Pasi Sahlberg, a Finnish educator and author, is headed to Hawaii to share lessons that his country learned as it transformed its school system into one in which students consistently place at or near the top in international charts.

Sahlberg will give a free lecture at the University of Hawaii-West Oahu at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Finland once had a school system much like that of the United States but now bans standardized testing before age 16. While Americans are focused on oversight of teachers, tougher academic standards and testing young children, Finland emphasizes equity, collaboration and autonomy.

Sahlberg is a visiting professor at Harvard and author of the 2011 book "Finnish Lessons."