Search

Comprehensive school Comprehensive schools provide general basic education from year 1 to year 9. Some folk high schools, upper secondary schools for adults and other educational institutions also offer general basic education. Under the Basic Edu...

Basic education Basic education provides a general education and general knowledge and is typically given in comprehensive schools. A pupil is not awarded a degree when graduating from comprehensive school, but it does provide them with the qualif...

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...

Education is one of the cornerstones of the Finnish welfare society. We pride ourselves on an educational system that offers equal opportunities for education for all.

General education General education comprises pre-primary, primary, lower secondary, general upper secondary education and other non-vocational studies, such as those at liberal adult education institutions. It also includes basic art education. T...

Freedom of religion The aim of the Ministry of Education and Culture is to ensure the freedom of religion and to provide all people with possibilities to profess and practise their religion. The Constitution of Finland guarantees freedom of religi...

Frequently asked questions Here you can find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. If you couldn’t find the answer to your question on our website, you are also welcome to contact us kas.okm(at)gov.fi How are you developing Finni...

7.1.2026 | 1 Procedural recommendations for developing Finland’s national language reserve 2 Foreword We need an accurate picture of the national language reserve Fewer languages are being studied in school Developing school practices Early childhood educati...

28.1.2025 | More than 112,000 primary and lower secondary schoolchildren from 1,300 schools took part in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s national student survey. According to the survey, 85% of schoolchildren have a hobby they enjoy. 19% of lower secondary school students lack a hobby, even though lower secondary school students showed a great deal of interest in different leisure activities. They indicated an interest in trying out 11 leisure activities.

3.5.2024 | On 3 May, the Ministry of Education and Culture published the 2024 Bildung Review, which compiles statistical and other information on the administrative branch of the Ministry, its development and situation in international comparison. The themes for 2024 are regionality, life cycle and the fields of education and culture. The objective of the annually published review is to create an overall picture of the extensive administrative branch as a whole.

1.12.2022 | Finnish National Agency for Education | Primary and lower secondary education in Finland | EDUFI 2022 Primary and lower secondary education in Finland School education begins in the year a child turns 7 and lasts 9 years. Before that, all 6-year- ...

12.9.2023 | The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published its annual Education at a Glance (EAG) publication, which consists of internationally comparable indicators of education systems. This year’s report focuses on vocational education and training. The report mainly covers 2021.

3.10.2022 | The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published its annual Education at a Glance publication, which consists of internationally comparable indicators of education systems. The main theme of this year’s edition focuses on tertiary education. The report mainly covers 2020.

13.12.2017 | Professor, Vice Rector Riitta Pyykkö submitted a report on the current state and development needs of Finland’s language reserve to Minister of Education Sanni Grahn-Laasonen on 13 December. The report, drawn up by Professor Pyykkö, covers the entire Finnish education system and proposes an array of measures that should be taken to develop Finnish people’s language skills so that they would meet the future needs.

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.

6.4.2020 | The Government will continue to impose restrictions on contact teaching at all levels of education. This means that the exceptional arrangements for education will be extended until 13 May. Teaching will continue to be organised in alternative ways by means of distance learning and other similar arrangements. The Government still recommends that children in early childhood education and care, pre-primary education and in years 1 to 3 of comprehensive school education stay at home, if possible.

10.9.2019 | On Tuesday, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published its annual indicator publication Education at a Glance 2019 comparing education systems around the world. It examines areas such as the level of education, participation in education, education and training costs, the provision of education and training, and the number and employment levels of higher education graduates in the 36 OECD member countries and some partner countries.

15.12.2017 | MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE - FINLAND 12 October 2017 NATIONAL YOUTH WORK AND YOUTH POLICY PROGRAMME 2017–2019 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................

9.2.2017 | Fostering Our Common Heritage Implementation Plan for the National World Heritage Strategy until 2025 Publications of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland 2016:44 Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö Ministry of Education and Culture Fostering...

26.5.2020 | ENG PR EM S 03 73 20 http://book.coe.int ISBN 978-92-871-8966-0 €19 / US$38 www.coe.int The Council of Europe is the continent’s leading human rights organisation. It comprises 47 member states, including all members of the European Union. All Cou...