Finland - Country Background Information
- Describing the forms of education in the country
- Identifying an ‘inclusive setting’ in the country
- What an ‘official decision of SEN’ means in the country
- What ‘out-of-education’ means in the country
The EASIE data collection covers all recognised forms of education at ISCED levels 02, 1, 2 and 3.
This means any type of education organised by or approved by any recognised educational provider in the public or private sector: municipality, local or regional educational provider from the public or private sector, working with/for ministries responsible for education and areas such as health, social, welfare, labour, justice, etc.
Compulsory education age range in Finland is 6–18.
(Extended compulsory education law came into force on 30 December 2020 (law 1214/2020). This means that compulsory education continues to upper-secondary level after basic education. The law is valid from 1 August 2021 onward).
What are the typical age ranges for the ISCED levels?
| ISCED LEVEL 02 | ISCED LEVEL 1 | ISCED LEVEL 2 | ISCED LEVEL 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-5 (pre-primary 6) | 7-12 | 13-15 | 16-18 |
The government may authorise a registered association or a foundation to provide education, but almost all basic education is provided by municipalities.
About 24% of ISCED level 3 institutions are private. The Ministry of Education and Culture accepts all licenses to provide education, and the content of curriculum is the same regardless of the organiser.
Home educated pupils – which is very small group in Finland – are included in data collection.
The guardian's notification to the school that the child has passed home education is sufficient. After the notification, the guardian is also responsible for obtaining the information corresponding to the basic education curriculum and for the progress of the student. The guardian is responsible for arranging the child's studies, such as acquiring learning materials and the actual study. The municipality has no obligation to arrange education for a child in home education.
In the EASIE data collection, an inclusive setting is operationally defined as:
A recognised form of education where the child/learner follows education in mainstream classes alongside their peers for the largest part – 80% or more – of the school week.
The 80% time placement benchmark clearly indicates that a child/learner is educated in a mainstream class for the majority of their school week. At the same time, it acknowledges possibilities for small group or one-to-one withdrawal for limited periods of time (i.e. 20% or one day a week).
Very few participating countries can provide exact data on children/learners spending 80% of their time in a mainstream group/class. However, all countries can apply one of three agreed proxies that provide an approximation to this benchmark:
- Placement in a mainstream class implies over 80% or more
- Data is available on the number of hours of support allocated to a child/learner
- Placement in a mainstream class implies over 50% or more.
In the EASIE data collection, the agreed operational definition is:
An official decision leads to a child/learner being recognised as eligible for additional educational support to meet their learning needs.
Countries may have different types of official decision, but for all official decisions:
- There has been some form of educational assessment procedure involving different people. This procedure may involve the child/learner, parents, school-based team members, as well as professionals from multi-disciplinary teams from outside the child’s/learner’s (pre-)school.
- There is some form of legal document (plan/programme, etc.) that describes the support the child/learner is eligible to receive, which is used as the basis for decision-making.
- There is some form of regular review process of the child/learner’s needs, progress and support.
Decisions are made by municipal administrative bodies and require a hearing of experts and parents, and drawing up of plans concerning the organisation of personal teaching.
The official decision plan shall be revised according to need, but at least once a school year. The plan shall describe the education and other support provided in accordance with the decision on special needs support, to correspond to the pupil's needs. The salient content of the plan shall be laid down in the core Curriculum.
Before a decision on the special needs support is made, the education provider shall hear the pupil and their parent, carer or legal representative in accordance with the provisions of the administrative procedure act. It will obtain a report on the pupil's progress in learning and an account of the enhanced support given to the pupil and the pupil's overall situation, which is prepared with multi-professional pupil welfare co-operation. Based on these, the education provider assesses the need for special needs support. The pedagogical examination shall be supplemented by a psychological or medical opinion or a corresponding social assessment.
A personal learning plan is the main legal document liked to an official decision. The plan shall be revised according to need, but at least once a school year. The plan shall describe the education and other support provided in accordance with the decision on special needs support, to correspond to the pupil's needs. The salient content of the plan shall be laid down in the core curriculum.
The education provider shall make a written decision for the provision of special needs support, which is reviewed at least after the second-year class and before transfer to the seventh year-class.
Within the EASIE data collection, specific questions examine children/learners who are out of education. This means children/learners who should, by law, be in some form of recognised education, but who are out of any form of recognised education. A recognised form of education is any type of education organised by or approved by any recognised educational provider in the public or private sector.