Institutional level responsibilities

The education institutions’ level of autonomy varies across the education system.

Early childhood education and care (ISCED 010-020)

The early childhood education and care (ECEC) institution is responsible for:

• Drawing up and implementing a pedagogical curriculum for the institution;
• Carrying out regular assessments of the children.

The head of the institution is responsible for:

• The administration of the budget for the institution set out by the municipality;
• The administrative and pedagogical management of the institution;
• The activities carried out in the institution.

The board of the institution is responsible for:

• Laying down general principles for the tasks of the institution and for the use of the institution’s financial framework laid down by the municipal council.

For further information, please visit chapter 10.1.

Primary and lower secondary school (ISCED 1-2)

The municipal council is entitled to delegate authority to the headmaster and the school council within specific areas such as:

• Approval of the curriculum;
• Setting objectives for the schools’ work such as the organisation of the teaching, number of lessons at each level, the supply of optional subjects etc.;
• Performing dyslexia tests.

The school head is responsible for:

• The administrative and educational responsibility of the school;
• Proposing criteria for the school activities and the school budget for the school board;
• Activities of the school related to the school board and the municipal council;
• Supervision of tasks and their distribution among school staff;
• Decisions regarding the pupils. 

The school board conducts its activities within the framework laid down by the municipal council and supervises the activities of the school. The school board comprises teacher, parent, and pupil representatives.

The responsibilities of the school board include:

• Approval of the school budget;
• Drawing up the rules of conduct of the school;
• Drawing up a proposal for the curricula for submission to the municipal council;
• The municipal council consults the board on issues related to the school.

At schools with form level five and above, the pupils are entitled to form a pupils’ council. The pupils’ council appoints pupil representatives for committees that the school has set up to deal with questions of importance to the pupils in general.

For further information, please visit chapter 10.1.

Upper secondary education (ISCED 3)

The upper secondary level covers general and vocational upper secondary education. General and vocational upper secondary schools are self-governing institutions, meaning that the institutions have an independent board.

The management at general upper secondary education institutions is carried out by the board, the headmaster, the pedagogic council, and the teachers’ assembly.

At vocational upper secondary schools, the management of the school is carried out by the board, the headmaster, and the social partners.

At upper secondary level, the board is responsible for:

• Deciding on the school’s education supply, activities, and capacity;
• Ensure a suitable headmaster/management;
• Approve the school’s budget and financial framework.

At vocational upper secondary schools, representatives from employer and employee groups must be represented among members of the board.

At upper secondary level, the headmaster is responsible for:

• The day-to-day management of the school;
• Pedagogical responsibility for the school’s teaching, assessments, and examinations;
• Supervision of tasks and their distribution among school staff;
• Decisions regarding the pupils. 

The students are entitled to form a student council. The student council appoints student representatives for committees that the school has set up to deal with questions of importance to the students in general.

General upper secondary schools offering the Higher General Examination Programme (STX) and the Higher Preparatory Examination Programme (hf) have a pedagogical council. It consists of the headmaster and all teachers at the school. The pedagogical council acts as an advisor to the headmaster.

For further information, please visit chapter 10.1.

Higher education (ISCED 5-8)

The main types of institutions are business academies, university colleges, and universities. Generally, the higher education institutions are self-governing institutions.

At the institutional level, the management of higher education institutions is carried out by the board and the headmaster.

The board has the overall responsibility for the institution and is accountable to the Ministry of Higher Education and Science at national level. The responsibilities vary to a certain extent between types of higher education institutions. Among others, the responsibilities of the board include:

• Employing and dismissing the headmaster;
• Approving the institution’s budget and financial framework;
• Entering into an agreement with the Minister for Higher Education and Science regarding the strategy of the institution.

The headmaster is responsible for the day-to-day management of the institution and represents it in external matters. The responsibilities of the headmaster vary to a certain extent between types of higher education institutions.

Among others, the headmaster's responsibilities include:

• Recommending the institution’s budget to the board;
• Recommending employment and dismissal of other managing staff. 

At each institution, the students are entitled to form a student council. The council appoints student representatives to committees, which the institution has set up to deal with matters of importance to the students.

All higher education institutions have councils that involve the labour market parties.

For further information, please visit chapter 10.5.