4.2.8 Finland: The School system
Description
This article is from the Nordic countries FAQ, by Antti Lahelma and Johan Olofsson, with numerous contributions by others.
4.2.8 Finland: The School system
Parents choose between placing their children in the Finnish-language
or the Swedish-language school. Education on either of the languages
is provided on all levels.
The compulsory education (Fi: peruskoulu, Sw: grundskolan) starts when
the child is 6 or 7 years old. The 9-year schooling is normally
completed when the pupil is 15 or 16.
High schools (Fi: lukio, Sw: gymnasium) are either academically or
vocationally oriented, with roughly half of the students attending
university-preparatory study programs, culminating with high school
diploma (Fi: ylioppilastutkinto, Sw: studentexamen) after rigorous
examination where grades are given on basis of the student's
achievement in relation to the nationwide graduating class. The more
vocationally oriented high schools (Fi: ammattikoulu, Sw: yrkesskola)
train their students in things such as auto mechanics, hairdressing,
etcetera.
Virtually all students attend public schools. Some private and
semi-private schools exist, in many cases offering education based on
a specific education philosophy or religious affiliation.
Åland
The teaching language in all schools in Åland is Swedish. The
nine-year comprehensive school, for which the local districts are
responsible, provides a general basic education. The English language
is a compulsory subject at comprehensive school, while the Finnish
language is optional. Pupils completing their schooling there may sit
for either the Finnish State Matriculation Examination, or else the
special Åland Leaving Examination in which Finnish is not a compulsory
subject.
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