Studying in Basic education
Schools provide basic information and sufficient general information.
In Vantaa, we believe that the joy of learning is created by arousing students' curiosity and allowing them to influence everyday choices. An atmosphere of good learning and schooling is created by school staff, students and parents together.
The Finnish school system
Teaching in grades 1-6
Teaching in grades 7-9
Guidance counselling
The objective of guidance counselling is to promote the growth and development of students so that each student is able to develop their studying capabilities and social skills and learn the knowledge and skills needed in life. Guidance counselling supports students to make decisions and choices related to their daily life, studies, future education and future based on their own capabilities, values, backgrounds and interests.
Learning languages
In Vantaa, students take English as their A1 language (starting from the 1st grade) and Swedish as their B1 language (starting from the 6th grade). The guardians and their child can choose together which additional, free-choice languages the student wants to learn in comprehensive school.
Teaching of the student's native tongue
Vantaa provides teaching of a student's own native tongue, home language and maintained language for two hours per week. Teaching a student's own native tongue helps support the student's thinking, linguistic skills and communications. It also helps create the basis for functional bilingualism and reinforces the student's multi-cultural identity.
Syllabus of Finnish as a second language (S2)
Teaching of Finnish as a second language (S2) is available to students who do not have native-level Finnish language skills. S2 is a subject that parallels the syllabus of mother tongue and literature, and it replaces this subject either partly or entirely.
Religion and ethics education
Either religion or ethics are taught in basic education. A student can also receive teaching in their own religion in primary and lower secondary schools in Vantaa.
Finnish Schools on the Move
Finnish Schools on the Move ("Liikkuva koulu") is a national action programme aiming to establish a physically active culture in Finnish comprehensive schools. Schools and municipalities participating in the programme implement their own individual plans to increase physical activity during the school day.
Environmental education
Curriculums and distribution of lesson hours
Assessment and certification
Compulsory education
Comprehensive education lasts for 9 years. All the children living in Finland are subject to compulsory comprehensive education. In most cases comprehensive education starts in the year when the child becomes seven years of age.
A child is entitled to extended compulsory education if they will not be able to achieve the prescribed goals of education in nine years because of a severe disability or illness. A child entitled to extended compulsory education is also approved for special support.
Compulsory schooling may be suspended for compelling reasons enshrined in law. The guardian applies for the interruption of compulsory education during basic education with a "Oppivelvollisuuden määräaikainen keskeytys" form. Further information is provided from the principal of your school.
Compulsory education was extended to cover all under-18-year-olds
Compulsory education was extended to cover all under-18-year-olds, and in the future, compulsory education will end when a young person has their 18th birthday, or when they have completed an upper secondary education degree (matriculation examination or vocational degree) before their 18th birthday.The aim of the reform is that more young people finish upper secondary education degree. In the future, young people ending basic education are obliged to apply for upper secondary education in the joint application.