6.1 General context
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Main trends in young people's participation in education and training
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Organisation of the education and training system
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Main concepts
Main trends in young people's participation in education and training
In Finland, compulsory education applies to all children and young people with a permanent residence permit. Compulsory education begins at the age of seven and ends at the age of 18, or when the individual has completed an upper secondary qualification, i.e., a general upper secondary education and matriculation examination or a vocational qualification.
Since spring 2021, students have had the obligation to apply for secondary education. Upper secondary education is free of charge, and education organisers must supervise the application process and provide the necessary support. Nearly all children subject to compulsory education complete their basic education. Only about 200 young people drop out or leave basic education without completing their studies annually.
This has been one of the largest reforms in the Finnish education system. As a part of the reform of the Act on Compulsory Education, the Finnish Government renewed several other acts, such as the Basic Education Act, the Act on General Upper Secondary Education, and the Act on Vocational Education.
According to Statistics Finland's 2024 data on entrance to education, of the 26,400 young people graduating in the spring 2023 (57% women), seventy per-cent applied for further studies and 34.5 per cent continued studies immediately. A growing number of passers of the matriculation examination (65.5%) did not immediately continue studies leading to a qualification or a degree. The growing popularity of studies leading to a university degree is mentioned as one possible factor. In addition, the number of recent graduates who did not immediately apply for further studies (23%) increased (Statistics Finland, in Finnish). See YouthWiki/Finland 6.10 Current debates and reforms for more information about the public discussion regarding the entry of first-time applicants into studies.
Data and statistics regarding children and young people’s participation in education are available on the Finnish National Agency for Education’s website Frequently asked questions regarding statistics of different levels of education (in Finnish).
Organisation of the education and training system
As described previously, compulsory education applies to all 6–18-year-olds. Compulsory education is divided into pre-primary, primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. The Ministry of Education and Culture also provides a visual map of the Education System in Finland.
Students have the right to free education and educational support at all levels of compulsory education. The majority of the education provided is publicly funded. Upper secondary education is provided by general and vocational upper secondary schools. The general age to attend upper secondary studies is from 16 to 19 years. Higher education is provided by universities and universities of applied sciences. Universities of applied sciences are professionally oriented educational institutions.
Adult education is arranged at all levels of the education system. It may lead to qualifications or be related to general self-development. Adults can also participate in liberal adult education. This model of teaching is also available for young people, for example, during a gap year before applying to higher education degree programmes. See Eurydice database/ Finland 1.3 Organisation of the Education System and of its Structure for more detailed information regarding the Finnish education structure.
The core curriculum offered at the national level leaves room for local variations. Local administration and educational institutions play a key role as education providers. In addition, several organisations operate together with formal and non-formal education. The Development Centre Opinkirjo (in Finnish) is, for example, active in advancing the quality of school club activities (see more about Opinkirjo at Youth Wiki/Finland 6.7 Skills for Innovation), and the projects of Youth Academy also support school life.
Club activities are also recognised in the Basic Education Act (in Finnish, also available in Swedish); arts education is included in basic education (see also Youth Wiki/Finland 8.5 Developing Cultural and Creative Competences), and the Finnish Model for Leisure Activities strives to increase the wellbeing of young people by providing leisure time activities free of charge, as a part of the school day. In March 2025, it was announced (in Finnish) that the Finnish Model will be tested in upper secondary and vocational institutions.
The Democracy Policy Programme recognises the need for developing democratic education in schools and educational institutions more openly with non-governmental organisations, for example, with political parties. For more information, see Youth Wiki/Finland 5.7 Learning to Participate Through Formal, Non-formal and Informal Learning.
Main concepts
Concepts such as continuous learning and dialogical pedagogy are central to the current discussion regarding the Finnish education system.
Continuous learning refers to the renewal of competencies. The Government Programme (2024–2027) aims to create better opportunities for continuous learning and for improving the use of already existing skills. The Finnish National Agency for Education also offers Lifelong guidance in Finland, in order to support continuous learning.
Dialogical pedagogy is included in the national curricula, and it refers to mutual, interactive, and reciprocal communication in schools. The concept has been discussed more in depth in the Finnish National Agency for Education’s guide Dialogue and Emotional Skills in Education (in Finnish).