Compulsory education

Those who finish the 9th grade in spring 2022 are the second age group to which compulsory education applies also after basic education.

Rights and obligations of the young and the guardians

Extended compulsory education will bring new obligations to the young and their guardians. In the future, young people ending basic education are obliged to apply for upper secondary education in the joint application. Students finishing basic education have basically the same options of choosing their education as before, and they can apply for the education of their choice in the joint application.

Study materials will primarily remain free of charge until a student in upper secondary education, subject to compulsory education, has their 20th birthday. Students are given free-of-charge tools and materials necessary for their degree, for example, textbooks, tools, and matriculation examinations. However, education focusing on special subjects may incur costs for the students.

The guardians shall supervise their children’s performance of compulsory education. In practice, this means that the guardians shall monitor the progress of the students’ studies, while accounting for the students’ age group. If a young person remains without a study place, the guardian, the young person in question, and the municipal employees shall together search for a suitable study place for the young person.

Responsibility to mentor and supervise those subject to compulsory education

Mentoring responsibility entails

• to ensure that the young person applies for upper secondary education and begins the studies after termination of basic education
• to monitor that the young person performs their compulsory education at the educational institution and that the studies progress according to the goal set
• the student’s municipality of residence bears the mentoring and supervising responsibility. 

When required, a suspension of compulsory education may be granted to the young person, for example, due to health reasons, long-term disability or sickness, or for the duration of parental leave.

Assigning a study place

A study place will be assigned to those subject to compulsory education that have no study place in transition training (TUVA education, preparatory education for programs leading to an upper secondary qualification; academic year for those subject to compulsory education; TELMA education, preparatory training for work and independent life) after two months of the time the young person was registered at the municipality of residence if they do not have a study place at the time. The young person can freely apply for upper secondary education; when they so wish, they are entitled to application guidance.

At the City of Vantaa, those subject to compulsory education are monitored and instructed by:

Municipality of residence advisor:

Karita Snellman, tel. 040 157 9732, email: karita.snellman@vantaa.fi

Do not hesitate to call the municipality of residence advisor whenever you have concerns or questions about studying and compulsory education.