This article totally missed the point identified in a previous article posted here on FR about Finnish schools.
I’ll look for the link when I have time, but IIRC, that article quite persuasively found that it was the fact that Finnish students did a LOT of independent reading on a wide variety of subjects that led to the hallowed view of their education.
Basically, the picture of Finnish schools painted in the previous article was that of American-style homeschooling done in a public school setting.
There was very little emphasis placed on the quality of the teachers, as this author did. Huh.
Also, Finnish children do not start school until age 7.