The Finnish education system is composed of nine-year basic education (comprehensive school), preceded by one year of voluntary pre-primary education; upper secondary education, comprising vocational and general education; and higher education, provided by universities and polytechnics. Adult education is available at all levels.
In Finland, pre-primary education, basic education and upper secondary education and training, complemented by early childhood education and before- and after-school activities, form a coherent learning pathway that supports children's growth, development and well-being.
Students' opportunities to progress from one level of education to the next is safeguarded by legislation. Both general and vocational upper secondary certificates provide eligibility for further studies in universities and polytechnics. A student completing one level is always eligible for the next level studies. The qualifications of each level are governed by a separate Act of Parliament. This assures harmonised qualifications and their quality and guarantees students' rights.
Basic education is free general education provided for the whole age group. Upper secondary education consists of general education and vocational education and training (vocational qualifications and further and specialist qualifications).
The higher education system comprises universities and polytechnics, in which the admission requirement is a secondary general or vocational diploma.
Universities, which are academic or artistic institutions, focus on research and education based on research. They confer Bachelor's, Master's, licentiate and doctoral degrees.
Polytechnics offer work-related education in response to labour market needs. A polytechnic degree requires 3.5 - 4.5 years of full-time study. The requirement for polytechnic Master's programmes is a polytechnic degree or equivalent, plus a minimum of three years of work experience in the field concerned.
Adult education is provided at all levels of education. Adults can study for a general education certificate or for a vocational qualification, or modules included in them, take other courses developing citizenship and work skills, or pursue recreational studies.
The welfare of Finnish society is built on education, culture and knowledge. All children are guaranteed opportunities for study and self-development according to their abilities, irrespective of their place of residence, language or financial status. All pupils are entitled to competent and high-quality education and guidance and to a safe learning environment and well-being. The flexible education system and basic educational security make for equity and consistency in results.

Degrees and studies in Finnish education system

Upper secondary school and matriculation examination

The upper secondary school provides general education ending in a national matriculation examination. Matriculated students are eligible to apply for entry to universities, polytechnics or vocational institutes.
The national matriculation examination assesses the achievement of the knowledge and maturity defined in the curriculum and the objectives set for upper secondary education.

Vocational qualifications

Vocational institutions offer training for vocational qualifications and further and specialist qualifications, which are especially intended for mature students.

Higher education degrees

Universities award

• The National Defence College awards
  Officer's Degree and postgraduate degrees
  Polytechnics award

  • polytechnic degrees
  • polytechnic Master's degrees

  All these degrees qualify for public posts in which the requirement is a higher education degree.

Recognition of foreign diplomas and degrees in Finland

The recognition of a foreign degree means a decisions by Finnish authorities regarding the qualification it provides in the labour market or the eligibility it provides for further education in Finland. It is a general international principle that the receiving country determines the level of a foreign degree and the professional qualifications it provides.
In Finland, the national contact point for the recognition of degrees is the National Board of Education, which provides information about the system and procedures involved in recognition.
A person with a foreign diploma usually needs a decision on its equivalence when applying for a public post or position in which the qualification requirement is a higher education degree.
No such decision is needed if the person

Recognition entails that the educational institution and the diplomas it awards belong to the official education system in the country concerned.
The recognition decision is made by the National Board of Education on a case-by-case basis. A fee is charged for the decision.

Practice of regulated professions

Certain professions are regulated in Finland and their practitioners need authorisation, such as health care professionals, veterinarians, auditors in the public administration, authorised auditors, lawyers, and seafaring professions.
The practice of these professions is authorised by:

Administration in education

Educational legislation is passed and the general principles governing education are determined by Parliament.
The Government and the Ministry of Education, as part of it, formulate and implement education policy. The lines of education and science policy are determined in a development plan for education and research, which is adopted by the government.
The Ministry of Education is responsible for the implementation of education policy thus formulated. The Ministry drafts educational legislation and prepares the state budget and government resolutions relating to its sector. Nearly all publicly funded education is subordinate to, or supervised by, the Ministry of Education.
The education providers decide matters within this statutory framework.
The National Board of Education, which is subordinate to the Ministry, has many tasks relating to the provision of education and its development. For example, it draws up the national core curricula for general education and the qualification requirements for vocational education and training.
The education and culture departments of provincial state offices handle educational matters in regional administration and evaluate the regional availability and quality of education.

Advisory bodies

The Matriculation Examination Board administers the matriculation examination and sets and assesses the tests.
The expert bodies in vocational education are field-specific education and training committees and a National Coordination Group for Education and Training.
The expert body in evaluation is the National Education Evaluation Council.
Attached to the Ministry of Education is a Higher Education Evaluation Council, which handles matters relating to the evaluation of tertiary education.
Education and training providers
Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide basic education for children living in the municipality, but they also arrange other education.
General upper secondary education is provided by local authorities or their consortia, registered organisations and foundations. Vocational education and training may also be provided by the government and state companies.
Polytechnics are municipal or private institutions. All universities are state-owned but autonomous. The Ministry of Education steer the activities of polytechnics and universities by means of performance management.
Outside the Ministry of Education sector are children's day-care (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health), military education (Ministry of Defence), police, frontier guard and fire safety training (Ministry of the Interior) and labour market training, which is financed by the Ministry of Labour but provided in institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Education.

Education statistics

This page contains key statistics on the development of education and information about the foremost agencies producing educational statistics.
Figures from the Ministry of Education Annual Report illustrating the development of education:
•           In 2004, the public education funding totalled EUR 9,776 million, amounting to 6.4% of Finland's GNP. For 2005, the estimate is EUR 10,042 million, which is 6.4% of the GNP. 
•           During 2006, 94% of Finnish municipalities provided morning and afternoon activities for comprehensive school pupils. In total, 41,575 first- and second-year pupils took part in these activities. 
•           The number of students who move on to secondary education directly after finishing their basic education has been steadily rising, reaching 95.1% in 2005. According to estimates, this positive trend has continued in 2006. The aim is to ensure that 96% of those who complete their compulsory education move on to secondary education by 2008. 
•           The dropout rate in vocational education has decreased. In 2005, the dropout rate in basic vocational education was 9.5% compared to 9.4% in 2004 and 10.2% in 2003. Dropout rates are expected to have decreased further during 2006. 
•           On average, polytechnic students complete their degrees in five years, and the average age of the graduates is 25. The estimated time of completion and age average have remained unchanged for the past three years. 
•           Of the new students admitted to university in 2006, 37.9% had taken the matriculation examination that same year, as compared to 36.5% in 2005 and 32.5% in 2004.

Source: Education and Culture 2006. Annual Report of the Ministry of Education.