School System
The Ministry of Education is the highest education authority in Finland, supervising publicly subsidised education and training provision, from primary and secondary general education and vocational training to polytechnic, university and adult education.
The Ministry of Education and the National Board of Education are responsible for implementing education policy and for administering the education system at the central government level. However, many matters are decided by the education and training providers themselves, that is, local authorities and their consortia. Pre-primary and basic education and upper secondary general and vocational education are governed by objectives set in legislation and by national core curricula. General education and vocational training are co-financed by the government and the local authorities.
Even though many or most schools were started as private schools, today only around 3% learners are enrolled in private schools, which could be compared to 8% in Sweden. Pre-school education is rare compared to other EU countries. Formal education is usually started at the age of 7. Primary school takes normally six years, the lower secondary school three years, and most schools are managed by municipal officials. The flexible curriculum is set by the Ministry of Education and the Education Board. Attendance is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 16. After lower secondary school, learners apply to further studies. Trade schools provide for vocational training, though they can be used to enter tertiary education as well. Academically-oriented gymnasiums prepare for “Abitur” and further tertiary education.
In 1992, the government passed the Act on Basic Arts Education: to ensure an opportunity for goal-oriented progressive teaching in all fields of the arts and subsequently in 1995 the National Board of Education approved curriculum based guidelines for teacher implementation of the above.
Learner assessment is divided into assessment during course of studies and final assessment. The final-assessment criteria define the level of knowledge and skill needed for a grade of eight (8). The learner has acquired the knowledge and skills required in basic education adequately, earning a grade of five (5), if he or she is able to demonstrate to some degree the performance level required by the criteria.