EDUCATION POLICY IN FINLAND

Education policy in Finland

The

basic principles of Finnish education is that all people must

have equal access to high-quality education and training.

The

same opportunities to education should be available to all

citizens irrespective of their ethnic origin, age, wealth or
where they live.

Education

policy is built on the lifelong learning principle.

Public

authorities must secure equal opportunities for every

resident in Finland to get education also after compulsory
schooling and develop themselves, irrespective of their
financial standing.

Education

is free at all levels from pre-primary to higher

education.Adult education is the only form of education that
may require payment.

Objectives
promoting

equality in education

enhancing

the quality of education at all levels

supporting

lifelong learning

to

reduce gender and regional differences in skills and

education levels as well as the impact of socioeconomic
background on participation in education.

to

combat unemployment and exclusion among young people

through education

Early childhood education and care

All

children under school-age have a subjective right to early

childhood education and care (ECEC).

The

Finnish ECEC is based on an integrated approach to care,

education and teaching (educare)

Learning

through play

The

content of ECEC is guided by the

National Curriculum Guidelines on ECEC (2003).

Participation

in ECEC is subject to a fee which depends on

family income and the number of children.

Basic Education
Basic

education is non-selective

Objective:

- to support pupils growth towards humanity and ethically

responsible membership of society
-to provide them with the knowledge and skills needed in life.
caters

for all those between 7 and 16 years.

Schools

do not select their students, every student is allocated a

place in a nearby school, but they can also choose another
school with some restrictions.

All

school follow a national core curriculum, which includes the

objectives and core contents of different subjects.

Upper secondary education and

training
Dual

structure

-general
-vocational

upper secondary education

Both

forms usually take three years and give eligibility for

higher education

Vocational

education and training is popular in Finland,

more than 40 per cent of the relevant age group starts
vocational upper secondary studies immediately after basic
education.

The

selection of students for upper secondary school is based

on their grade point average for the theoretical subjects in
the basic education certificate.

Adult education
Objectives:
-ensuring

the availability and competence of the labour

force
-providing

educational opportunities for the entire adult

population
-strengthening

social cohesion and equity.

The

objectives should support efforts to extend working

life, raise the employment rate, improve productivity,
implement the conditions for lifelong learning and enhance
multiculturalism.

includes

labour market training, which is mainly targeted at

unemployed people.

Higher education
dual

structure

Higher

education is provided by universities and polytechnics,

also known as universities of applied sciences.

Universities

emphasise scientific research and instruction,

whereas polytechnics adopt a more practical approach.

There

is restricted entry to all fields of study. The applicant

volumes outweigh the number of places available. Therefore
universities and polytechnics use different kinds of student
selection criteria. Most commonly these include success in
matriculation examination and entrance tests.

Teacher education
Teachers

in Finland are highly trained. In general education

all teachers are required a Masters degree.

In

vocational education teachers should have a Masters

degree or Bachelors degree.

The

high level of training is seen as necessary as teachers

in Finland are very autonomous professionally.

Teaching

and guidance staff within day-care centres

generally have Bachelors degrees. Pre-primary teachers in
schools hold a Masters degree.