China is planning to overhaul its education system and may be looking at Finland — where schools consistently perform at top levels — as a model. Finland’s education system de-emphasizes homework and testing. Students are steered toward creative activities, and teachers have wide latitude in establishing curricula.

The Ministry of Education in China has proposed cutting back on mandatory exams and eliminating homework for grades 1-6. Schools would instead work with parents to organize extracurricular activities, including museum tours and library study. One Shanghai education expert says it’s about enhancing “talent and creativity.”

If the new approach works, it could place China, the most populous nation in the world, at the front of the global race to teach students creativity, collaboration and critical thinking, says Gary J. Beach, the author of “The U.S. Technology Skills Gap.” It would also be a respite for Chinese students, who a recent poll revealed had the greatest anxiety about school success, compared with students in the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

CNBC, Sept. 14