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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Policies and development Educational policy objectives are used to further develop student financial aid. The goal is to provide students with sufficient financial aid so that it promotes full-time studies based on the student’s plans and to help ...

The areas of expertise The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for the development of education, science, cultural, sport and youth policies, and for international cooperation in these fields. The Ministry’s mandate covers early child...

General upper secondary education General upper secondary education and the matriculation examination taken at the end of it make it possible to apply for studies in higher education institutions. The unit of the scope of studies is a credit. The ...

Ministry of Education and Culture Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity Mika Poutala Christian Democrats in Finland Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity Poutala is responsible for matters covered by the Department of Youth and S...

Sports organisations Sport and physical activity organisations in Finland have over 1.1 million members. The Ministry of Education and Culture allocates government grants to national organisations that promote sport and physical activity while mun...

Youth sector organisations The Ministry of Education and Culture funds part of the national youth sector organisations’ expenditure by granting them discretionary general transfers annually. Youth sector organisations comprise: youth organisations...

Performance sports By providing elite athlete grants and developing the conditions for coaching, the Ministry of Education and Culture promotes performance sports geared toward the achievement of international success. The Ministry does not provid...

Legislation: sport This page lists key acts and decrees that govern sport and physical activity. The statutes can be found in the Finlex database in Finnish and Swedish. Act on the Promotion of Sports and Physical Activity (390/2015) The purpose o...

Legislation on early childhood education and care Early childhood education and care is part of the education and training services, and therefore it falls within the mandate of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Act on Early Childhood Educati...

Ministry of Education and Culture The Ministry of Education and Culture is one of the twelve ministries that together with the ministers heading them form the Finnish Government. The Ministry of Education and Culture participates in the work of th...

Financing of general education The state and the local education providers share the financial cost for tuition. Pre-primary education, primary and lower secondary education (basic education) and upper secondary education are all free of charge. I...

Organisation of the Ministry of Education and Culture According to the division of duties agreed by the Government, Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz heads the Ministry and is responsible for early childhood education and care, general educ...

Construction of sports facilities There are nearly 50,000 registered sports facilities in Finland and approximately 70% of them are owned by municipalities. Privately-run sports facilities, mainly located in cities and towns, complement the supply...

Persons other than those employed by a ministry may only report a breach using the reporting channel of the Office of the Chancellor of Justice . We do not cooperate with any third parties on this matter. Whistleblower protection Whistleblower pro...

The Eurostudent surveys examine issues such as young people's access to higher education, the study conditions in higher education, students' use of time and their income, and international mobility. The results of such studies are used to further develop higher education and to support decision-making in Finland and in international terms.

Education policy report 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 educa...

Qualifications and studies in vocational education and training The qualifications structure in vocational education and training (VET) has three levels. There are three types of qualifications: vocational upper secondary qualification, further vo...

Contact information of the personnel E-mail: [email protected] Address: P.O. Box 29 FIN - 00023 GOVERNMENT FINLAND Leadership: Minister and Permanent Secretary Communications Secretariat for International Relations Department for Early Childhood E...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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.

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.

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.

1.3.2023 | The reform of continuous learning, launched under the Government Programme, has promoted the opportunities of working-age people to improve their knowledge and skills, and increased the availability of skilled labour. The final report on the reform implementation and on the next steps was submitted on 1 March 2023 to the Members of Parliament who participated in the drafting of the parliamentary policy approaches for continuous learning. 

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...

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...

17.12.2020 | A group of Members of Parliament have adopted policy approaches for continuous learning that promote the opportunities of working-age people to develop their competence and ensure the availability of skilled labour. Since the reform aims to respond specifically to the competence needs arising from changes in the world of work, education and employment services will be enhanced as a whole.

15.2.2023 | The Ministry of Education and Culture published on Wednesday 15 February an Outlook Review of the Officials of the Ministry of Education and Culture on the Next Government Term.  In the future, too, Finland’s success, wellbeing and sustainable growth can only be based on the growth of human and social capital and innovation.

25.9.2019 | A continuous learning reform will focus on the skills of working age people. The reform will respond to the educational needs arising from changes in the world of work and seek solutions to combine work and study. Implementation of the comprehensive reform will continue beyond this government term.

5.9.2023 | Finnish VET in a Nutshell ed uc at io n in f in la nd DU RA TI ON I N Y EA RS EQ F CL AS SI FI CA TI ON IS CE D CL AS SI FI CA TI ON DU RA TI ON O F CO M PU LS OR Y ED U CA TI ON 0– 6 1 9 3 3 2 2 4 6 7 5 8 1 1& 2 3 6 7 8 0 4 Ag e 18 DOCTORAL DEGRE...