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Panama offers free, compulsory education to students. The levels of education include preschool (2 years; includes kindergarten), primary school (6 years; grades 1-6), lower secondary school (3 years; grades 7-9), and upper secondary school (3 years; grades 10-12). The school year runs from February/March to December. The average school day is 7 hours from 7 or 8 am to 2 or 3 pm.

Panama’s upper secondary school is the equivalent to high school in the U.S., except upper secondary school is more diversified and aimed at preparing students to work or go to university as soon as they graduate. It is also free (though not mandatory) and teaching pathways at this level include general, pedagogical, professional, and technical. Students receive diplomas and certifications depending on the pathway they choose.

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U.S.: Ensure students graduate and are prepared for a college education and finding a career path.

Finland: Ensure that all students receive a quality and diverse education that prepares them for all aspects of post-educational life.

Panama: Provide students with a combination of broad knowledge and specific training at the secondary level to ensure success in the workforce and in pursuing higher education.

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U.S.: There are certain requirements teachers need to become employed in the U.S. education system. Teachers typically need a Bachelor's degree in their desired teaching field. They also are evaluated and assessed by their districts through various means. Instructional strategies learned are also heavily assessment-based.

Teachers are underpaid and schools are understaffed. Teachers are often thought of by some of the population as pushing "social justice issues" on children and undeserving of more pay. Others in the population see teachers as trying to make up for false narratives being taught to children all these years and attempting to create an inclusive classroom by acknowledging and discussing real issues in a more honest way. Regardless, teachers are overworked and having to overcompensate, and it shows in our struggling education system.

Finland: Teachers must have a Bachelor's degree and acquiring a Master's degree is encouraged beyond that. Finland's approach is not assessment-based like the U.S. and instead focuses on providing a combination of real-world and practical knowledge with a differentiated approach for all students, as every student has individual needs and ways of learning. Creativity is encouraged and celebrated and the development of students as people is important. Teachers use a variety of learning techniques to keep students engaged, rather than sticking to a rigid structure that stifles expression.

Panama: Teachers require a Bachelor's degree in Panama. Their approach to education is somewhat outdated and heavily based on memorization rather than expansion and development. Schools are severely understaffed and lacking necessary resources. Teachers are overworked and often underqualified due to the infrastructural problems.

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U.S.: The U.S. hopes to provide a quality and equitable education to all students. An example of this would be the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 that strives for equal opportunity in the classroom. As of 2024, I don't think it's been implemented. The same can be said about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Something can be put into law, but that doesn't always mean it's implemented. I've witnessed many educational buildings that are inaccessible for students. In addition, special education students are segregated from the regular classroom. Students in low income areas are lacking the resources required in gaining a quality education. Minority students are disproportionately affected as well, and students are bred for the prison system rather than the education system. There is a huge push for Critical Race Theory in classrooms, but there is an even bigger push against it. There has even been book banning across the country. The pushback makes it incredibly difficult for schools to implement inclusive initiatives without it being categorized as the "woke agenda" and not just trying to create an equitable system for all.

Finland: They seem to be farther ahead when it comes to equity, equality, and inclusion. Their use of differentiated instruction in the classroom to account for individual needs helps provide an inclusive learning environment for students. Teachers encourage diverse personalities and creative expression, and the lack of assessment strategy and emphasis on self-reflection cultivates students' personal development and acceptance. I also think the funding towards education is much greater than the U.S. which is an important factor to note.

Panama: They are trying to improve the education system slowly, but there is not equal access to education in Panama. Many indigenous and rural populations don't have proper access to schools, especially adolescent girls. Disabled students face mass exclusion in schools, with one in four adolescents with disabilities not attending school.

With Upper Secondary education not mandatory, some students don't continue their education beyond grade 9. Students in poverty are particularly likely to do this so they can start working sooner and provide for themselves and their families. Additionally, there are major infrastructure and access issues in many schools, such as understaffing, access to water, electricity, and the internet.

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U.S.: I think the Finnish Model is what most of the country hopes for the future of education in America. I definitely know that my generation of teachers want to implement the Finnish Model or variations of it. It could happen--one day. However, there are a multitude of challenges that we face along the way: The extremist pushback against inclusive initiatives, the potential for war, the greed of politicians in office, capitalism, the prison industrial complex and students set up for prison rather than educational success, infrastructure and budget allocation, inaccessibility for disabled students, segregation of special education students and a lack of training for all teachers when it comes to special needs, the lack of differentiated instruction, a large focus on test scores, and so much more. All of these problems are preventing us from successfully employing the Finnish model. These issues will have to change if our hope for an inclusive, accessible, and equitable education system for all can actually be achieved.

Panama: While I think it's possible that the Finnish Model could work in Panama, I think it's much less likely to work there, and if it ever did, it would be way in the future. For it to work, they must first deal with the massive infrastructure problem and the lack of access to education that adolescent girls, indigenous and rural communities, and disabled students face. Once the issue of entire communities not being able to get to school is improved, then they can start creating that equity and inclusion in the actual classroom. There are budget struggles that make it difficult to fix those issues, but I hope that Panama keeps progressing to provide all of their students with a quality education.