The report provides a social and historical perspective on how Finland's education system was built and emerged as a high performer in Europe by 2000. In highlighting Finland's strengths, the authors focus on: (1) Finland's long-standing commitment to supporting all of its students as the driver of strong outcomes; (2 the systems's emphasis on learning supports and its "special education for all" approach; collaboration between school and care professionals to promote healthy social development, especially of young children; and (3) strong, well-prepared teachers as the "backbone" of this system. Alongside these strengths, the authors raise questions about the lack of clear standards and data to guide the system's development, particularly as it faces a fast-changing landscape and some declines in performance and widening of gaps in learning outcomes between schools and among students from different backgrounds.