“I’m going to go eat chocolate and cry,” Kaylin Hobbs, a freshman at Haverford High School laments after spending 20 hours—her weekly average—on homework.

In their first nine years of school, American students spend 1,264 more hours in the classroom than the OECD—Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development—average. Against Finland, America’s high schoolers spend 25% more time in school and compared to 15 freshmen surveyed at Haverford High School, Finnish high schoolers spend roughly five hours less on homework each week. They have mandated 15 minute breaks at the beginning of each hour and receive recess throughout their day. Only 12% of females and 8% of males report school related “burnout,” whereas 75% of American teenagers report “constant stress.” 

Given all of the extra time American students devote to school, it should be surprising that Finland was ranked by WT20 in 2024 as the 8th best school system in the world, while America ranked 31st. It should be incomprehensible that in the 2018 PISA—the last time the test was administered before COVID-19 shut down school systems—Finland (7) scored thirteen places higher than America (20.) It should be confounding—but it isn’t. 

The reason for this discrepancy lies in the way Finnish students learn. South University defines learning as the “long-lasting change in behavior or knowledge,” and highlights the limited amount the brain can process at once. Long classes become meaningless after the brain has expended its capabilities for learning, and endless homework poses few benefits on students’ absorption of information. Finnish learning is structured with breaks so that it caters to brain function and maximizes understanding. American learning, however, reflects the American value of perseverance—to a fault. The constant flow of information hurts the brain’s ability to learn and ends up being counterproductive. It gives students a negative view of education and learning, whereas a less stressful atmosphere might foster a love of learning. 

“Learning new things used to be fun,”  Claire Barquet, a Haverford freshman, began. “But the constant stress and homework is too much.” If that statement wasn’t depressing enough, she added at the end, “I don’t have time for life outside of school.” 

It’s a flawed system that extinguishes curiosity and leaves no time for other endeavors. While emotional repercussions should incite change, it is not the only area in which American schooling has negative impacts. Dopamine surges during times of enjoyment or interest, while boredom and stress block the flow of dopamine to the brain, resulting in a lower retention. The hippocampus—responsible for forming new memories—is highly sensitive to stress, and high levels impair its ability to form and organize memories. Over long periods of time, stress has been shown to shrink the hippocampus in children. American schools put children into an environment that can potentially harm their development, and yet these schools are seemingly unwilling to change.

The phenomenon of educating better instead of longer isn’t unique to Finland. Many high-ranking countries have similar philosophies. Estonia—ranking third overall in the 2018 PISA—has a five–hour school day, with 10-20 minute breaks between each lesson and a mandated 20 minutes of recess for all ages. The basic philosophy of their education, like Finland, is to focus on the science behind permanent, effective learning, and to innovate. The science of learning is required education for Estonian teachers, and students are required to take courses to improve their natural ability to absorb and retain information. Estonia will be postponing the start time of schools to 9 AM in 2026 to better fit adolescent sleep patterns. Estonian students report little homework, and their high performance is a clear indication that American students don’t need all that after-hours work either.

Change may be difficult to enact, but it is necessary if America wants to remain a nation of the best and the brightest minds.