Future plans in Finland education system

Pre-School Education

            Pre-school education shall build on the basic values of society. These have been stipulated in national legislation and international declarations, recommendations or conventions, which endeavour to safeguard human rights and the viability of the globe. The role of pre-school education shall be to promote children’s growth into humane individuals and ethically responsible membership of society by guiding them towards responsible action and compliance with generally accepted rules and towards appreciation for other people. The core role of pre-school education shall be to promote children’s favourable growth, development and learning opportunities. The plan shall include the objectives set for the child’s growth and development and an assessment of the child’s strengths and risk factors and difficulties related to learning. The plan shall indicate any change needs related to child’s learning environment and the support and pupil welfare services required for participation in instruction, the bodies responsible for those and the monitoring and assessment of progress.


Compulsory Schooling

Individual education plans are drawn up so as to enable assessment and monitoring of pupils’ learning processes, rehabilitation and achievement of their individual educational objectives. Each plan must include the following information as required to individualise instruction provided for the pupil:

• a description of the pupil’s learning abilities and strengths, special needs related to learning and the needs to develop teaching and learning environments as required by these;
• long- and short-term objectives for instruction and learning;
• the numbers of weekly lessons per year included in the pupil’s study plan;
• a list of those subjects where the pupil’s studies differ from syllabi for regular instruction;
• the objectives and core contents of those subjects where the pupil follows an individual syllabus;
• principles for monitoring and assessment of the pupil’s progress;
• interpreting and assistant services, other teaching and pupil welfare services, communication methods and special aids and teaching materials required for participation in education;
• a description of the provision of instruction for the pupil in conjunction with other education and/or in a special education group;
• people participating in organisation of the pupil’s teaching and support services and their areas of responsibility;
• monitoring of the implementation of support services.

 

Transition Period

 

Additional Education

Young people who have completed the basic education syllabus may be provided with additional education lasting one extra school year in accordance with the Basic Education Act. Additional education is open to young people who have received their basic education leaving certificate in the same or previous year. No national lesson allocation or syllabus has been determined for additional education. The curriculum for additional education may include the core subjects common to all pupils as part of the basic education syllabus, elective subjects within basic education, other subjects and subject groups conforming to the role of basic education, vocational orientation studies and periods of workplace guidance.

 

Vocational Education

Students in need of special support may apply to ordinary vocational institutions within the national joint application system or through the related flexible application procedure. Pupil counsellors in basic education and student counsellors in vocational education and training aim to find a suitable place for each student according to the student’s wishes.

In vocational education and training, students in need of special educational or student welfare services are provided with instruction in the form of special education and training. An individual education plan is to be drawn up for each student receiving special education and training.
This plan must set out details of the qualification to be completed, the national core curriculum or the requirements of the competence-based qualification observed in education and training, the scope of the qualification, the individual curriculum drawn up for the student, grounds for providing special education and training, special educational and student welfare services required for studying as well as other services and support measures provided for the student.
Each education provider is responsible for organising special education and training and services for students in special education and training.