As the father of three school-age children, I complain a lot about the education system: too much homework for kids, too much teaching to the test, too little emphasis on basic knowledge (no civics, hardly any history, a boring and abstract approach to geography).

I like almost all the people I've met in the system -- terrific teachers, hard-working administrators, dedicated and creative specialists who work with the increasing number of kids identified with learning or emotional disabilities -- but I struggle to like the system itself.

But what's the alternative? This article in the Wall Street Journal takes a look at the best system in the world:

What do the Finns have that we don't? Homogeneity, obviously -- nobody ever suggested Finland is a melting pot, which means almost all kids enter school speaking the native language, vs. 8 percent of kids in U.S. schools who're learning English.

They also have consensus. Public education is universally supported, and even college is free. (School lunches are provided as well.) There isn't much social-class stratification. Kids in the poorest and richest areas get roughly the same resources, and there's no competition to get into the Finnish version of Ivy League schools. (Do they call it the Icy League?) You go to the college that best suits your abilities and academic interests.

At the same time, the Finns don't pretend that every student needs to be on a college-prep track; 53 percent go to academic-track schools for their sophomore, junior, and senior years, while the rest get vocational education. That helps explain why just 4 percent of Finnish kids drop out of high schools and 10 percent leave vo-tech, vs. 25 percent of U.S. high schoolers who drop out before graduation.

Finally, teaching in Finland is a very competitive profession. Teachers need at least a master's degree, and they're expected to be innovative and entrepreneurial in the classroom, shaping the lessons to the students rather than trying to shape students to the lessons.

The article doesn't mention it, but it probably matters that Finland has universal healthcare. I only mention it because it's another hallmark of a country in which citizens have created a government that supports its citizens -- "we're all in this together" vs. "you're on your own."

That's how you create a great education system. That's how you end up with smarter, healthier citizens. And it's almost exactly the opposite of the way we do things here.

Leap Day blog meat

• Breaking news: spanking messes kids up.
• These are the best campaign ads I've seen so far this election season.