Education policy in Finland

Finnish education and science policy stresses quality, efficiency, equity and internationalism. It
is geared to promote the competitiveness of Finnish welfare society. Sustainable economic
development will continue to provide the best basis for assuring the nation's cultural, social and
economic welfare. The overall lines of Finnish education and science policy are in line with the
EU Lisbon strategy.
In Finland, the basic right to education and culture is recorded in the Constitution. Public
authorities must secure equal opportunities for every resident in Finland to get education also
after compulsory schooling and to develop themselves, irrespective of their financial standing.
Legislation provides for compulsory schooling and the right to free pre-primary and basic
education. Most other qualifying education is also free for the students, including postgraduate
education in universities.
Parliament passes legislation concerning education and research and determines the basic lines of
education and science policy. The Government and the Ministry of Education and Culture, as
part of it, are responsible for preparing and implementing education and science policy. The
Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for education financed from the state budget.
The Government adopts a development plan for education and research every four years.
Mainpage Education Education Policy
Related topics
Education and research 2007–2012. Development Plan. Publications of Ministry or Education
2008:11
Key competences for lifelong learning in Finland. Education 2010 – interim report
Links
Government Programme
Strategy for the internationalisation of Finnish higher education institutions
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Education System in Finland

The Finnish education system is composed of nine-year basic education (comprehensive school),
preceded by one year of voluntary pre-primary education; upper secondary education,
comprising vocational and general education; and higher education, provided by universities and
polytechnics. Adult education is available at all levels.
In Finland, pre-primary education, basic education and upper secondary education and training,
complemented by early childhood education and before- and after-school activities, form a
coherent learning pathway that supports children's growth, development and well-being.
Students' opportunities to progress from one level of education to the next is safeguarded by
legislation. Both general and vocational upper secondary certificates provide eligibility for
further studies in universities and polytechnics. A student completing one level is always eligible
for the next level studies. The qualifications of each level are governed by a separate Act of
Parliament. This assures harmonised qualifications and their quality and guarantees students'
rights.
Basic education is free general education provided for the whole age group. Upper secondary
education consists of general education and vocational education and training (vocational
qualifications and further and specialist qualifications).
The higher education system comprises universities and polytechnics, in which the admission
requirement is a secondary general or vocational diploma.
Universities, which are academic or artistic institutions, focus on research and education based
on research. They confer Bachelor's, Master's, licentiate and doctoral degrees.
Polytechnics offer work-related education in response to labour market needs. A polytechnic
degree requires 3.5 - 4.5 years of full-time study. The requirement for polytechnic Master's
programmes is a polytechnic degree or equivalent, plus a minimum of three years of work
experience in the field concerned.
Adult education is provided at all levels of education. Adults can study for a general education
certificate or for a vocational qualification, or modules included in them, take other courses
developing citizenship and work skills, or pursue recreational studies.
The welfare of Finnish society is built on education, culture and knowledge. All children are
guaranteed opportunities for study and self-development according to their abilities, irrespective
of their place of residence, language or financial status. All pupils are entitled to competent and
high-quality education and guidance and to a safe learning environment and well-being. The
flexible education system and basic educational security make for equity and consistency in
results.
Mainpage Education Education system
More information
The finnish education system (pdf)
Le système éducatif finlandais (pdf)
Das Bildungssystem in Finnland (pdf)
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General education in Finland

Children permanently living in Finland have a statutory right and obligation to complete the
comprehensive school syllabus. Nearly all children (99.7%) do this. The principle underlying
pre-primary, basic and upper secondary education is to guarantee basic educational security for
all, irrespective of their place of residence, language and economic standing.
All children have the right to participate in voluntary pre-primary education during the year
preceding compulsory schooling. Nearly all 6-year-olds do so.
A Finnish child usually starts schooling at the age of seven. The nine-year basic schooling is free
for all pupils.
The school year, which has 190 working days, starts in mid-August and ends in the beginning of
June. The summer holidays are over 60 days.
Local authorities arrange voluntary morning and afternoon activities for first- and second-year
pupils and for special-needs pupils.
General upper secondary education commonly takes three years to complete and gives eligibility
for polytechnic and university studies. At the end of the upper secondary school students usually
take the national matriculation examination.
Success in international comparisons
Finland has fared well in international comparisons, such as the OECD PISA programme, which
assesses learning outcomes among 15-year-old students in mathematics, science, reading literacy
and problem-solving. Finnish students figured at the top all the lists in key subjects, and
differences between students, schools and regional were comparatively very small.
At the Ministry of Education and Culture, matters relating to education and science policy come
under the Department for Education and Science Policy.
Mainpage Education General Education

Basic education
Basic education is free general education provided for the whole age group (currently c. 60,000
children). After completing the basic education syllabus young people have finished their
compulsory schooling. It does not lead to any qualification but gives eligibility for all upper
secondary education and training.
Basic education in brief:
• Basic education is free nine-year education provided in comprehensive
schools.
• The local/school curriculum is based on a national core curriculum.
• Education is provided in neighbourhood schools or other suitable places
which make school travel as short and safe as possible.
• Schools cooperate with pupils' homes.
• A pupil is entitled to special-needs education, if necessary.
• It is possible to continue basic education on a voluntary basis (for a tenth
year).
• A school-leaving certificate is issued on the completion of the syllabus, but
give no actual qualification.
• The certificate gives access to all upper secondary education and training.
• Teachers are highly educated.
• Nearly all children complete their compulsory schooling.
Compulsory schooling starts in the year when children turn seven and ends after the basic
education syllabus has been completed or after ten years.
Basic education is co-financed by local authorities and government.
The network of comprehensive schools covers the whole country. The majority of pupils attend
medium-sized schools of 300-499 pupils. The smallest schools have fewer than ten pupils and
the largest over 900 pupils.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide education for children of compulsory school
age living in their areas. The language of instruction is mostly Finnish or Swedish, but also the
Sami, Roma or sign language may be used. Swedish-speaking pupils come to under 6% and
Sami-language pupils under 0.1% of all pupils.
There are around 15,000 school-age children with immigrant background, whose integration is
supported in many ways.
Pupil welfare
Pupil welfare services mean different forms of support to pupils' learning, mental and physical
health and social well-being.
In pre-primary and basic education, pupils are entitled to the welfare services they need to be
able to follow teaching. These include services recorded in the curriculum, health care under the
Public Health Act, and support to child-rearing under the Child Welfare Act.
In upper secondary schools and in vocational education and training the education provider must
see to it that the students know about the health and welfare services available to them and that
they use the services when needed.
Special-needs education
A pupil/student who has minor learning or adjustment problems is entitled to remedial teaching
alongside regular education.
A pupil who cannot follow education owing to a disability, illness, delayed development or some
other reason can be admitted or transferred to special-needs education. Whenever possible,
special-needs education is integrated into or given in a special class attached to regular
education. Each pupil with special learning needs has an individual teaching and learning plan.
Additional basic education
Young people who have completed their compulsory schooling can opt for one extra year. This
voluntary education is intended to help and encourage young people to continue their studies at
the upper secondary level. About three per cent of students avail themselves of this possibility.
Highly qualified teachers
Year-classes 1- 6 are mainly taught by class teachers and year-classes 7-9 by specialised subject
teachers. As a rule, all teachers have a Master's-level university degree.
Mainpage Education General Education Basic education

Related topics
Basic Education Act 628/1998 [Finlex]
Basic Education Decree 852/1998, translation (pdf)
Distribution of lessons in basic education (xls)
Links
The National Board of Education
Immigrant education [The National Board of Education]
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Pre-primary education
Pre-primary education is available free of charge for children one year before they start actual
compulsory schooling. Its aim is to develop children's learning skills as part of early childhood
education and care.
Local authorities have statutory duty to arrange pre-primary education, but for children
participation is voluntary and decided by parents. About 96% of the six-year-olds go to pre-
primary school.
The Ministry of Education recommends that a pre-primary teaching group only include 13
children, but if there is another trained adult in addition to the teacher it may have up to 20
children. Pre-primary instructors have either a kindergarten teacher qualification or a class
teacher qualification.
Pre-primary pupils who live over five kilometres from school or whose school travel is too
difficult, tiring or dangerous for their age are entitled to free school transportation.
Local authorities and other providers of pre-primary education receive statutory government
transfers.
Mainpage Education General Education Pre-primary education
Links
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Finland (National Research and Development
Centre for Welfare and Health STAKES)
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Morning and afternoon activities for the

youngest pupils
Morning and afternoon activities are guided recreational activities intended for first and second
year pupils in comprehensive schools. The local authorities can decide on the provision at their
discretion, and participation is voluntary for children.
The aim is to support school and home education, to promote children's emotional and ethical
growth and well-being and to offer opportunities for guided, recreational and safe activities
outside school hours.
Morning and afternoon activities may be sports or relate to practical skills, oral or pictorial
expression, music, everyday chores or knowledge in different areas. The time can also be used
for doing home work. It is also possible to arrange school clubs and basic education on arts
within this system.
Local authorities receive government transfers for morning and afternoon activities.
Mainpage Education General Education Morning and afternoon activities
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• tudent financial aid in Finland

• According to the programme of Matti Vanhanen's Second Government, student financial
aid will be developed on the present basis to secure income during full-time studies and
to promote efficient studies and graduation in the normative time.

The study grant will be raised by 15% at all levels of education and the income limit for
students by 30%. The effectiveness of the tax concession for study loans will be
monitored.

• Mainpage Education Student financi

Finance and administration

The Ministry of Education and Culture drafts
legislation and government decisions pertaining
to general education and steers activities in the
sector according to policy outlined in the
Government Programme and the development
plan Education and Research 2003 -2008.
The government determines the general
objectives of basic education and the division of
classroom hours between different subjects.
The National Board of Education decides on the
aims and core contents of instruction in different
subjects, recording them in a national core
curriculum, which education providers and
schools use as the basis for their curricula. The
National Board, which is subordinate to the
Ministry, is responsible for developing education, enhancing its effectiveness and monitoring
education provision.
Practical teaching arrangements are the responsibility of the education provider, who generally is
a local authority or a municipal education consortium.
The education provider must evaluate its education and its effectiveness and participate in
external evaluations of its provision. International comparisons and reviews (e.g. PISA) are
conducted by OECD and other organisations.
Financing from the government and education provider
Pre-primary, basic and general upper secondary education and training leading to a qualification
are provided free of charge. Local authorities may charge a small fee for morning and afternoon
activities provided in conformity with the Basic Education Act.
Local authorities provide education for children of pre-primary and compulsory school age living
in their areas, and the central government shares the costs by granting statutory government
transfers to them. The statutory government transfer is calculated on the basis of a unit cost
(€/pupil) determined annually by the Ministry of Education. In 2006, the government paid 54.7%
and municipal authorities 45.3% of the cost of basic education.
Mainpage Education General Education Finance and administration

Links
Basic Education Act 628/1998 [Finlex]
Basic Education Decree 852/1998, translation (pdf)
Distribution of lessons in basic education (xls)
The Finnish National Board of Education
The Finnish Education Evaluation Council
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Education in Finland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and
removed. (February 2010)

Education in Finland
 Ministry of Education

Minister of Education Henna Virkkunen

Minister of Culture Stefan Wallin

National education budget (2003)

Budget: € 5.9 billion (1100 € per capita)

General Details

Primary Languages: Finnish and Swedish

System Type: National

Current system since 1970s

Literacy (2000)

Total: 100

Male: 100

Female: 100

Enrollment

Total: n/a

Primary: 99.7% (graduating)

Secondary: n/a

Post Secondary: n/a

Attainment

Secondary diploma 60% ac., 45% voc.

Post-secondary diploma 25% (of pop.)

Secondary and tertiary education divided in academic and vocational systems

v•d•e

The Finnish education system is an egalitarian Nordic system, with no tuition fees for full-time
students. Attendance is compulsory for nine years starting at age seven, and free meals are
served to pupils at primary and secondary levels (called lukio in Finnish), where the pupils go to
their local school. Education after primary school is divided into vocational and academic
systems.
As the trade school is considered a secondary school, the term "tertiary education" refers to
institutes of higher learning, or what is generally considered university level elsewhere.
Therefore, plain figures for tertiary level enrollment are not internationally comparable. The
tertiary level is divided into university and higher vocational school (ammattikorkeakoulu)
systems, whose diplomas are not mutually interchangeable. Only universities award licentiates
and doctorates. Traditionally only university graduates may obtain higher (postgraduate) degrees.
The Bologna process has resulted in some restructuring, where vocational degree holders can
qualify for further studies by doing additional courses. There are 20 universities and 30
polytechnics in the country.
The Education Index, published with the UN's Human Development Index in 2008, based on
data from 2006, lists Finland as 0.993, amongst the highest in the world, tied for first with
Denmark, Australia and New Zealand.[1]
Contents
• 1 Primary education
• 2 Secondary education
• 3 Tertiary education
• 4 Adult education
• 5 Future prospects
○ 5.1 Higher Education system restructuring
• 6 See also
• 7 References
• 8 External links

Education in Finland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material
may be challenged and removed. (February 2010)

Education in Finland

Ministry of Education

Minister of Education Henna Virkkunen

Minister of Culture Stefan Wallin

National education budget (2003)

Budget: € 5.9 billion (1100 € per capita)