The challenge in primary and lower secondary education is to find effective ways to strengthen basic skills while at the same time providing new types of competence.
The term of the futures work of comprehensive schools will run from 2023 to 2025. The work will focus on long-term development measures. Researchers and experts will assess the needs for development, and teachers and young people will be consulted.
A parliamentary monitoring group will lend support to the work.
Vision for Finnish comprehensive schools
The task of comprehensive schools is to increase competence and the willingness to use knowledge to advance the common good. Sound knowledge and basic skills are combined with ethical, social and flexible thinking skills, as well as the ability to guide one’s own learning.
The vision was published on 11 February 2026.
Seminars and workshops
The futures work in comprehensive schools is organised around three themes.
- Artificial intelligence and technology
- Core skills and learning
- Ecological and social sustainability
The work consists of a series of seminars and workshops as well as other meetings and online consultations. The cooperation parties include a broad spectrum of Finnish research organisations, experts in the field of education and training, and other cooperation partners.
The international cooperation partner in this work is the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The OECD’s project ‘Education for Human Flourishing’ has identified similar challenges and needs for further developing education systems.
The project organised an open survey on the future of comprehensive school in autumn 2024.
