real learning, i think finnish young people are probably at the same level where your children or japanese or koreans are. >> in finland's schools, teachers spend less time drilling the facts and more time developing students' creativity. most importantly, he says, hardly any time is spent preparing students for standardized tests. >> we have deliberately removed all those things. we never had a standardized testing system. and i hope that we never will. >> but how can finland afford to be so flexible in its approach and still get great results? the answer is simple. they have great teachers. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> teaching is a highly respected profession here, on par with doctors and lawyers. that's because they're all required to have master's degrees. the competition for those degrees is fierce. only one in ten applicants is accepted to primary