COMPLETE NATIONAL OVERVIEW

Legal System

Parliament enacts laws on education and decides on the general principles of education policy. The Government and the Ministry of Education implement these principles at the central government level. The Ministry of Education is in charge of the administration of education, research, culture, youth issues and sports; its remit includes all universities. In matters related to comprehensive and upper secondary schools, vocational institutions and adult education, the Ministry is assisted by an expert agency, the National Board of Education. A central development document in the educational sector is the Development Plan for Education and Research, which the Government approves every four years for the year of its approval and for the following five calendar years. The currently effective development plan for 2003–2008 was approved at the end of 2003.

Historical Overview
Development of special education at Finnish folk schools within the parallel school system prior to the introduction of the uniform comprehensive school system can be divided into four periods. The first period covers the establishment of special education from the 1840s until the Compulsory Education Act came into force in 1921. Initially, special education focused on arranging instruction for pupils with sensory disabilities. The first schools for people with hearing impairments, visual impairments and motor impairments were established in the 1840s, the 1860s and the 1890s respectively. When it was stipulated that folk education was the obligation of local authorities in 1866 and when it subsequently became compulsory, many disabled children were excluded from school during these reforms. Education for disabled people was provided in the form of philanthropic activities of individuals and charitable organisations.

The second period ranges from the time when the Compulsory Education Act came into force in 1921 until the end of the Second World War. The Compulsory Education Act stated that the children of Finnish citizens were considered to be subject to compulsory education, except for those children with intellectual disabilities, who were exempt from compulsory education.

The third period starts at the end of the Second World War and runs through to the unification of education and the launch of comprehensive schools in 1972. The post-war period witnessed the development of care for the disabled. In addition to medical care and rehabilitation, the field of vocational rehabilitation was also being developed. The quantitative increase in special education and specialisation in its different sectors occurred between the 1940s and the 1960s. New forms of education emerged alongside adjusted instruction, such as instruction for maladjusted pupils and part-time special education not tied to year classes.

However, the medical approach prevailed in the provision of education for children with special needs. Deviation was, above all, considered from the perspective of physical and functional disability. Pupils with special needs were seen as being different from other pupils to such an extent that their education could not be organised in conjunction with mainstream education. In addition, the special needs of different groups were so varied that, in order to answer their needs, these children were segregated into groups that were as homogeneous as possible in terms of instruction. As this way of thinking was prevalent at that time, special education remained highly differentiated and segregated.

From the early 1970s, the principle of normalisation and the philosophy of integration came strongly to the fore in the education of pupils in need of special support. The aim of the principle of normalisation is that the lives of disabled people would be as normal as possible. Integration is considered to be the means of implementing this normalisation. The objective was perceived to be social integration, in other words, the opportunity for pupils with special needs to participate in regular instruction in the school they would attend without their disability.

Integration has been promoted in basic education since the 1970s. An important legislative reform was the new Comprehensive Schools Act passed in 1983, which enabled a better starting point for the development of the integration process. According to the Act, no child was allowed to be exempt from completing compulsory education any longer. Another important factor for the promotion of integration was the new comprehensive school national core curriculum issued in 1985; it raised the issues of differentiation and individualisation of education and, where necessary, the provision of special education and the individualisation of education and the syllabus. In terms of promoting integration, it was important that education and the syllabus were to be individualised according to individual children’s age and learning abilities so as to enable special education curricula to also be used in conjunction with mainstream education. Education for children with minor intellectual disabilities was initiated within folk schools in the form of special school instruction. In 1985, integrated instruction for children with medium and severe intellectual disabilities was transferred from social administration to educational administration. The instruction of children with the most severe intellectual disabilities, which had long been organised as part of special care for intellectually disabled people within the social administration, was transferred to be provided by comprehensive schools as from 1 August 1997, as was the instruction provided by reform schools from 1 August 1998.

The fourth period of special education started in the 1990s. In 1995, the status of special education was evaluated nationally. The conclusions of the evaluation formed the basis for national development measures implemented in subsequent years. The aim was to reform the operating culture, organisation of education and joint steering by supporting regional and municipal integration of service systems.

The comprehensive reform of school legislation in 1998 and the new Basic Education Act (628/1998) aim to guarantee educational equality and equal educational services for all those subject to compulsory education. The old disintegrated legislation based on institution forms has been replaced by more concise and centralised legislation based on the objectives and contents of education, levels and forms of education and the rights and responsibilities of students.

Legal System in Mainstream Education
According to the Constitution of Finland, everyone is equal before the law. No one may, without a valid reason, be treated differently from other people on grounds of sex, age, origin, health, disability or any other reason that concerns her/his person. Children are to be treated equally and as individuals and they are to be allowed to have an influence on issues affecting themselves to a degree corresponding to their level of development. Everyone also has the right to basic education free of charge. Everyone is to be guaranteed an equal opportunity to receive education in accordance with their abilities and special needs and to develop themselves without being prevented by economic hardship.

According to the Basic Education Act (628/1998), all education must comply with national core curriculum. Instruction is to be organised so as to meet the age level and abilities of pupils and so as to promote pupils’ healthy growth and development. Instruction is to be conducted in co-operation with pupils’ homes.

The National Core Curriculum for Basic Education is the national framework covering both mainstream and special education and it is used as the basis for drawing up local curricula. Education providers are responsible for preparation and development of local curricula. As per the provisions of the national core curriculum, the curriculum must also include a description of the provision of special education.

Renovation of national and municipal curricula 2000 - 2006
In Finland the national core curriculum is the national framework on the basis of which the local curriculum is formulated. The new national core curriculum for basic education was approved by The National Board of Education in January 2004

The new national core curriculum is more precise and more detailed compared with the previous curriculum from 1994. It emphasizes the curricular unity of basic education for the whole nine-year period. It also emphasizes learning environment and school’s operational culture, the conception of learning, cross-curricular themes in teaching, individual support and guidance and pupil welfare.

The implementation of the new curriculum is to take place gradually between autumn 2003 and autumn 2006. The National Board of Education has supported municipalities and schools in this implementation process by training and providing guidance and counselling. The municipal coordinators of the implementation process have received training in training programmes organized by the National Board of Education. National Board of Education has also produced and continues to produce material supporting the implementation, published both in print and on the home page of National Board of Education.

Legal System in Special Needs Education
Constitution provides that the support services needed in special education are to be available to everyone, who cannot obtain the security, indispensable subsistence and care required for a life lived with dignity. The public authorities must guarantee everyone adequate social, health and medical services and promote the health of the population. In addition, the public authorities are to support families and others responsible for providing for children so that they can ensure the well-being and personal development of children.

The objective of special education is to help and support pupils in such a way as to give them equal opportunities to complete compulsory schooling in accordance with their abilities and alongside their peers. The starting point is to assess each pupil’s strengths and her/his individual learning and development needs. Education is required to promote pupils’ initiative and self-confidence. Special education calls for decisions to be made concerning the study place, time and facilities and different functions as well as the allocation of resources to implement these decisions.

The first alternative for providing special needs education is to include pupils with SEN in mainstream classes and, when necessary, provide special needs education in small teaching groups. Only when this is not feasible is the second alternative considered: the provision of special needs education in a special group, class or school.

Special instruction within vocational education and training should primarily be provided in connection with regular instruction or in separate groups or both. Vocational special institutions, in turn, are responsible for providing education and training for students with the most severe disabilities. Vocational education and training are provided in the form of special education and training for students who need special educational and student welfare services due to disability, illness, delayed development, emotional disorder or some other similar reason. It is the task of each education provider to determine how to define which students are in need of special education and training and how to draw up individual education plans for them. Special education and training may deviate from the general provisions governing vocational education and training as determined in the relevant national core curriculum. The duration of studies and study arrangements may be adjusted where a student’s state of health or previous studies dictate accordingly.

The 1998 legislative amendments introduced on-the-job learning and the appreciation and priority of learning by doing to the sphere of vocational education and training. These changes have promoted the provision of special education and training, as special education has traditionally intensified learning by emphasising practical skills and activities.

The National Core Curriculum for Upper Secondary Schools emphasises the fact that the purpose of special support is to help and support students so as to guarantee them equal opportunities to complete their upper secondary school studies. Once a student’s learning difficulties have been identified, planning and implementation of support measures are started immediately, taking into account the information acquired on the student’s study performance and their needs for support during basic education. The local upper secondary school curriculum will determine how instruction and support measures for special needs students are to be organised.

Special education is provided in all stages of education from pre-primary education to upper secondary education and training. The provisions governing special education are included in the Basic Education Act (628/1998) and Decree (852/1998) and in the Upper Secondary Schools Act (629/1998). In addition, provisions for issues related to the organisation of special education have been laid down in the Act on Children’s Day Care (1290/1999), the Act on Children’s Home Care and the Private Care Allowance (1291/1999), the Act on Client Fees in Social Welfare and Health Care (1292/1999), the Vocational Education and Training Act (630/1998) and Decrees (811/1998 and its amendment 1139/1999), the Act on the Financing of Educational and Cultural Provision (328/2000), the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999) and in the Government Decree on the Evaluation of Education (150/2003). The provisions for support services to be arranged for disabled people have been laid down in the Act (380/1987) and Decree (759/1987) on Services and Assistance for the Disabled. The provisions governing the elaboration of personal study and rehabilitation plans and their content have been set out in the Decree on the Amendment of the Rehabilitation Allowances Decree (726/1999).

http://www.eurydice.org/Eurybase/Application/frameset.asp?country=FI&language=EN

Financing

Most institutions providing basic and upper secondary level education are maintained by local authorities or joint municipal boards (consortia of municipalities). Private institutions are under public supervision: they follow the national core curricula and qualification guidelines confirmed by the National Board of Education. They also receive the same level of public funding as publicly funded schools. Responsibility for educational funding is divided between State and the local authorities. Of the funding for primary and secondary education, the state subsidy averages 57 per cent of the costs, while municipal contributions amount to an average of 43 per cent. In addition, the State supports local authorities by granting them increased state subsidies to assist with provision of special education.

Every pupil has the right to receive their education and the interpretation and assistant services, teaching and pupil welfare services (including the services of the school doctor and psychologist, dentist, therapists and social and health care) and any special aids required for participation in education free of charge. In addition, textbooks and other learning materials, tools and work materials, school transport and daily school meals, accommodation and full board, as well as treatment of injuries sustained in accidents at school or during travel to school, are also free of charge for all pupils.

All students in vocational education and training are entitled to receive instruction free of charge, free daily meals every school day and free accommodation in a hall of residence assigned by the educational institution. Disabled students are entitled to receive assistant services, other student welfare services and any special aids required for studying. Some services are offered by the educational institution, whereas others are organised as services provided by the student’s municipality of residence in accordance with the Act on Services and Assistance for the Disabled (380/1987).

The Upper Secondary Schools Act (629/1998) provides that students with disabilities and those in need of special support for some other reason are entitled to assistant services, other teaching and student welfare services and special aids, as required in their studies.

Identification of Special Educational Needs

Early Education
In ECEC, the child’s need for support is assessed by considering both the parent’s and the staff’s observations, or based on the child’s earlier established need for special support. The child may need support in the physical, cognitive, emotional or social areas of development or in the development skills for varying periods of time. The need for support may also arise in situations when the child’s health or development is endangered or is not adequately fostered by developmental conditions. On assessing the child’s need for support, it is important to identify and define the child’s individual opportunities to act in different environments and in different educational situations and to also define related need for support and guidance. The aim is to prevent the child’s need for support from accumulating and becoming prolonged.

Pre-School Education and Compulsory Schooling
If a child cannot cope in mainstream education due to disability, illness, delayed development, emotional disorder or some other similar reason, s/he may be admitted to special education during pre-primary education and upon commencement of compulsory education or s/he may also be transferred to special education later during comprehensive school.

A psychological, medical or social examination of a pupil and her/his growth environment may be conducted as early as during early childhood education and care and also, where necessary, later during pre-primary and basic education. In addition it is possible to obtain statements from different therapists, other experts and the child’s teachers.

The decision on the transfer to special education is made by the public authority, which is defined on the rules and regulations of the pupil’s municipality of residence. According to the Basic Education Act, admission or transfer of pupils to special education always require consultation with their parents or other guardians. Where the decision on transfers to special education is made against the consent of a parent or guardian, the parent or guardian may appeal against the decision to the Provincial State Office.

Special Needs Education within the 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. It shall support and monitor physical, psychological, social, cognitive and emotional development and prevent any difficulties that may arise. Early childhood education and care, pre-school education and basic education form an integrated whole progressing consistently in terms of children’s development.

Special supporting pre-school education is needed by children, whose conditions for development, growth and learning have been affected by illness, disability or reduced functional ability. In addition, children in need of psychological or social support for their growth shall receive special support. Children whose development according to experts in education and pupil welfare services and parents or other guardians, involves risk factors related to learning potential, shall also be entitled to special support. In addition, special support in pre-school education shall be provided for children, who are within extended compulsory education or whose basic education has been deferred until one year later, and for children admitted or transferred to special education during pre-school education.

The physical and social learning environment and the necessary support services in children’s pre-school education shall primarily be organised so as to enable children to participate in group activities as fully as possible.

A child’s pre-school education plan shall be drawn up for each child in need of special support together with parents or other guardians and the relevant experts. 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. The plans for those children admitted or transferred to special education shall be prepared in the form of personal plans covering the organisation of education (IEP).

Compulsory Schooling
The National Core Curriculum for Basic Education forms the basis for local, i.e. municipal and/or school-specific, curricula for special education. According to the provisions of the national core curriculum, education providers are to draw up a curriculum including two general syllabi, one divided into subjects and the other based on functional domains. The curriculum is then used to determine syllabi for each pupil’s individual plans. Pupils following the syllabus of mainstream education may be provided with a child’s pre-primary education plan and a personal study plan for basic education. Each pupil admitted or transferred to special education must be provided with an individual education plan (IEP).

Students who are lagging behind in their studies have possibility to remedial teaching. In addition, student welfare, educational guidance and cooperation with parents enable studying in mainstream instruction. (See Appendix 1.)

Pupils, who have minor learning difficulties, specific learning disorders or problems in adjusting to work, have the right to receive part-time special needs teaching. Part-time special needs education within mainstream instruction is provided to a pupil, who has slight difficulties in learning and adjustment or who needs special support to overcome learning difficulties. There are different ways to arrange part-time special needs education. It may be organised in general education (as team teaching), in small groups or individually.

Each pupil transferred or admitted to special education must be provided with an individual education plan (IEP). Provision of special education must always ensure that the interpretation and assistant services required for participation in education, as well as other teaching and pupil welfare services, rehabilitation needed in connection with special education and the development, guidance and support tasks related to instruction have been organised and that special aids have been acquired.

If 10-year compulsory education is not possible due to disability or illness or for some other similar reason, compulsory education will start one year earlier than for other pupils and it will last eleven years. Within this system of extended compulsory education, pre-primary education may take two years. If the parent or guardian so wishes, the extended compulsory education can start at the age of five on a voluntary basis.

Instead of subjects, instruction for the most severely disabled is divided into functional domains, which are motor skills, language and communication, social skills, activities of daily living and cognitive skills. The functional domains are further divided into sub-domains.

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. They may also apply to educational institutions with special educational tasks directly or, in some cases, through the joint application system. 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.

Upper Secondary Education
Special needs education is not mentioned in the current regulations of upper secondary education (629/1998, 810/1998). Although The Upper Secondary Schools Act (629/1998) provides that students with disabilities and those in need of special support for some other reason are entitled to assistant services, other teaching and student welfare services and special aids, as required in their studies.

In its Regulation dated 22 September 2000, the Matriculation Examination Board issued instructions for completion of the matriculation examination, including instructions for students with dyslexia or other disabilities or illnesses. Every year, about 1,200 candidates present the Board with a medical certificate, requesting relaxation of the terms of completion of the matriculation examination or exemption from completion of a specific part of the examination, such as deaf students requesting exemption from listening comprehension tests.

Teacher Training - Basic and Specialist Teacher Training

Mainstream teacher training

Pre-school Education
Teaching and guidance staff within day-care centres has either Bachelor’s degrees from a university or a polytechnic or what used to be known as post-secondary vocational qualifications. In addition, they may be assisted by other child-care professionals with relevant upper secondary vocational qualifications.

Compulsory Education and General Upper Secondary Education
Teachers in the first six forms of basic education are usually generalists (class teachers), whereas those in the last three forms and at upper secondary level are subject specialists (subject teachers). Class teachers are Master of Education and subject teachers have completed a Master’s degree in the subject they teach as well as pedagogical studies.

Special Needs Education
Special needs education is provided for pre-primary pupils by special kindergarten teachers, part-time special needs education for pupils in mainstream basic education is provided by special needs teachers, while pupils who are admitted or transferred to special needs education are taught by special needs class teachers. Vocational special needs teachers work at both mainstream vocational institutions and vocational special institutions. It is possible to study special needs education as major and take higher first degree. In addition, teachers can qualify themselves for special kindergarten teachers, special needs teachers or special needs class teachers.

In addition to special needs teachers, educational services also employ special needs assistants, educational guidance and school welfare officers, psychologists, doctors, pupil and student counsellors and various therapists. State-owned special schools and vocational special institutions also have social workers, nursing and accommodation staff and other staff to cover school transport, for example.

The departments of teacher education and continuing education centres of universities and the National Board of Education provide teachers with further and continuing education and training every year.

Development of Integration/Inclusion

The reforms of school administration in the 1990s with decentralisation of decision-making to the municipalities have decreased the number of special schools, while special classes have been founded in mainstream schools. The state maintains eight special schools providing comprehensive school education. These schools are primarily intended for pupils with hearing or visual impairments or with a physical or other impairment.

The state-owned special schools are national development and service centres, which provide expert services for municipal and other schools and temporary education and rehabilitation for pupils of compulsory school age studying at other schools, in order to support their studies. The schools may also provide rehabilitation for disabled people under compulsory school age and those who have completed comprehensive school. The tasks of state-owned special schools are to develop basic education and the related rehabilitation, curricula, teaching and rehabilitation methods, teaching aids and learning materials; to provide guidance and information services for pupils at other schools, their parents or other guardians, teachers and other staff; to steer the preparation of education and rehabilitation plans; and to promote the transition of pupils into further study, working life and society.

It is the duty of the municipality and the individual school to include pupils with SEN in the mainstream educational system. The first alternative for providing special needs education is to include pupils with SEN in mainstream classes and, when necessary, provide special needs education in small teaching groups. Only when this is not feasible is the second alternative considered: the provision of special needs education in a special group, class or school.

Inclusion has developed in Finland as follows:

1. Separate curricula of special education have been abolished and all pupils use the same curriculum individualised by individual education plan. In the curricula the concept ‘Need for special support’ will be used when referring to special education.
2. The pupil welfare-services are to be included in the curriculum and municipalities and schools will be obliged to include the services they offer in the curriculum.
3. Development of inclusion and production of models regarding municipality, school and pupil-level planning, organisation and implementation of inclusive special needs education in co-operation with various interest groups.
4. The statistics on provision, resources and costs of special needs education will be elaborated upon in order to obtain a continuous view on the state of special needs education nationwide, as well as to acquire comparative data on the effects of regional and municipal differences.
5. Several projects are developing the virtual school for the needs of special education according to the national strategy. The actors of these projects represent private and public sector, state, municipalities, universities and research centres, both in the humanities and technical areas.
6. There are several projects for preventing exclusion of pupils by developing productive learning models and models to teach and support pupils with mental illnesses.

The fourth period of education (see 1.1) started with the 1995 evaluation of the status of special education, which formed the basis for two projects dealing with qualitative development of special education running from 1997 to 2001 and from 2002 to 2004. The national project for 2002–2004 to develop the quality of special education integrated the operating systems of education in mainstream and special education and in vocational education and training. Its purpose was to reform the operating cultures and joint guidance of education and instruction as well as support services (health care and social administration, day care and youth services) by supporting the integration of the service systems on regional and municipal levels. The activities were based on continuous co-operation, evaluation and steering across administrative boundaries, which took the roles, tasks and operating models of different experts into account. This also involved ensuring that instruction and support services were organised in accordance with pupils’ age level and abilities and so as to promote the healthy growth and development of pupils. Pupil welfare services was to be organised in co-operation with the authorities responsible for implementation of social and health care services.

Quality Indicators for SNE

The planning, provision, evaluation, monitoring and development of special education are included in the overall plan for the development of education and the curriculum drawn up by each education provider on the basis of the relevant National Core Curriculum and they are carried out in co-operation with those responsible for mainstream education. In vocational education and training the curricula of the education providers define the organisation of special education and the co-operation within the institution. The responsibility for arranging the rehabilitation and support services related to special education rests jointly with the educational and social administrations and the health care services of each local authority.

In terms of provision of education, an important document is the Development Plan for Education and Research for 2003–2008 drawn up by the Ministry of Education, which sets out the key contents and measures for national development over the coming years. These concern the provision of both mainstream and special education as a whole, because special education is being developed as an integral and natural part of mainstream education. Education providers are required to draw up their local development plans on the basis of the national plan in such a way that the development plan for special education is included in the overall plan. The plans may also be regional and sub-regional. The starting points for planning include guaranteeing the achievement of basic educational security, prevention of social exclusion, early intervention and guaranteeing fundamental educational rights for all people at all levels of the education system.

The priorities of implementation include enhancing the efficiency of the education system and supporting children and young people at both basic and upper secondary level by means such as strengthening remedial instruction and special education as part of mainstream education and pupil and student counselling, pupil and student welfare services and other support services. The starting points include realisation of educational security, prevention of social exclusion, early intervention and realisation of fundamental educational rights for all people at all levels of the education system. Implementation of special education is to be evaluated and supported by drawing up an action programme to improve early identification of difficulties in learning and adjustment and development of teaching arrangements.

The aim is to improve the provision and quality of pre-primary and basic education, promote the creation of sub-regional networks of resource centres, strengthen the realisation of the local school principle and support multidisciplinary co-operation in different branches and at different levels of administration, as well as to develop morning and afternoon activities. Educational objectives and contents, teaching materials and teaching methods will also be developed with a view to taking different learning methods and operating environments into account. Development of operating methods aims to promote the inclusion of pupils and to enhance close co-operation between home and school. In addition, improvement of co-operation between mainstream and special education in activities within the uniform comprehensive school system will be taken into account in teacher education.

View the SNE data for Finland [opens in new browser window]