It’s needless to even emphasize that Finland comes across as one of the most beautiful countries in the Nordic region and so is its basic education. No wonder, foreigners from different parts of the world never hesitate to take up opportunities that become available there. Even the Ukrainian refugees currently displaced by the Russian invasion of their country find a safe refuge in Finland and easily start off a new life there.
Happy and welcoming as Finland could be to newcomers, anyone coming to the country with young children has to be bothered or at least curious to know how their education would turn out to be. At least any responsible parent would love to be highly sure that moving over to start life in Finland won’t damage the schooling of their kids. So knowing a thing or two about basic education in Finland goes a long way to inform parents, allay possible fears and just keep them on top.
International school for your kids in Finland? Not a must
Ask any foreigner who has moved abroad; whether to Finland or elsewhere and you’ll notice the similarity in their concerns, especially about the schooling of their kids. No doubt that the education system in Finland gives the best learning for any ambitious learner yet it’s still reasonable that an expat parent gets double sure.
In fact, some expats with enough finances often opt to take their children to the international schools in Finland just to reduce the effects of changing learning systems. But a vast majority of people arriving to start a new life in Finland alongside their family may not afford international schools so have to make do with the Finnish public education system for their kids.
Understanding basic education in Finland
Basic education in Finland is an extremely sensitive area in learning as it stretches through from elementary stages to when a learner gains perfect cognition. Going by the International Standard Classification of Education consensus, basic education includes up to nine years of formal schooling. Now the starting point for this would be determined by the set compulsory school age which stands within the period a child turns 7 years old.
As anyone would understand, not every kid or parent may necessarily fancy or feel excited about schooling. In fact, even in Finland, the government had to raise comprehensive schooling to also include vocational training just as an extra effort to keep in school the rising number of kids who would leave schooling so early. But whichever the case, getting your child to school as a foreigner in Finland exposes them to equal opportunities there and increases their chances of fulfilling their potential.
In any case, taking your kid through basic education in Finland as a permanent resident in the country makes them feel better integrated. Remember, any well thinking foreigner does not take the bold step to come to Finland and then hold their children back from benefiting from the best education systems. Maybe some would not mind their children studying to become creme de la creme professionals but that could be so mean of them.
Basically, any foreigner living in Finland with a kid who has turned or is just turning 7 years of age must as a requirement put that child to school. It would even be easier for the kid to blend in well with the rest if he or she starts off from early childhood and pre-school. But this depends on the kid’s age by the time or arriving in Finland.
What happens during basic education for children in Finland?
Although some may think differently about it, giving your kid basic education and even higher learning really prepares them for greater challenges ahead. One doesn’t even need to have a practical experience being a foreigner anywhere to get it that discrimination in all its variants could not be here with us in black and white but a foreigner has to prove himself more to be at par with the natives. You think this is a plain lie? No way-it’s the naked truth that with you arriving in Finland as an expat with kids, you need to start putting them in the right path towards making the best of the available education systems.
Quite a lot of times, not only in Finland but also in other Nordic countries and beyond, foreigners have a simmering feeling that the systems there have muted discrimination. Of course whether it’s true will depend on how individuals experience it at personal levels. But truth be told, education in Finland gives the best chance for any foreigner to shine until he or she can’t be ignored. This must be a perfect tip. Not so?
Your child’s education means a lot in Finland
Like any country where education counts as a key priority, Finland has a clear curriculum which largely prepares the children for the country’s skills and knowledge needs. Any keen observer will notice that the Nordic countries have their education emphasizing more on local situations. Maybe we could argue that education is one that promotes global thinking and local action.
The amazing thing with basic education in Finland is that foreigners who meet the conditions for permanent residence get their children educated for free. So you only need to let your child go to school and the government through local municipalities in Finland will do the rest for you.
For comprehensive details about basic education in Finland, click here.