Espoo as a place to study

Highest quality education The City of Espoo offers quality services and versatile recreational opportunities for its residents The second largest city in Finland (pop. around ) As part of the metropolitan area, Espoo is globally recognised as a networked city with special expertise in high technology, education, culture, physical exercise, research and innovations Finnish Education Unit 2

Highest quality education The assessments of learning outcomes of pupils in Espoo have ranked among the best in Finland The City of Espoo invests heavily in high-quality, diverse and regionally balanced educational opportunities Pupils receive skills and knowledge that provide a solid foundation for future studies and life Education is provided near the home in a safe school environment About 99 % of pupils receive a basic education certificate, so the dropout rate is very low Finnish Education Unit 3

Every citizen has the right to receive education Basic education is free for all The key words in Finnish education policy are quality, efficiency, equity and internationalisation Finnish Education Unit 4 The Finnish Education System

pre-primary education nine years of basic education general upper secondary education or vocational education and training higher education adult education Finnish Education Unit 5

How the schools are run The Education and Cultural Services of Espoo organise basic education, pre-primary education and general upper secondary education in the city Teaching is provided in Finnish-speaking and Swedish- speaking schools that are administered in different units The Finnish Education Unit –is responsible for organising, evaluating and developing education in Finnish-speaking schools –coordinates the organisation of student welfare and special support to pupils –arranges for continuing education to teachers in cooperation with the schools Finnish Education Unit 6

Key figures of schools 97 comprehensive schools with roughly pupils –83 Finnish-speaking comprehensive schools pupils, of which roughly in middle schools about teachers –12 Swedish-speaking comprehensive schools about pupils in total –2 private schools 11 Finnish-speaking general upper secondary schools –About students and roughly 300 teachers 1 general upper secondary school for adults (about students) 1 Swedish-speaking general upper secondary school (about 500 students) Several upper secondary vocational education and training institutions, of which the largest is Omnia Polytechnics Aalto University Finnish Education Unit 7

Finnish Education Unit 8 Basic Education in short A nine-year comprehensive curriculum for the whole age group No degree; a final certificate will be given for completing the syllabus Teaching, text books and other materials, school transport and school meals are free Provides the necessary prerequisites for all upper secondary education

Basic Education in short Includes a one-year long voluntary pre-primary education in a school or day- care centre Local authorities can also provide voluntary morning and afternoon activities for pupils in basic education About 99 % of pupils receive a basic education certificate A high percentage goes on to upper secondary education Finnish Education Unit 9

Finnish Education Unit 10 Pre-primary education Given in schools and day- care centres Lays emphasis on the preparation for school Special attention is paid to readiness for school attendance, i.e. to the phase of the child’s emotional, social and cognitive development Approximately 98 % of Espoo’s 6-year-olds attend pre-primary education

Pre-primary education Provided minimum 700 hours per year, maximum 4 hours a day Given roughly at the same time as schools operate during the school year Also ’starter pre-grade’ services for children who need more time before entering the comprehensive school system Recommended maximum size of teaching group 13 children Finnish Education Unit 11

Comprehensive schools Comprehensive schools are either primary schools with grades 1–6, middle schools with grades 7–9 or joint comprehensive schools with grades 1–9 All comprehensive schools in Espoo provide high-quality basic education Some of the schools offer classes where the teaching focuses on, for instance, physical education, mathematics and science, music, visual arts or performance arts Finnish Education Unit 12

Primary schools, classes 1-6 Pupils have 20–26 hours of classes per week depending on their grade Classes are usually held in a specific classroom where the class teacher teaches most subjects Languages, for example, may be taught by someone other than the class teacher Finnish Education Unit 13

Middle schools, classes 7-9 Pupils have an average of 30 hours of classes per week Pupils study both common subjects as well as optional subjects Subjects are usually taught by individual subject teachers, and different subjects are taught in different classrooms Each class has their own tutor who attends to class issues and the cooperation between the home and the school Finnish Education Unit 14

Upper Secondary Education After basic education, the majority of pupils continue on to upper secondary schools General upper secondary school studies primarily aim at further education at the higher level Vocational education and training provides students with practical education that prepares them for professional tasks Upper secondary education lasts for 3 years on average Education is free of charge If the grades on the basic education certificate are not high enough for further studies, the student can be advised to pursue e.g. preparatory instruction and guidance for vocational education and training or voluntary additional basic education Finnish Education Unit 15

General upper secondary school Students usually aged The admission requirement is the completion of basic education syllabus (comprehensive school) Schools select their students mainly on the basis of previous study records In practice, application takes place through the national joint application system electronically Finnish Education Unit 16

Studying in general upper secondary schools All-round education comprising languages, mathematical subjects, humanities and natural sciences as well as art and physical education Primarily aims at further education at the higher level Final examination, the matriculation examination, entitles the candidate to continue studies at university level More than half of each age group complete general upper secondary school Finnish Education Unit 17

Studying in general upper secondary schools Progress in studies is individual Syllabus planned for three years, but it is possible to complete the studies in two to four years General upper secondary education is also available to adults, adjusted to their circumstances Finnish Education Unit 18

Upper secondary schools in Espoo Espoo has –11 Finnish-speaking daytime upper secondary schools –1 Swedish-speaking daytime upper secondary school –1 upper secondary school for adults. The daytime upper secondary schools have roughly students in total and about 300 teachers Each school provides excellent all-round education Some schools focus on a particular subject, such as art and physical education, languages or communication, social sciences or mathematics Some schools have a nationally granted license to specialise in particular fields –International IB Diploma in two upper secondary schools Finnish Education Unit 19

Competent teachers On all school levels, teachers are highly qualified and committed. The master’s degree is a requirement. Teacher education includes teaching practice. The teaching profession is very popular in Finland, and hence universities can select the most motivated and talented applicants. Teachers work independently and enjoy full autonomy in the classroom Finnish Education Unit 20

Competent teachers Instruction may be given by kindergarten teachers o pre-primary education in separate pre-primary classes class teachers o instruction for grades 1–6 in basic education, teaching all subjects o may also give pre-primary education subject teachers o teach one or several subjects in basic education (primarily in grades 7–9) and/or in general upper secondary education special needs teachers and special class teachers o instruction for children in need of special needs education pupil counsellors and student counsellors o educational guidance in basic education and in general upper secondary education Finnish Education Unit 21

General, intensified and special support for learning In addition to quality basic education, each pupil is entitled to sufficient guidance and support for learning and schooling The forms of support include e.g. remedial teaching, part-time special needs education, simultaneous education, flexible grouping of teaching groups, differentiation of teaching and the contribution of a special needs assistant. Every pupil is entitled to general support during basic education. If this is not enough, the pupil receives comprehensive, long- term intensified support. The supportive measures of intensified support are more regular and can be combined Finnish Education Unit 22

General, intensified and special support for learning The pupil can also receive special support either in a special class, part-time special class or, if possible, in connection with other teaching. The organisation of education observes the pupil’s best interests, learning potential and the special demands set for the learning environment. Pupils are also supported by interpretation and assistant services as well as special needs assistants in compliance with the Basic Education Act and the Services and Assistance for the Disabled Act Finnish Education Unit 23

Pupil and student welfare Responsible for the physical, mental and social wellbeing of pupils and students. Aims to identify the pupils’ and students’ need for support as early as possible The support is provided by –School social workers –Psychologists –Therapists –School health care staff Finnish Education Unit 24

Pupil and student welfare Free of charge and confidential Organised in cooperation with parents and teachers. Each comprehensive school in Espoo has a pupil welfare team that coordinates and develops pupil welfare –Also regional pupil welfare teams that coordinate and develop pupil welfare in their area Finnish Education Unit 25

Guidance in studies and choices All teachers are responsible for guiding pupils in their studies. Particularly important when the pupil transfers to another school, is making choices concerning his/her studies and during joint applications. Middle school pupils and general upper secondary school students also participate in classes on further education opportunities, working life and study skills. If necessary, pupils also receive personal guidance and advice. During the higher grades of comprehensive school, pupils become acquainted with working life during training periods of a week or two. In the lower grades, guidance is provided in connection with various subjects and other school activities Finnish Education Unit 26

Learning new languages Finnish Education Unit 27 3 rd grade Compulsory foreign language for every pupil*, usually English English (in some schools pupils can choose French or German) 4 th gradeOptional foreign language French, German, Swedish, Russian (English is compulsory, if not started in 3 rd grade) 7 th grade Compulsory Swedish for every pupil Swedish 8 th gradeOptional foreign language French, German (in some schools Spanish, Russian) Upper comprehensive school Courses in English and Swedish are compulsory. Students can continue to study optional languages started in comprehensive school and/or choose new optional languages. French, German, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Chinese, Japanese * Some schools introduce a foreign language already in 1st grade.

Instruction in English, language immersion in Swedish Espoo has Two primary schools providing education in English An international middle school where the language of instruction is English Several schools providing bilingual education (Finnish and English) Several schools providing Swedish language immersion. Two upper secondary schools offering the international IB Programme (in English) Finnish Education Unit 28

Education of linguistic and cultural groups The Finnish-speaking schools in Espoo have about foreign- language pupils and students. In addition, the schools have children from bilingual families and Finnish returnees, whose official mother tongue is Finnish, but who need similar support with their language studies as foreign-language pupils. The educational aim for different linguistic and cultural groups is –to ensure that pupils obtain the skills and knowledge of comprehensive school –a functional bilingualism –equal opportunities to pursue further studies. Pupils whose Finnish language skills are not at the mother tongue level study Finnish as a second language Finnish Education Unit 29

Education of linguistic and cultural groups Children with an immigrant background can receive education in their own mother tongue. Finnish returnee pupils and children adopted from abroad can also participate in the classes to maintain language skills acquired abroad. Education in the mother tongue is provided in more than 30 languages. 8 different religious and ethical subjects are taught in Espoo Finnish Education Unit 30

Preparatory education Children who are in need of support with their Finnish language begin their schooling in preparatory education Lasts for one school year For pre-primary-aged children and first graders, preparatory education is organised in conjunction with ordinary pre-primary and first grade education Pupils in grades 2–9 are assigned to separate groups for preparatory education After preparatory education, the pupil is transferred to basic education, where he/she receives intensive support with his/her studies, if necessary Finnish Education Unit 31

After-school activities Pupils in 1 st and 2 nd grade as well as pupils in higher grades who are in need of special support can apply for supervised free-time activities after school Organised in and near schools It is statutory to arrange afternoon activities Organised by private entrepreneurs, associations and communities in cooperation with the Finnish Education Unit Afternoon activities are subject to a fee Most comprehensive schools organise various clubs at school after the school day –The most popular subjects are sports and exercise, music, handicrafts, theatre and performance, cooking, art, nature, languages and dance –The instructors are usually teachers or occasionally experts from outside the school Finnish Education Unit 32

Cooperation between home and school –The school provides the guardians with information that allows them to monitor and advance the schooling and learning of their child –Guardians are entitled to a personal meeting with their child’s class teacher or tutor at least once per school year –Parent-teacher evenings and other events for parents –All schools use the electronic Wilma system where guardians can monitor the pupil’s learning outcomes view and report on the pupil’s absences send messages to teachers receive messages and notifications from the teacher and the school Finnish Education Unit 33

Finnish Education Unit 34 Curriculum The Finnish National Board of Education prepares the national core curriculum for basic education and general upper secondary education  Municipalities compile municipality-specific curricula  Individual schools prepare their own school curricula

Curriculum The Government defines the minimum number of lessons for core subjects during basic education –In grades 1–6, pupils usually receive the same education, but schools may focus on different subjects in different ways due to the flexible time allocation. –In grades 7–9, more elective subjects are included in the curriculum Finnish Education Unit 35

The Finnish Education and Early Education Committee Guides school activities Appointed by the Espoo City Council Responsible for developing, guiding and assessing Finnish-speaking education and early education Approves the municipality-specific curriculum Finnish Education Unit 36

School boards appointed by the Finnish Education and Early Education Committee serve as bodies of elected officials in Finnish-speaking comprehensive schools and general upper secondary schools either school-specific or joint between several schools include pupils’ parents, representatives of school staff and pupils from the higher grades develop e.g. school activities and cooperation between the home and the school decide on the school year plan, the use of the school’s allowance as well as the school-specific curriculum Finnish Education Unit 37

Student associations Pupils vote for a representative from each grade into the board of the school’s student association The board plans presentations and proposals Improves everyday life at school from the perspective of pupils Develops the pupils’ possibilities to have an influence Improves the communal sprit of the school Finnish Education Unit 38