Is English mandatory in Finnish schools?

One of the competitive advantages in Finland has been ability in foreign language. All students learn at least two languages in addition to their mother tongue, mainly English and obligatory Finnish or Swedish, up to high school.

Is it mandatory to learn English in Finland?

Learning English is not compulsory in Finland but since the 1990s, most students choose to study it. In 2020, it became compulsory for students to begin learning their first additional language in Grade 1, as opposed to Grade 3.

Are schools in Finland taught in English?

The language of instruction in English-language basic education is English. The only exception is the subject of Finnish language and literature, which will be taught in Finnish. Applicants for grades 1 to 7 must have native or near-native proficiency in English, but prior skills in Finnish are not required.

What are the school rules in Finland?

Compulsory education applies to all 6–18-year-olds. It includes pre-primary, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education. After 9 years basic education there is general upper secondary or vocational upper secondary education and training.

What is the language education policy in Finland?

Finland is an officially bilingual country with two national languages, Finnish and Swedish. Comprehensive education is organised along two separate, monolingual strands. The separation of Swedish- and Finnish-medium schools has been presented as a precondition for protecting Swedish language.

Why Finland's schools outperform most others across the developed world | 7.30

What languages are taught in Finnish schools?

All children in Finland study both official languages – Finnish and Swedish – at school. Finnish is a very rare language. It belongs to the Finno-Uralic language family (related to languages like Estonian, Sami, Hungarian and Nenets) and is not spoken outside of Finland.

How is Finnish education different?

Most importantly, Finland's entire education system is structured differently. There is no formal school for children until age 7. Up until then, there is universal preschool and daycare. From there, children are required to be in school through the age of 18.

Does Finland have 3 hours of school?

Usually, school starts at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 2:45 p.m., with an hour for lunch and 15 minutes between each class, so students have plenty of time to relax between classes!

Is homework legal in Finland?

In Finland we do give homework, but it is only given when the teacher feels that it is necessary for the students. There is no policy that homework has to be given after every lesson, or even every week.

How long is school in Finland a day?

Typically, the Finnish school day starts anywhere from 9 to 9:45 a.m., and students typically spend only about five hours a day in the classroom. What's more, Finnish students typically have little to no homework.

Can we survive with English in Finland?

It's possible, yes. Most Finns speak English, so you don't necessarily have to learn Finnish in order to be able to interact with Finnish people. And if you come here to study in an English study program and don't intend to work, you'll be just fine.

Is English common in Finland?

English is spoken as a second language by most Finns. Official statistics from 2012 show that at least 70% of Finns can speak English. English is the native language of 0.5% of the Finnish population.

Why is Finland education better than the US?

Less homework and outside work required

According to the OECD, students in Finland have the least amount of outside work and homework than any other student in the world. They spend only half an hour a night working on stuff from school. Finnish students also don't have tutors.

What are the English requirements for Finland?

TOEFL. Minimum requirement: TOEFL iBT (Internet-based) 92, a minimum score of 22 in the writing section. TOEFL rPDT (revised Paper-delivered Test) a minimum score of 20 in the reading section, a minimum score of 20 in the listening section, a minimum score of 22 in the writing section.

Is school lunch free in Finland?

In Finland, each child and young person attending pre-primary, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education can enjoy a free school meal. Nearly 850,000 pupils and students are entitled to free school lunch.

Does Finland have strict rules?

A few hard rules also apply, regardless of where you are within Finland. Hunting and fishing, aside from angling, are strictly prohibited without a permit. Otherwise, enjoy! Finland's beautiful nature is accessible to all.

Does Finland allow phones in school?

Those that have banned them include France, which introduced the measure in 2018, Italy, where teachers collect students' smartphones at the beginning of the day, Finland, and the Netherlands, which is going to introduce the ban in 2024.

Does Finland have summer break?

6. There are a total of 190 school days in a Finnish school year. School year starts in the middle of August and ends in May. Finnish kids have about 10 weeks of summer holiday as well as holidays in autumn, Christmas break and winter usually in February.

What age do kids start school in Finland?

Compulsory school starts at age 7. - All teachers of pre-primary education who enter the profession have a Bachelor's degree in Finland, as in most other OECD countries.

How long are breaks in Finland school?

While we are talking most American students go all day with a few breaks; in Finnish schools, pupils take a 15-minute break for every 45 minutes of instruction. This may not be achievable for teachers in the U.S. to emulate, but they can program blocks of time to promote independence and creativity.

What time does school start in Finland?

In Finland, students often begin school between 9:00 and 9:45 a.m. Early start times have been demonstrated to be detrimental to students' well-being, health, and maturation in studies.

What are the disadvantages of Finland education system?

Lack of Structure

While it comes with its advantages (e.g. highly sought, prestigious), it seems to have placed too much responsibility on teachers. The profession has transformed into a semi-bureaucratic job with less teaching element to it, consuming more of their valued time for non-instruction related duties.

Does Finland have free healthcare?

Known to have the best education system in the world, the cleanest air, and when it comes to health and safety, Finland is regarded as one of the safest countries to live in Europe. The country also offers free or discounted healthcare services to all its permanent residents.

Do Finnish kids have homework?

The truth is that there is nearly no homework in the country with one of the top education systems in the world. Finnish people believe that besides homework, there are many more things that can improve child's performance in school, such as having dinner with their families, exercising or getting a good night's sleep.

Why is Finnish considered hard to learn?

Finnish grammar has 15 different cases

However, the language has an elaborate system of 15 cases, whereby nouns, modifiers and adjectives are all inflected. There aren't many exceptions to these inflection rules, but the sheer volume of case endings can be daunting for many learners.