Page 39 - 樂善堂梁銶琚學校（校刊2019）

The Finnish

Education System

Hing Tak School
S.K.H. Ling Oi Primary School

The Finnish education system is composed
of a compulsory nine-year basic education,

catering for all between the ages of 7 and 16
years. Its goal is for everyone to have an equal
opportunity to receive high quality education.
It also provides adequate, on-time support
to students with special needs. The focus in

education is on learning rather than testing.
The only national examination, the matriculation examination, is held at the end of general upper
secondary education.

The education system includes early childhood
education, preschool education, comprehensive
education, upper secondary education and higher
education. Preschool education to upper secondary

education is free of charge, as is higher education
for the most part.

Early childhood education
Early childhood education is organized in day care centres and family day care and includes
a lot of playtime and outdoor activities. Children receive at least 20 hours of early childhood
education per week, more if their parents are working or studying. The goal is to support children’s
development and well-being.

Preschool education
Children must attend preschool education for one year before compulsory education begins.

Preschool education usually starts when the child is six and is organised from Monday to Friday,
four hours a day.

Comprehensive education
Comprehensive education includes nine grades and normally starts during the year the child

turns seven. It ends when the child has completed the entire comprehensive education syllabus or
ten years from the beginning of compulsory education.

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