2025
National Core Curriculum for ECEC to be updated
In response to the changes to the ECEC Act (540/2018) effective from January 2025, which removes the obligation for local ECEC providers to draft their own curricula, Finnish National Agency for Education has initiated an update of the National Core Curriculum for ECEC. This update will encompass all sections of the current core curriculum and is designed to provide more precise national guidance for local practices.
The process includes consultations with ECEC providers, educators, stakeholders, researchers, as well as children and their families, ensuring children's voices are heard in decisions affecting them. The revised core curriculum is expected to be finalized by the end of 2025 and implemented from January 2026.
National recommendations on the use of AI in education
In March 2025, the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) released national recommendations on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in early childhood education and care, primary and lower secondary education, general and vocational upper secondary education, as well as liberal adult education. These recommendations outline legal obligations and guidelines to support the responsible, safe, and innovative use of AI in educational settings.
The guidelines emphasize that education providers must establish clear policies and provide guidance to staff on the use of AI applications. Before implementing AI tools, providers are responsible for assessing their compliance with relevant laws, such as the EU AI Act, data protection regulations, and copyright legislation, as well as their alignment with the objectives of the national core curricula.
A wide range of evidence, including international comparative data, was used in the development of these recommendations. The process also involved extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including educators, researchers, and families. Children and young people were engaged through participatory methods to ensure their perspectives were considered in shaping the final recommendations.
The "AI in Education – Legislation and Recommendations" material aims to support education providers in utilizing AI as part of teaching and learning. The material is divided into two parts: obligations and recommendations, and the background materials that support them. The material is available on the EDUFI website in Finnish and Swedish, and later also in English.
2024
The national trial for two-year pre-primary education ended, a follow-up study being prepared
The national trial for two-year pre-primary education ended in May 2024. The children participating in the trial began pre-primary education at the age of five instead of six. The main objective of the trial was to strengthen educational equality.
The trial, launched by the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2021, involved more than 100 municipalities. The two-year pre-primary education programme followed a new pilot curriculum. The trial also had a strong research component. The national follow-up study conducted during the trial will be completed in 2025.
National data on ECEC staff published for the first time
For the first time, national statistics on ECEC staff have been released through the education administration's reporting portal, Vipunen.
The published reports allow users to explore both permanent and temporary ECEC staff by professional group, municipality, and region. The data in these reports come from Varda, ECEC resource maintained by the Finnish National Agency for Education. Varda collects information not only on staff but also on ECEC facilities, children in ECEC, their guardians, and the associated fees. From 2024 onward, details on the support provided in ECEC will also be included in Varda.
Vipunen's statistics are based on data and registers collected by Statistics Finland, the Ministry of Culture and Education and the Finnish National Agency for Education. The reports on Vipunen are mostly available in English, but the ECEC section is currently only available in the national languages.
2023
Intake in degree programmes in ECEC to be increased
To address the shortage of personnel in Early Childhood Education and Care, the available student places in ECEC teacher education will be increased in 2024-2025. The Ministry of Education and Culture has allocated additional funds to 7 universities for this purpose.
Additionally, Prime Minister Orpo's government program (2023) outlines the increase of student places in the degree programmess of both teachers and social pedagogues in ECEC.
Client fees for early childhood education and care lowered
Families pay fees for ECEC in Finland. The fees vary between 0 – 295 € in full-day provision depending on family’s income and the size of the family.
The income thresholds on which the fees are based increased by 33% in March 2023. The purpose of lower client fees is to boost the purchasing power of families with children, and support low- and medium-income families, since living costs and electricity prices have raised. It is expected that lower fees bring about a higher participation rate in early childhood education and care.
As a result of the change, approximately 30 000 families will be entitled to free early childhood education and care.