Government proposes new legislation on basic education in the arts
The Government proposes a comprehensive reform of the legislation on basic education in the arts. The aim is to clarify the structure of basic education in the arts and improve access to instruction across different art disciplines and fields. The proposal would also introduce a single syllabus and reform the criteria for central government transfers to municipalities.
Under the proposal, the regulation on basic education in the arts would in future apply to all fields of art without the current distinction between music institutes and other fields of art. However, instruction would continue to be based on curricula prepared in accordance with the core curriculum determined by the Finnish National Agency for Education.
A structural change is proposed for basic education in the arts whereby the current general and extended syllabuses would be replaced with a single national syllabus. The scope of the syllabus would be 50 credits, corresponding to 800 teaching hours. Students who complete the whole scope of the syllabus would be entitled to a school-leaving certificate for basic education in the arts.
To ensure children and young people have access to basic education in the arts in situations where the number of applicants exceeds the number of student places, the provisions on student admissions would be supplemented. The new act would include provisions requiring applicants under 18 years of age to be prioritised in admissions procedures.
Reforming the criteria for central government transfers to municipalities
Central government transfers to municipalities would largely remain unchanged. According to the proposal, lessons would continue to serve as the funding unit for central government transfers, and funding would continue to be based on an annually adjusted unit price. The central government transfer percentage would remain at 57 per cent.
In addition to the actual number of lessons, the actual number of students and the number of students who complete the syllabus would be taken into account in determining the funding. The regional availability of education would also be considered. Under the proposal, the national budget would annually set a joint maximum number of funding units for all fields of art within basic education in the arts.
The proposal would also clarify the provisions concerning authorisations to provide education. Authorisations would continue to be granted on professional and financial grounds, but providers would also be required to demonstrate sufficient operational capacity for the appropriate provision of education, as well as a national or regional need for the education and training offered. The proposal eases the administrative obligations of education providers compared to the existing legislation.
Compared with the current legislation, the proposal would reduce the administrative obligations of education providers.
New responsibilities to strengthen cooperation and development
The new act would also include provisions on designated responsibilities in basic education in the arts. Designated responsibility for multiannual basic education in the arts would be granted by the Ministry of Education and Culture upon application. These responsibilities would be financed through discretionary government grants.
Those granted designated responsibility would be tasked with developing and disseminating good practices relating to pedagogy, values, practices and procedures as well as learning environments in basic education in the arts. They would also promote the accessibility of instruction and strengthen cooperation between education providers at national and regional level.
In 2024, basic education in the arts was organised in 263 municipalities, corresponding to around 85 per cent of all municipalities in Finland. Approximately 127,000 students participated in instruction. Around 400 educational institutions provide basic education in the arts, of which 138 fall within the scope of the lesson-based central government transfer system for basic education in the arts. The national budget for 2026 allocates EUR 104.6 million to basic education in the arts.
Basic education in the arts
Basic education in the arts is provided primarily for children and young people on an extracurricular basis. Basic arts education is provided at music institutes and schools, art schools, dance institutes and schools, handicrafts schools and other educational institutions.
Basic education in the different fields of art progresses in a goal-oriented manner from one level to the next and provides students with the skills to express themselves as well as the ability to apply for vocational training and education or higher education in this field.
The tuition complies with the curricula approved by the education provider, which must be based on the national core curriculum determined by the Finnish National Agency for Education. The curricula outline the objectives and key content of education, and they can include syllabuses of various scopes. The core curriculum has been confirmed for visual arts, crafts, media arts, music, literary art, circus art, dance, theatre.
Local authorities may provide basic education in the arts at their own discretion. The state contributes to funding by granting municipalities central government transfers based on population and a unit price per resident. The Ministry of Education and Culture may also grant municipalities the right to receive central government transfers based on the number of hours of instruction and a unit price per teaching hour.
Providers other than municipalities are eligible for instruction hour-based funding only if they have a licence granted by the Ministry of Education and Culture. In addition, activities are supported through annual government grants to cover operating costs and support development.
The proposal relates to the 2027 budget proposal and is intended to be considered in connection with it.
The amended legislation is scheduled to enter into force on 1 August 2027.
Inquiries: Hanna Koskimies, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 330 048