Sök

Preparing the Programme to Develop Quality and Equality in Vocational Education and Training This programme to develop equality and quality in vocational education and training will help ensure that all students in vocational education and trainin...

Programmes for quality and equality in early childhood and comprehensive school education The Right to Learn development programmes aim to secure an equal start for learning by improving quality and equality in early childhood education and care (...

Equality, non-discrimination and diversity among teaching and research staff in higher education institutions The KOTAMO project examined how equality, non-discrimination and diversity among staff members can be promoted in Finnish higher educatio...

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.

14.4.2023 | Finland aims to become the world’s leading developer and user of sustainable digitalisation in teaching and education and training. This aim will also promote equal opportunities for learning and development. The common policies published on 14 April 2023 point the way for the sector's digital transformation.

7.11.2022 | A recent report shows that Finnish higher education institutions still have much work to do in promoting equality for teaching and research staff. Commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the project examined how gender equality, non-discrimination and diversity in higher education communities are realised and promoted in Finnish higher education institutions. The project’s final report was published on Monday 7 November.

10.12.2020 | The Government has prepared a draft report on education policy. The report provides an overview of the current situation in education and research and the target state and necessary measures to reach the target. The draft report has been sent on a broad round of consultations. The report is due to be submitted to Parliament early next year.

10.11.2020 | The overall level of education in Finland needs to be raised. In the context of higher education, the aim is to raise the percentage of higher education graduates from the current 41% to 50% of all 25 to 34-year-olds by 2030. Does Finnish higher education offer equality and non-discrimination to everyone and do higher education institutions respond adequately to the needs of different students?

2.12.2021 | Commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture, the project examines how equality, non-discrimination and diversity among staff members can be promoted in Finnish higher education institutions. Based on the study, concrete proposals for measures will be developed for higher education institutions and for national policy approaches.

9.12.2025 | Undervisnings- och kulturministeriets rapport Jämställdhet inom idrott och motion i Finland 2025 beskriver jämställdhetsutvecklingen på idrottsområdet. Rapporten bygger vidare på tidigare års uppföljningar (2011, 2017, 2021) och lyfter fram såväl framsteg som utvecklingsbehov.

8.10.2013 | The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC 2012) that was published today shows that competencies in Finland are at an excellent level. Ministers Kiuru and Ihalainen are pleased with the results, which reflect the strengths of the Finnish educational system. But they also reveal areas for future improvement.

21.10.2015 | Finland's Basic Education Act won the Silver Future Policy Award for the promotion of children's equal access to education and training.

26.5.2005 | Haatainen: The themes of the Finnish presidency will be quality and equality in education

24.2.2015 | The Recommendation promotes policies and practices to ensure gender mainstreaming in all fields and at all levels of sport. Member states are to encourage co-operation between stakeholders responsible for sport, physical education and gender equality policies at the national level.

18.1.2013 | The Finnish parent organizations of the culture field have founded a new support association for the Culture for All Service. The new association will run the Culture for All Service, which has its tenth anniversary this year. The chair of the association is President Tarja Halonen.

Brochures and other materials related to education Are you looking for information on education in Finland? This page gives a list of the Ministry’s links to brochures, publications, videos and other presentations on education in Finland. More bro...

Completed projects and programmes Extension of compulsory education The minimum school leaving age will be raised to 18 years. Extension of compulsory education Preparing the Programme to Develop Quality and Equality in Vocational Education and Tr...

14.7.2026 | EU ministers for sports have asked the European Commission to consider whether EU funding should be restricted for international sports organisations that have allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions during Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

Culture, physical activity and youth work facilitate integration Cultural services, public libraries, activities for young people and sports activities make it easier to integrate into the society. Participation in such activities provides an easy...

Accessibility and diversity of culture The Ministry of Education and Culture aims to provide linguistic and cultural minorities, persons with disabilities and other special groups with opportunities to participate in culture and express their crea...

Local authority cultural activity Local authorities (municipalities) are responsible for organising cultural activities that support local cultural life and those involved in it. It is the local authority that decides on the content of public cult...

Policies and development The objective of general education is to guarantee that every child, pupil and student – irrespective of their ethnic origin, background or wealth – equal possibilities and rights to culture, education of high quality that...

The recommendations for artificial intelligence, AI, support competence related to AI in education, teaching and training. Strengthening competence promotes increasing understanding of AI, its safe use and equal opportunities for education and training actors to utilise emerging technologies in learning.

Policies concerning libraries Libraries provide all Finns with equal access to information and culture. The Ministry of Education and Culture is responsible for the national library policy in Finland. The Ministry aims to ensure that library and i...

EU and international cooperation The Ministry of Education and Culture participates in various international organisations in sport-related cooperation between different countries, as well as in the preparation of sport-related matters in the Euro...

EU and international cooperation The Ministry of Education and Culture participates in various international organisations in sport-related cooperation between different countries, as well as in the preparation of sport-related matters in the Euro...

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...

1.9.2026 | On 1 September 2026, the Government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo reached a decision on its budget proposal for 2027 and is steadily implementing the agenda it agreed at the spending limits session. The agenda includes EUR 100 million of investment in construction and numerous transport infrastructure projects. The Government’s targeted measures will support economic growth.

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...

State subsidies for arts and culture Parties that maintain museums, theatres and orchestras are granted state subsidies with which to cover the institutions' operating costs. The Government participates in this way in the funding of cultural servi...

Immigrants and integration Newcomers to Finland who learn the language, find a job or a study place, and who build contacts in Finland tend to find it easier to integrate into the Finnish society. One's own culture, language and religion can still...

Strategies and policy outlines Policies outlined by the Government guide the activities of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The Ministry prepares matters based on these policy outlines. The government strategy consists of the Strategic Gover...

Cultural Heritage Strategy The Government resolution for the Cultural Heritage Strategy emphasises the importance of cultural heritage in different sectors of society as a resource for future sustainable solutions. The key values of the strategy a...

Awards and decorations The Ministry of Education and Culture grants awards and decorations to Finnish athletes in recognition for a distinguished career in sports or for a major athletic achievement. Athlete pensions A supplementary athlete pensio...

United Nations The United Nations (UN) works for human rights, equality, social rights, tolerance and peace. Finland became a member in 1955. The implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the achievement of its goals are to...

New architectural policy programme Finland’s new architectural policy programme (apoli), published in January 2022. The programme sets out objectives and measures for developing the sustainability of the built environment comprehensively until 203...

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...

Awards and decorations The Ministry of Education and Culture grants awards and decorations to Finnish athletes in recognition for a distinguished career in sports or for a major athletic achievement. Athlete pensions A supplementary athlete pensio...

Morning and afternoon activities Morning and afternoon activities are activities held outside the scope of lessons before and after school, and are intended for year 1 and 2 pupils as well as pupils with special needs. Local authorities in municip...

Youth research and monitoring of young people’s living conditions Youth research is multidisciplinary research focusing on young people that emphasises such areas as research in youth cultures, consumer research, and research in exclusion, ethnic ...

Culture for children Arts and cultural education fosters creativity, open-mindedness and optimism, which are essential for social progress. It also strengthens children's and young people's ability to see the world from the perspective of others. ...

fi Etusivu Vastuualueet Ajankohtaista Hankkeet ja säädösvalmistelu Avustukset Julkaisut Ministeriö Yhteystiedot sv Framsida Ansvarsområden Aktuellt Projekt och lagberedning Understöd Publikationer Ministeriet Kontaktinformation en Frontpage Areas ...

Library network The Finnish network of libraries consists of public i.e. municipal libraries, research libraries (university libraries and libraries of universities of applied sciences), special libraries, and libraries located at schools and othe...

The international EUROSTUDENT studies look at issues such as young people's access to higher education, the study conditions in higher education, students' use of time and their income, and integration of international students in Finland. The results of the research will be used in the development of Finnish higher education and as support for decision-making in Finland.

Latin America – São Paulo The Team Finland Knowledge role in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) focuses especially on Brazil and, according to the needs of Finnish higher education institutions and Finland's missions abroad, on Mexico, Chile, C...

Tuition fees in upper secondary education Students from third countries will, in future, be required to pay tuition fees in both general upper secondary education and vocational education and training. These fees apply to those who start their stu...

EU and international cooperation in the youth sector The objective of international and European cooperation is to develop youth policy and support youth work through networking and exchanges of good practices. The Ministry of Education and Cultur...

Ministry of Education and Culture Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz The Swedish People's party of Finland Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz heads the Ministry of Education and Culture. In accordance with the division of responsibilit...

Education for immigrants Immigrants usually participate in the same early childhood education and care, education and training as the rest of the population. In addition to these, integration training and support for learning as well as preparator...

Policy and development in higher education and science The Ministry of Education and Culture helps promote the Government's higher education and science policy targets, and develops the higher education and science system in cooperation with stake...

Promotion of physical activity The Ministry of Education and Culture endeavours to create conditions for a physically active lifestyle for the whole population. The aim is to enable the Finnish population to be physically active to a degree that s...

The European Capital of Culture 2026 Based on a recommendation given by a European panel of experts, the Ministry of Education and Culture designated the City of Oulu as a 2026 European Capital of Culture. The other Capital of Culture in 2026 will...

In September 2024, the Ministry of Education and Culture began monitoring the measures outlined in the action plan to promote diversity in the field of arts and culture, which was published in 2023. The Ministry has focused particularly on a cultural policy report, the promotion of constructive dialogue and the development of government grant activities from the perspective of cultural diversity. Strengthen...

12.11.2019 | Piikkarit-priserna 2019 tilldelas personer som är förebilder för jämställdhet inom motion och idrott. Piikkarit-huvudpriset tilldelades generalsekreterare Terhi Heinilä vid Kvinnoorganisationernas Centralförbund för ett betydande arbete för att främja jämställdheten mellan könen som pågått i flera decennier. Heinilä har varit en aktiv och föredömlig aktör i synnerhet på internationella arenor.

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 ...

19.8.2026 | Yhdysvalloissa tieteen politisoituminen on ollut aktiivisesti esillä kesän uutisvirroissa. Viime vuodesta asti jatkuneet tapahtumat liittyen tutkimuksen poliittiseen ohjaukseen, rahoitusmuutoksiin ja ideologiseen kahtiajakoon ovat koetelleet akateemista riippumattomuutta. Yhdysvalloissa käydään tiukkaa taistelua siitä kuka saa kontrolloida tutkimusta, samalla kun kansalaisten luottamus tieteeseen ja tieteellisiin instituutioihin on tippunut.

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...

19.11.2021 | Expertjuryns rapport Urvalsfasen Virtuellt möte Juni 2021 Val av Europas kulturhuvudstad 2026 i Finland EUROPEISKA KOMMISSIONEN Generaldirektoratet för utbildning, ungdom, idrott och kultur Direktorat D – Kultur och kreativitet Enhet D2 – Kreativa...

The Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland is responsible for daycare, education, training and research; arts, culture, sports and youth work, the archival, museum and public library systems; the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Orthodox Church and other religious communities, student financial aid, and copyright.

The Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland is responsible for daycare, education, training and research; arts, culture, sports and youth work, the archival, museum and public library systems; the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Orthodox Church and other religious communities, student financial aid, and copyright.