2026

New Competency Path service supports education and career choices in Finland

Finland has launched a new national digital service called Competency Path. The service helps people understand their skills, explore new opportunities, and make informed decisions about education and careers at different stages of life. It is designed for everyone — young people, students, jobseekers, and adults already in working life.

A central feature of the service is My Competency Path, a personal workspace where users can create their own competence profile. This profile helps them follow their progress as they plan their next steps. The service also offers access to guidance and advisory tools that support career changes, further studies, and professional development. By combining users’ self‑assessed strengths with extensive data on education and labour markets, Competency Path can reveal both traditional and unexpected opportunities.

Competency Path is part of a broader national service ecosystem together with Studyinfo, Job Market Finland, and Opin.fi. These services work together to support lifelong learning, career planning, and job searching. Competency Path helps users identify direction, while Studyinfo and the other services guide them toward concrete options and application processes.

The service is developed and maintained by Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Competency Path was created between 2021 and 2025 as part of the Digital Service Package for Continuous Learning (JOD) project, funded by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). By bringing together up‑to‑date information about education, skills, and labour markets, the service supports both individuals and organisations involved in learning and working life.(Source: Ministry of Education and Culture)

Finland to introduce tuition fees for upper secondary students from non-EU countries

Finland will introduce tuition fees for students from non‑EU and non‑EEA countries in both general upper secondary education and vocational education and training. From August 2026, the fees will mainly apply to new students from third countries who come to Finland with a residence permit issued for studies. Students with a permanent residence permit in Finland, as well as exchange students, will not have to pay the fees. Students receiving temporary protection will also be exempt from the fees, in the same way as in higher education.

Municipal funding can no longer be used to cover the costs of students who are required to pay tuition. Education providers must therefore finance these costs through the new tuition fees.

Education in Finland is free for young people who fall under compulsory education. Anyone under 18 who permanently lives in Finland with their family and has been assigned a municipality of residence is within compulsory education and does not pay tuition fees.

However, minors under 18 who live in Finland only because they hold a residence permit for studies are not considered to be within compulsory education. They must therefore pay tuition fees, even if they have a municipality of residence.

More information Tuition fees in upper secondary education

2025

Support to municipal cooperation in primary and lower secondary education as pupil numbers decline

The Ministry of Education and Culture will launch a government grant in early 2026 to strengthen cooperation between municipalities in organising primary and lower secondary education. The aim is to safeguard equal educational opportunities as pupil cohorts shrink and regional differences grow.

The measure builds on the work of a national working group (term: March 2024 – December 2025) that examines how demographic change affects the provision of education and develops proposals to ensure long-term sustainability.

Across Finland, the number of school-age children is decreasing sharply — in some regions by up to 40 %, and in 2024 about 100 municipalities had 20 or fewer births per year. (Source: Ministry of Education and Culture)

Say ‘Hello!’ Campaign Encourages Kindness in Finnish Schools

The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture has launched the "Hei!" (Hello!) campaign to promote a more positive and inclusive atmosphere in comprehensive schools. The initiative encourages pupils, teachers, and school staff to greet one another and show small acts of kindness in their daily interactions.

Participation is voluntary, and each school can adapt the campaign to suit its own community. The campaign was introduced by Minister of Education, who visited a local school to highlight the importance of building a sense of belonging through simple gestures like saying hello.

The campaign aligns with Finland’s broader focus on social and emotional learning, and it can be linked to the national Good Manners Week, which takes place in week 38. Materials to support schools are available on the Finnish National Agency for Education’s website (in Finnish) Good manners and respectful behavior education 

The goal is to strengthen school communities, reduce bullying, and help every student feel seen and respected.

Information at the sites of the Ministry of Education and Culture (in Finnish) Say ‘Hello!’ Campaign launches and Campaign sites

Finland: English-language general upper secondary education starting from 2026

In Finland, general upper secondary education (ISCED 34) can be completed in English, in addition to Finnish and Swedish, starting from August 2026. Local education providers need to apply for permission from the Ministry of Education and Culture to offer English-language instruction.

English-language general upper secondary education also enables students to take the Matriculation Examination in English at the end of the studies. The first English-language matriculation exams will be held in autumn 2028.

The Parliament approved the related legislative changes in December 2024, and the curriculum for English-language general upper secondary education was published in March 2025. The core curriculum for English-language instruction is identical in content to the Finnish and Swedish versions. Each education provider that offers general upper secondary education in English will create their own curricula based on the national core curriculum. National core curriculum for general upper secondary education 2025

There are total approximately 270 local providers of general upper secondary education in Finland. General upper secondary schools in larger cities and regional centers are likely to be the first to offer this new educational option. The global International Baccalaureate program will remain an alternative, offering students diverse pathways to higher education both in Finland and abroad.

The reform aims to increase Finland's attractiveness among international students and returnees, as well as support students whose proficiency in Finnish or Swedish is not appropriate. The reform is expected to positively impact Finland's country image as an interesting and appealing educational destination.

Press release on 24 March 2025 on the websites of the Finnish National Agency for Education Finnish general upper secondary school can be completed in English as of autumn 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 Ministry of Education and Culture is preparing legislation, the Finnish National Agency for Education recommends limiting mobile phone use even before the law comes into effect

The Ministry of Education and Culture is currently preparing a legislative proposal to limit mobile phone use in schools and educational institutions, as outlined in the government program. Even now, before the law comes into effect, the Finnish National Agency for Education recommends that schools and educational institutions prohibit disruptive mobile phone use during lessons and limit its use during breaks, in accordance with current legislation. 

According to current legislation, schools and educational institutions can already ban mobile phone use during lessons in their rules. Phones may be used when permitted by the teacher. Disruptive use refers to any phone activity unrelated to the lesson or tasks assigned by the teacher.

Mobile phone use can also be allowed if the student has specific health or learning-related needs that require it. These cases are agreed upon separately with the school or institution.

Despite the downsides of mobile phones, the use of digital tools and applications is part of the curriculum at various levels of education. According to the Finnish National Agency for Education, in a digitalizing society, it is also an issue of equality that all students have the opportunity to practice using devices for free at schools and educational institutions.

Support for learning will be reformed 

The goal of Finland’s current government program is to clarify learning support and unify the continuum of learning support from early childhood education to upper secondary education. A key focus is to shift the emphasis of support towards early intervention.The Ministry of Education and Culture is undergoing legislative changes, through which the learning support system will be reformed at all educational levels. The changes concerning pre-primary education, comprehensive education and general upper secondary education are aimed to come into effect on August 1, 2025.

The legislative changes are scheduled to proceed to the Parliament for decision in the fall of 2024. The Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) will update the sections on learning support in the national core curricula for pre-primary, comprehensive, and general upper secondary education. Based on EDUFI regulations’ education providers must update their local curricula. 

The effectiveness of preparatory education for an upper secondary qualification (TUVA) was evaluated

The preparatory education for an upper secondary qualification (TUVA) supports students in preparing for general upper secondary or VET studies by providing individualized support and guidance. TUVA education started on 1 August 2022. The effectiveness of the TUVA education was evaluated through a survey with responses from 1,936 individuals across Finland. Additionally, extensive interview data was collected.

According to the evaluation, students are generally satisfied with the TUVA education, although there are differences in the adequacy of guidance. Teachers appreciate the program's flexibility but require more resources for special education and guidance. Challenges for the TUVA education includes the high number of non-native students and language proficiency requirements.

Education providers view the system as functional, but it is criticized for insufficient amount of special education. According to the evaluation, effective student welfare is crucial because the support needs of students in the TUVA education are diverse.

Proposed improvements include enhancing the funding system and clarifying students’ language proficiency requirements before starting the TUVA education.