zealand: Learning with Freedom and Nature
✨ What Do They Do Differently?
- Schools prioritize exploration, creativity, and nature-based learning.
- Strong incorporation of indigenous Maori culture within the curriculum.
- Student-centered learning that respects individual rhythms, interests, and processes.
- Assessments are continuous and formative, focused on growth, not competition.
💡 What Can We Learn?
Learning doesn’t have to be confined to classrooms, desks, and whiteboards.
New Zealand embraces the idea that connection with nature, culture, and creativity is essential for learning.
How It Could Work in Brazil:
- Foster environmental education as a daily practice, not just a subject.
- Bring regional and cultural knowledge into curricula.
- Personalize learning to focus on students’ interests, talents, and needs.
🔥 In Practice: What Can Brazil Actually Do?
Not everything that works abroad can be directly applied to Brazil. Our country faces specific challenges—social inequality, underfunding, and poor infrastructure in many areas.
But we also hold unique strengths: cultural diversity, creativity, resilience, and a network of passionate, committed educators.
The goal isn’t to copy. It’s to be inspired, adapt, and, most importantly, listen to those who are on the front lines: students, teachers, and communities.
🌱 Possible Transformations:
- Real investment in teacher training and fair compensation.
- More flexible, interdisciplinary curricula connected to students’ realities.
- Shift the focus from memorization to project-based learning and problem-solving.
- Use technology wisely—not as a trend, but as an inclusive and effective learning tool.
- Strengthen public education with consistent investment and long-term policies.
💖 Education Doesn’t Change the World. Education Changes People. And People Change the World.
Looking at other countries’ experiences shows that quality education isn’t magic—it’s a choice. It’s a nation’s project.
What can we learn from other teaching methods? That it’s possible to build a school where learning is joyful, where teaching is an act of love, and where education prepares people for life—not just for the next test.