1. THE FINNISH NATIONAL BOARD OF EDUCATION Councellor of Education
Terveiset Suomesta ja Opetushallituksesta. Opetushallituksen rakennus sijaitsee Suomenlahden rannalla Helsingissä. Samassa talossa työskentelee Suomen Akatemia sekä CIMO.
THE FINNISH NATIONAL BOARD OF EDUCATION
Councellor of Education
Tuulamarja Huisman

2. Inclusion in Finland
Not only equal educational opportunities but also: the
strategies
structures
operating procedures
which guarantee successful learning for ALL pupils.
In practice:
educational structures that prevent exclusion
activities and pedagogies that facilitate inclusion

3. Inclusion in Finland
Individual needs as challenges for the learning environment or school community. All students, even those with the most severe developmental impairments, receive similar basic education. Over 99.7% of students complete the nine years of comprehensive school.

4. New Strategy for Special Needs Education in Comprehensive Education
Changes in Basic Education Act,
came into force on 1 January 2011.
Changes in National Curricula for Pre-primary and
Basic Education, coming into force 2015.
Large development program.

5. Support in learning and school attendance
The level of support is based on pedagogical assessment: regularity of support, intensity of support and if there is a need for several forms of support.
The possibility to get support and counselling is a right every pupil has on every school day
The support is a collaborative effort involving ALL teachers, the pupil and his/her parent or carer and, where needed, pupil welfare personnel 7

6. The support is intensified by three stages: general support, intensified support and special support.

8. Migrant Education in numbers
In Finland 5,3 million inhabitants
3-4 % , more than migrants
About migrant pupils in general education
Municipalities are responsible of providing pre-school and basic education – they have to follow the law and the national core curriculum; otherwise they are autonomous

9. National programme to develop multicultural skills 2007 - 2011
Underlying values of the National Core Curriculum: human rights, equality, democracy
Supporting the formation of pupils’ multicultural identity and participation in Finnish society
Promotion of tolerance and intercultural understanding in school communities.
Developing the multicultural skills of the whole school community to learn and teach in a multicultural learning environment.

10. Preparatory instruction for basic education
Local authorities can provide preparatory education to which the FNBE has drawn up the national core curriculum
State finances this instruction for one year with a double state grant per pupil.
Target groups are children arriving in Finland at pre-primary age (6 years) or at basic education age (7-16 years) immediately after arriving to the country

11. Preparatory instruction
Pupils study Finnish or Swedish, the main basic education subjects and if possible, their mother tongue.
It is mandatory for the education providers to arrange teaching of the mother tongue.
State: extra state funding, max 2 hours / week for a group of min 4 pupils
Basic Education Act guarantees the instruction of different religions in schools financed by municipalities

12. The Finnish Roma
About Roma people in Finland, (about Finnish Roma in Sweden)
500 years in Finland
Mother tongue mainly Finnish (Swedish/Romany language)
Lutheran religion or free sects

13. The Finnish National Policy on Roma
On behalf of the Finnish Government the National Advisory Board on Romani Affairs in Finland has prepaired the first National Policy on Roma in 2009
Guidelines all administrative sectors for the implementation of activities
Guidelines also the activities of the National Board of Education and especially the Roma Education Group

14. Key areas of education in the Finnish National Policy on Roma
Enhancing the participation of Roma children in early childhood and pre-primary education
Enhancing the social inclusion of Roma children and youth in basic education and upper secondary education
Enhancing the participation in vocational education and training of adult Roma
Promoting the development of the Romani language and culture

15. Finnish National Board of Education co-ordinates the state aid
for promoting basic education of Roma pupils
for Romany language nest activities
for arranging teaching of the Romany language in pre-primary education, basic education and upper secondary education
for arranging basic education, teaching of the Romany language and culture, empowerment skills etc. for prisoners of Roma background
during 2008 to 2015, a totally 2,3 m€ has been shared for municipal authorities for this purpose

16. Romany as mother tongue
The task is to support the balanced development of pupils’ dual identity and their ability to integrate into both the Roma and the Finnish community.
Teaching aims to activate the pupils’ skills and use of the Romany language so that Roma pupils are able and have the courage to use their own language as a tool of interaction both within the Roma community and outside it.
Pupils are instructed in understanding the importance of their own language for the vitality and identity of their own culture and the position of the Romany language as a language next to all other languages.

17. Arranging teaching of the Romany language
government aid for a maximum of 2 hours per week
teaching takes place during the school day
The Finnish Romany language is under serious threat and included in the Unesco list of endangered languages
For the time being, there are Romany-speaking people in Finland, but their average age is rising rapidly

18. Other development work by the Finnish National Board of Education
Summer courses in the Romany language
Further training for teachers of the Romany language
Workshops for Roma parents in different parts of the country
Learning materials, dictionaries and brochures
Latšo Diives magazine