In this town of 120, 000 people, one not only feels the bitter cold but also the white heat of the technological revolution. As well as the principal research and development offices of Nokia and 800 other high-tech companies, there are probably more Ph.D.s per square meter in this compact old paper-milling town than anywhere else on earth.

This astonishing intellectual creation can be laid at the feet of the Finnish educational system, considered by all who survey it, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as possessing the best school system in the world. Finland is also reckoned to be in the top three of the world's most competitive countries.

Why? "Teachers are respected," says Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. "High talent is attracted into teaching. It is considered to be one of the most important professions."
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In short, the Finns work at it. Unencumbered by a class-stratified educational system, they have shown that equality aids progress, rather than hindering it.