Reform of general upper secondary education

In its mid-term review in spring 2017, the Government decided to reform general upper secondary education in Finland.  The reform includes both a reform of the Act on General Upper Secondary Education and a functional reform of general upper secondary studies, and it aims to:

• increase the attractiveness of general upper secondary education as a form of education providing solid general knowledge and eligibility for further studies in higher education,
• enhance the quality of education and learning outcomes, and
• make the transition from upper secondary education to higher education smoother.

The measures proposed to achieve the objectives include introduction of more personalised and flexible study pathways and provision of guidance and support as required by these, studies crossing subject boundaries, and closer cooperation with higher education institutions.

The reform is being planned and prepared by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education together with a wide array of stakeholders and experts. Studies, experiments and projects carried out earlier to reform general upper secondary education are utilised in the preparation.

• Eleven most important changes in the reform of general upper secondary education (24.1.2018)