Unesco statistics of tertiary education enrollment by country show that while 21.5 per cent of Maltese students successfully enrol into university each year, 70 per cent of the students in Nordic countries continuing their education after secondary school.

Nordic countries use techniques and tools that encourage collaboration- Nataša Pantovic

Comparing the Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland) with other EU countries, the difference clearly stands out. Steering towards a knowledge society for them meant higher education became a must. It also appears that the Nordic educational system uses methodologies and tools that ultimately encourage and inspire learning.

An interesting study by Yann Algan and Pierre Cahuc examines teaching methods and their application in different countries. They surveyed teachers of around 30 countries, asking them the following questions about their teaching practices: a) How often do students work in groups? b) How often do students work on projects? c) How often do students participate in role play, and d) How often does the teacher include discussions?

The results of the study are extremely insightful and show that teaching methods differ tremendously across countries. As a rule, the Nordic countries use techniques and tools that encourage collaboration; students work much more in groups, do projects together, and ask teachers questions. The central relationship in the classroom is among students.