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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. ...

10.12.2024 | The Finnish model for leisure activities offers children and young people free extra-curricular activities as part of their school day. The clubs already reach around one in four students attending comprehensive schools in Finland. The model not only increases children's and young people's engagement in leisure activities, but also improves opportunities for those who have found it difficult to pursue activities, especially if they come from low-income or one-parent families.

12.3.2025 | A survey by We Foundation shows that groups for extracurricular activity organised by municipalities free of charge as part of the school day provide the majority of the participants with a safe space that is free of bullying, discrimination and racism. The results confirm that groups based on the Finnish model for leisure activities increase student wellbeing and are the only opportunity for many children and young people to have a hobby. The survey covers 20 municipalities of different sizes.

25.4.2023 | In a short time, the Finnish model for leisure activities has assumed its place as a meaningful provision not only for children and young people, but also for their parents and custodians, instructors and municipal decision-makers. The children themselves say that interaction and genuine engagement with the instructor are particularly important when committing to a leisure activity. Other factors t...

15.12.2022 | More than 164,000 primary and lower secondary schoolchildren from 1,500 schools took part in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s national student survey. They were asked what extra-curricular activities they would like to try out and what their main reasons for engaging in leisure activities were. More children and young people (85%) now have a meaningful leisure activity than was the case in the 2020 survey.

7.6.2022 | Minister of Science and Culture Petri Honkonen and foundations and funds promoting culture have discussed the opportunities of the cultural sector to support Ukraine and Ukrainians who have fled to Finland. As a result of the meeting, the Ministry of Education and Culture, foundations and funds agreed to continue discussions in June on ways to promote the preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage and the participation of Ukrainian citizens in Finland in arts and cultural activities.

2.9.2021 | The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture is organising the Nordic Nord Start Climate Change Competition in autumn 2021. The competition is part of the programme of Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021. Organised in cooperation with the LUMA Centre Finland’s StarT programme, the competition aims to gather children, young people and adults, from early childhood education and care to higher education, to brainstorm concrete means for the fight against climate change.

28.10.2020 | The Finnish model for leisure activities will bring children’s and young people’s leisure activities to the school day from the beginning of next year. The Ministry of Education and Culture will carry out a pilot and is looking for municipalities interested in taking part in the pilot. The application period closes on 2 December. The amount of funding reserved for the pilot is EUR 9.5 million. Scho...

7.4.2021 | All 7-17-year-olds should get at least 60 minutes of versatile, brisk and strenuous exercise a day in a way that suits them individually, taking into account their age. The recommended amount of physical activity can be accumulated from different shorter periods of physical activity during the day. Excessive and prolonged immobility should be avoided.

2.2.2021 | The Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare have drawn up guidelines on principles for organising, restricting and suspending group leisure activities for those under 18 years of age at the different tiers of the epidemic specified in a Government Resolution. The guidelines are part of the measures outlined by the Government to minimise the negative effects of COVID-19 on children and young people.

7.4.2020 | As requested by the Ministry of Education and Culture, six researchers from different fields have looked into the effects of the coronavirus epidemic on children and young people in particular. According to the researchers, society must already take into account the period following the coronavirus crisis when planning different measures. In particular, the researchers raised the issue of additio...

12.3.2019 | A vision of Finland that is kind to children and families emerged during the preparatory work for the National Strategy for Children. The whole of society will be needed to contribute to achieving it.

13.11.2025 | OPETUS- JA KULTTUURIMINISTERIÖ PL 29, 00023 Valtioneuvosto okm.fi p. 0295 16001 UNDERVISNINGS- OCH KULTURMINISTERIET PB 29, 00023 Statsrådet okm.fi/sv tfn 0295 16001 Grunder för att förbättra förutsättningarna för fysisk aktivitet på daghem och i ...

16.9.2019 | The Conference on Sport will discuss how children and young people can stay safe when engaging in sports and physical activity. The conference will bring together some 120 sporting professionals, influencers and decision-makers at Hanaholmen Cultural Centre on 24 September.

26.4.2019 | Sport has been confronted with many cases of sexual violence against women and children in recent years. Public authorities, sports movement and stakeholder organisations are determined to tackle sexual violence against women and children in sport and to strengthen its prevention with the Expert Conference on “Sexual Violence against Women and Children in Sports”, organised in the framework of the Finnish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers.

17.12.2020 | A record number of 197,040 children and young people took part in the pupil and student survey conducted by the Ministry of Education and Culture. This is a significant achievement for an online survey both by national and international standards. More than one third of pupils and students in primary and lower secondary education participated in the survey (35 per cent of all pupils and student...

14.1.2021 | The recommendations of the Forum for Developing Education and Training Provision and Programmes in Early Childhood Education and Care indicate the way for developing education and training provision and programmes in early childhood education and care (ECEC). The recommendations facilitate broader cooperation between education providers and stakeholders.

14.9.2018 | The National Literacy Forum, appointed by the Minister of Education Sanni Grahn-Laasonen, published guidelines for developing children’s and young people’s literacy and enthusiasm for reading on the 14th September. Lukuliike - The Need to Read Movement, launched based on the guidelines, challenges everyone to promote reading and literacy.

29.6.2017 | Professor Kirsti Karila, Research Director Tuomas Kosonen and Director for Early Childhood Education and Care Satu Järvenkallas have submitted to the Ministry of Education and Culture a proposal for a roadmap for early childhood education and care until 2030. According to the reviewers, the participation rate in early childhood education and care should be raised and the structure, numbers, qualifications and skills of personnel should be further developed.

29.9.2026 | While women make up a clear majority of teachers at lower levels of education, they remain underrepresented in education leadership positions in almost all OECD countries. The findings come from the OECD's Education at a Glance report, which compares education systems across countries. In 2026, the report focuses on teacher shortages and the attractiveness of the teaching profession.