Education for immigrants
Education for immigrants
Municipalities are obliged to provide primary and lower secondary education for children of compulsory education age (i.e. children between the ages of 7 and 18) residing in their area. Municipalities must also provide pre-primary education for the year before children start of compulsory education (children six years of age). In addition, early childhood education and care is available to children who have not reached the age of compulsory education (children under the age of seven). Municipalities may also provide preparatory education for primary and lower secondary education, if necessary.
Primary and lower secondary education for immigrants
Municipalities are expected to organise pre-primary education, primary and lower secondary education, or preparatory education for primary and lower secondary education for newcomer children as soon as possible once it transpires that they live in the municipality’s area pending a decision on international protection or if they are staying in the municipality’s area for other reasons. Compulsory education applies to children residing permanently in Finland. Education preparing students for primary and lower secondary education aims to equip the students with the necessary knowledge for transitioning to primary and lower secondary education and to promote their development and integration into society. The scope of preparatory education for primary and lower secondary education is equivalent to one year of the school syllabus.
Lessons in the students’ own mother tongue strengthen their multicultural identity and reinforce functional bilingualism.
Preparatory instruction and lower secondary education for adults
Preparatory instruction and lower secondary education for adults aims to create opportunities for adults to acquire the knowledge and skills incorporated in the primary and lower secondary education syllabus and to improve learning skills and potential for further studies.
Students within the scope of compulsory education must apply for preparatory instruction and lower secondary education for adults if they have not completed the syllabus for a comprehensive school leaving certificate at the end of the spring term in the year when they reach the age of 17.
Immigrants within the scope of compulsory education who possess a certificate from their home country that corresponds to the Finnish primary and lower secondary education certificate, but whose skills in Finnish or Swedish are insufficient to continue to education and training at transition points or to upper secondary education, may further develop their language skills in preparatory instruction and lower secondary education for adults or in integration training organised in folk high schools.
Preparatory education for programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification (TUVA)
The general objective of preparatory education for programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification (TUVA) is to acquire learning skills that support student capabilities to learn so that they can apply for general upper secondary education or vocational education and training and complete the studies. Such skills may refer to knowledge of the language of instruction, relevant learning skills as well as life management skills. In addition, students may complete units of study in general upper secondary education and in vocational education and training.
General upper secondary education
The purpose of general upper secondary education is to reinforce extensive general knowledge. General upper secondary education provides general and versatile knowledge and skills for further studies in universities, universities of applied sciences and in vocational education and training that is based on the general upper secondary school syllabus.
Prospective students may be admitted into general upper secondary education if they have completed the Finnish primary and lower secondary education syllabus, an equivalent earlier syllabus, or foreign education which in the country in question qualifies for studies equivalent to general upper secondary education. This requires sufficient command of the language of instruction, among other things. Equitable criteria must be applied in the decisions on student admissions.
A discretionary admissions process is applied in general upper secondary education when a school certificate cannot be compared with a corresponding Finnish certificate or if there are specific reasons that should be taken into account in addition to the score-based admissions.
A matriculation examination syllabus where Finnish or Swedish is a second language may apply to candidates whose mother tongue is not Finnish, Swedish or Sami when taking the mother tongue test included in the matriculation examination. Moreover, in their grading procedures, the Matriculation Examination Board may take into consideration the fact that a candidate's mother tongue might not the language in which they complete the examination.
Vocational education and training
Vocational education and training studies offer young people and adults with an immigrant background an opportunity to acquire a profession and participate in working life. Those who have completed a vocational qualification can pursue further studies in higher education, as the qualification provides general eligibility for further studies in higher education institutions.
Prospective applicants may be admitted as students into vocational education and training if they have completed the Finnish primary and lower secondary education syllabus or an equivalent syllabus, or if the vocational education and training provider otherwise deems the applicant to possess sufficient capabilities for acquiring the competence or completing the study programme qualification. Education providers must apply equitable admissions criteria in their student admissions processes. A discretionary admissions process may be applied in student admissions in vocational upper secondary education and training. In such cases, reasons related to the student as an individual may be considered in the admissions process and a derogation from the score-based admissions may be applied. Such reasons may include the lack of a school certificate or difficulties in comparing existing certificates. The applicant's need for education and training and ability to complete the studies (e.g. sufficient proficiency in the language of instruction) must be assessed and taken into account when derogating from the score-based admissions.
To qualify for apprenticeship training, the conditions for the right to work must be met.
Education in higher education institutions
Universities and universities of applied sciences provide a wide range of study opportunities in foreign languages for which immigrants with language skills can apply. In addition, higher education institutions offer degree programmes that are functionally bilingual. Besides degrees, it is also possible to complete study modules by enrolling in open higher education or by applying for a right to complete non-degree studies. Higher education institutions may also offer immigrants various training courses that lead to a qualification.
Universities of applied sciences provide preparatory education and training courses for immigrants free of charge. The purpose of such courses is to equip immigrants with sufficient knowledge and skills to apply for study programmes in a university of applied sciences and to succeed in their studies. The main focus in the preparatory education and training courses is on ways to reinforce the language skills required for higher education studies and on how to assume an independent and investigative study approach.
Higher education institutions responsible for SIMHE services (Supporting Immigrants in Higher Education in Finland) are mainly responsible for resolving higher education matters related to immigrants and asylum seekers.
SIMHE services at higher education institutions:
Finnish National Agency for Education
Language training in liberal education
Liberal education institutions (folk high schools, adult education centres, summer universities and centres of learning) provide training courses in reading and writing for adult immigrants, as well as integration training for immigrants. These studies are free of charge for students if their employment area or municipality has incorporated such studies in the students’ integration plan.
Such studies are for both immigrants who wish to swiftly progress into employment and for immigrants who would like to be given more support in their learning.
Training courses in reading and writing for immigrants
Reading and writing (literacy) are important basic skills that are essential for coping in Finnish society.
Adult immigrants who have not had the opportunity to attend school in their home country can learn to read and write by attending preparatory instruction and lower secondary education for adults or by taking part in literacy training courses in liberal education institutions.
Study opportunities for asylum seekers
Asylum seekers are foreign nationals who are applying for international protection and a residence permit in Finland. Children of pre-primary education age (age 6) and of compulsory education age (age 7 and over) have the right to access education. Other asylum seekers may apply for a student place if they fulfil the student admissions criteria for the education or training in question.
Right to education services in municipalities
Early childhood education and care
Section 6, subsection 1 of the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care (540/2018) stipulates that municipalities must organise early childhood education and care for children when the municipality they are staying in is the children’s municipality of residence within the meaning of the Municipality of Residence Act (201/1994).
Under section 2 of the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care, municipalities must also organise early childhood education and care for children who live in the municipality due to their parents’ or other custodians’ work, studies, illness or comparable reasons, even when the child has no municipality of residence in Finland or different municipality is the child’s municipality of residence under the Municipality of Residence Act.
Moreover, under section 3 of the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care, in urgent cases or if circumstances otherwise so require, a municipality must ensure that early childhood education is also organised for children who are staying in the municipality but are not residents of it. This provision is the same as in the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care in force before 1 September 2018.
Pre-primary, primary and lower secondary education
Under section 16 of the Constitution of Finland, everyone who is resident in Finland has the right to primary and lower secondary education free of charge. Children have the right to free pre-primary, primary and lower secondary education organised in accordance with the Act on Primary and Lower Secondary Education even if they do not live permanently in the municipality or reside in the municipality.
Even though the Act on Primary and Lower Secondary Education does not require a child to be residing permanently in a municipality, a brief stay cannot be viewed as residence that gives rise to the obligation to provide education. It may nevertheless be difficult to predetermine the duration of a stay. The municipality must assess these matters case-by-case and resolve them in the best interests of the child.
Where municipalities organise before-school and after-school activities, these must be made available to children in their first and second year in schools (excluding private schools) operating in the municipality, based on an equal basis determined by the municipality. However, the right to before-school and after-school activities is not as strong as the right to primary and lower secondary education protected by the Constitution.
Comprehensive school education for people over the age of eighteen
Municipalities decide whether to organise primary and lower secondary education for people over the age of 18 (i.e. people who are no longer within the scope of compulsory education). The Act on Primary and Lower Secondary Education only contains provisions on access to primary and lower secondary education for those who are within the scope of compulsory education. Thus, students over the age of 18 are admitted at the discretion of the education providers. Under the Constitution, the right to primary and lower secondary education also applies to people over the age of 18.
Preparatory education for programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification
People have the right to freely apply for preparatory education for programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification (TUVA). These programmes are intended for learners who do not have an upper secondary qualification and who, for one reason or another, need preparatory education and training.
The programmes serve to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue either general upper secondary education or vocational education and training that leads to a qualification. This preparatory phase assists students in drawing up plans for further studies and career paths and improves their chances of successfully obtaining a vocational qualification or completing the general upper secondary syllabus that leads to the matriculation examination.
The best interests of the learners need to be given priority when planning, providing and making decisions on education and training for students under 18 years of age.
General upper secondary education
Applicants are free apply to any general upper secondary school for admission. Prospective students may be admitted into general upper secondary education if they have completed the Finnish primary and lower secondary education syllabus, an equivalent earlier syllabus, or foreign education which in the country in question qualifies for studies equivalent to general upper secondary education. This requires sufficient command of the language of instruction, among other things.
Vocational education and training
Under the Act on Vocational Education and Training, people have the right to freely apply for the qualifications or education programmes referred to in the Act. Prospective applicants may be admitted as students into vocational education and training if they have completed the Finnish primary and lower secondary education syllabus or an equivalent syllabus, or if the vocational education and training provider otherwise deems the applicant to have sufficient capabilities for acquiring the competence or completing the qualification that is the goal of the education. Education providers must apply equitable admissions criteria in their student admissions processes.
Liberal education
Everyone can submit an application for studies in liberal education. The purpose of liberal adult education is to provide education and training based on the principle of lifelong learning to promote people’s diverse personal development, equality, a cohesive society, and active citizenship. The providers of the educational institutions make the decisions on student admissions. As a rule, tuition is subject to a fee.