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19.2.2020 | The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recommends that Finland diversify its adult education provision, make it more relevant for working life, and use economic incentives to encourage reskilling and upskilling. Special attention should be paid to outreach and guidance services to adults with lower basic skills. The Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Econo...

21.12.2021 | The Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland is investing in revitalising culture and the creative industries and in reshaping them in a sustainable way. The Ministry of Education and Culture has granted EUR 4 million in discretionary government grants to those operating in the cultural and creative sectors to create innovative services and to devise novel production and operating procedures. The gr...

16.12.2022 | The Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland is investing in revitalising culture and the creative industries and in reshaping them in a sustainable way. The Ministry of Education and Culture has granted EUR 13 720 000 million in discretionary government grants to those operating in the cultural and creative sectors to create innovative services and to devise novel production and operating procedures.

12.6.2025 | On 12 June, the Government appointed Kirsti Laine-Hendolin, Master of Arts (Education), to the post of Director General of the Ministry of Education and Culture for the period from 1 September 2025 to 31 July 2030. The Director General is the head of the Ministry’s Department for Youth and Sport Policy.

15.2.2012 | The administration of education and science policy in the Ministry of Education and Culture has been reorganised. General education and vocational education and training now form the Department for Education Policy, and higher education and science policy come under the Department for Higher Education and Science Policy. The whole range of adult education was compiled to form the Division for Adult Education and Training, which also takes care of student financial aid.

24.5.2024 | Minister of Science and Culture Sari Multala has granted EUR 3.3 million in discretionary government grants to those operating in the cultural and creative industries. Structural support is part of the Sustainable Growth Programme and is designed to create innovative services and to devise novel production and operating procedures.

28.4.2017 | The government has on 28 April 2017 agreed on the general government finance plan for 2018-2021. The level of the allocated appropriation for the Ministry of Education and Culture is 6.3 billion euros in 2021. Additional 340 million euros will be allocated to know-how, of which 200 million will come from the budget and 140 million for education and research will be allocated as capitalisation.

7.10.2019 | A budget of EUR 6.8 billion is proposed for the Ministry of Education and Culture’s administrative branch for 2020. The draft budget measures seek to increase the skills level in Finland, make education more equitable, improve the quality of education and enhance the wellbeing of children and young people. Financing for the arts and culture will support creative work and production and promote equal access to the arts and culture.

3.3.2026 | AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN FINLAND FOR 2025–2028 1. Common objectives of higher education institutions The Ministry of Education and Culture and the University of Eastern Finland have agre...

3.3.2026 | AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE AND KARELIA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES FOR 2025–2028 1. Common objectives of higher education institutions The Ministry of Education and Culture and the Karelia University of Applied Scie...

Questions and answers related to compulsory education This page provides answers to frequently asked questions on the extension of compulsory education. Questions and answers related to compulsory education Free of charge Guidance and supervision ...

17.9.2019 | The Government will invest in knowledge and education with a financing package of approximately EUR 350 million for all levels of education. This investment will raise the level of skills and competence in Finland, make education more equitable and improve its quality, and enhance the wellbeing of children and young people. The Government agreed on the content of the budget proposal for 2020 in a budget session on Tuesday 17 September.

16.9.2020 | The Government will create conditions for growth in competence levels and employment by extending the duration of compulsory education, allocating funding for continuous learning and lowering fees for early childhood education and care. With the proceeds from gambling services diminishing, the funding for beneficiaries will be fully secured for 2021.

19.9.2022 | The budget proposal for 2023 of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government will continue to invest in education and culture. The budget proposal helps implement the key objectives in the Government Programme of raising the level of education and competence, bridging learning gaps and increasing educational equality. Arts and culture will be used to boost conditions and strengthen engagement in creative work.

9.10.2023 | The Ministry of Education and Culture’s proportion of the 2024 budget proposal is EUR 8.0 billion, which is EUR 274 million more than in the 2023 Budget. The budget proposal implements the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government by raising the level of education and competence of the entire population. The measures in the budget proposal aim to strengthen the effectiveness of science and improve the conditions for conducting research and development.

3.11.2016 | The Government proposes that the Act on Financial Aid for Students be reformed. The amount of the study grant in higher education would be brought to the same level with the study grant in secondary education, and the maximum period of eligibility for the grant would be shortened.

5.8.2022 | For the 2023 budget proposal, the Ministry of Education and Culture proposes an appropriation of EUR 7.6 billion for its branch of government, which is EUR 175 million more than in the 2022 Budget.

12.1.2023 | The Ministry of Education and Culture has published the first bildung review, which provides an overview of development in the Ministry’s administrative branch over the past decades. The latest stage, which began in the 1990s, is characterised by a decline in the achieved learning outcomes, the plateauing of the rising level of education among Finns, as well as a gradual decrease in public input into education.

Key changes in the Ministry of Education and Culture's administrative branch in the government term Ministry of Education and Culture Publication date 27.1.2023 10.00 | Published in English on 30.1.2023 at 17.04 The term of Prime Minister Sanna Ma...

8.4.2021 | On Thursday 8 April, the Government submitted to Parliament a report on education policy. The Education Policy Report paves the way for equitable and high-quality education in the 2040s in Finland, where skills requirements are growing and age cohorts are shrinking. The report outlines the target state for education and research when moving forward to the 2040s and the necessary changes in resources, structures and guidance to achieve it.