Completion of compulsory education at home
Finland has compulsory education. This means that a child of compulsory school age must attend basic education organised by their municipality of residence or otherwise obtain knowledge corresponding to basic education. If you want, you can assume responsibility for your child’s compulsory education as their guardian. In this case, it will become your responsibility to teach your child and support their learning.
Certain statutory flexibility in organising education applies only to those attending school. For example, it is not possible to exempt your child from studying a subject included in the basic education syllabus in home schooling, as a decision on special-needs support can only be made for pupils attending school. In addition, syllabi cannot be individualised. As a guardian, you are therefore responsible for ensuring that your child in home schooling studies the content of the basic education curriculum in all subjects with the same objectives.
The municipality of residence is responsible for monitoring the progress of your child’s compulsory education. The so-called inspective teacher assigned by the municipality monitors that your child studies in accordance with the objectives and content of the grade recorded in the curriculum according to their age. At the end of the academic year, the inspective teacher will give a written report on the progress of your child’s compulsory education. Pupils in home schooling are not given number marks.
As a guardian, if you want your child to receive a certificate corresponding to the basic education certificate, your child must attend a separate examination. In the examination, the inspective teacher together with other necessary teaching professionals will assess the child’s level of competence in relation to the objectives set out in the curriculum. A certificate of completion of the entire basic education syllabus or part of it shall be issued to the person who has successfully completed the separate examination.
Requirements
As a guardian, you are responsible for organising your child’s studies, such as instruction and the acquisition the necessary learning materials and tools.
Instructions
If you wish to enrol your child in home schooling, i.e. you assume responsibility for your child’s compulsory education, proceed as follows:
- Submit a notification of transfer to home schooling in Wilma. Alternatively, you can submit a written notification to the City of Lappeenranta Registry Office. The notification must include your child’s personal information, address and the guardians’ information.
- You will receive a decision on home schooling to your home. The decision instructs you to contact the inspective teacher.
- Contact the inspective teacher to set up a meeting. At the meeting, you will present to the inspective teacher your subject-specific plan on how you intend to carry out your child’s compulsory education during the following academic year.
- Contact the inspective teacher in good time in the spring to set up an assessment meeting. During the assessment meeting, you will present the studies completed during the year as well as the progress made in them. The inspective teacher will draw up a written report, which indicates whether your child has achieved the objectives of their grade recorded in the curriculum.
- If you want to enter your child in a separate examination, contact the inspective teacher or the headmaster of the local school in good time to agree on the completion of the separate examination. The municipality determines the dates of completion for the separate examination. Your child has the right to attend education at their local school. Contact the headmaster of the local school and submit a written notification of the termination of home schooling to the City of Lappeenranta Registry Office.
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