Koulutus Espoossa
Education in Espoo
General information about the Finnish education system can be found on the Info Bank Education page .
The Info Bank Helsinki Metropolitan Area Education page contains information on children’s day care, temporary child care , basic and upper secondary education, and applying for education in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Day care
General information on the Finnish day care system is available on the Info Bank Children and Young People (Lapset ja nuoret) page.
Espoo provides both municipal and private day care. In addition to Finnish and Swedish day care the city also arranges day care in English and French. Further information on Espoo day care provision in languages other than Finnish is available here in Finnish.
Further information on day care in Espoo is available on the City of Espoo website in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Finnish- or Swedish- language applications for municipal day care may be sent via the city’s website. The site also provides an application form in English which may be submitted directly to the relevant day care centre. The application may also be submitted to the local day care service centre (päivähoidon alueellinen palvelukeskus). Contact details for local day care service centres in Finnish . Applications for private day care places must be made directly to the day care centre. Private day care in Espoo in Finnish and Swedish .
Pre-school education
The Info Bank Basic Education page contains general information on pre-school education in Finland.
Information concerning pre-school education in Espoo can be obtained from the City of Espoo website in Finnish, Swedish and English. The site also includes application forms for free pre-school education in Finnish and Swedish.
Espoo provides a range of teaching for students with an immigrant background, consisting of preparatory instruction for basic education, remedial teaching, Finnish as a second language, teaching of the student’s mother tongue, second language upkeep, and support teaching for immigrants.
Preparatory instruction for pre-school children
The City of Espoo website contains information on preparatory instruction for pre-school immigrant children in Finnish . The city pages also contain a brochure on preparatory instruction for pre-school children in Finnish , English , Albanian , Arabic , Chinese , Kurdish , Somali , Russian and Estonian .
Registration for preparatory instruction takes place at the same time as for other pre-school instruction. Registration forms for preparatory instruction for six-year-olds can be obtained from day care centres or from the city’s website in Finnish.
Teaching of the student’s mother tongue
Registration for teaching starting in the autumn occurs at the same time as for pre-school registration. Registration forms can be obtained from day care centres or from the city’s website in Finnish. Teaching can be arranged provided there is a sufficient number of pre-school children registering for teaching in the same language.
English-language pre-school instruction
In addition to Finnish- and Swedish-language pre-school education, Espoo also has English-language day care centres which organise pre-school education in English.
The City of Espoo webpages contain a list of day care centres organising English-language pre-school education in English . A place in private English-language day care centres can be applied for by making contact directly with the day care centre manager.
Basic education
Information about basic education in Finland can be found on the Info Bank Basic Education page.
Information on basic education in Espoo is available on the City of Espoo website in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Preparatory instruction
The City of Espoo webpages contain information on preparatory instruction for basic education in Finnish , as well as brochures in Finnish , English , Albanian , Arabic , Chinese , Kurdish , Somali , Russian and Estonian .
The registration form for preparatory instruction is available in Finnish. Registration forms for preparatory instruction should be submitted to the Finnish Language Teaching Department (Suomenkielinen opetuksen tulosyksikkö) or by e-mail to astrid.kauber(at)espoo.fi. Further information can be obtained from the same e-mail address or by telephone, (09) 816 52024.
Support teaching
Temporary instruction in support of studies may continue where necessary once preparatory instruction has been completed, either in a small basic education group or in a mainstream class. Further information about support teaching available here in Finnish.
Language teaching
Teaching of Finnish as a second language
Immigrant pupils are taught the Finnish as a second language syllabus if their Finnish language skills do not match those of pupils speaking Finnish as their mother tongue.
The City of Espoo pages contain further information in Finnish .
Teaching of own mother tongue (Oman äidinkielen opetus)
Children with an immigrant background, children of immigrant background born in Finland, children of bilingual families (a language other than Finnish or Swedish) , pupils who are Finnish returnees and children adopted from abroad can obtain instruction for their mother tongue or for a language they have learned abroad. Instruction occupies two lessons a week. Application is by using the form available on the city website in Finnish . Notification of the outcome of the application is normally by post. Teaching will be arranged provided there is a sufficient number of pupils registering. Further information available here in Finnish .
The City of Espoo's own kotikieli website for native-language teachers contains material in Finnish and other languages relating to teaching of immigrant mother tongue. The Kotikieli website in Finnish , Albanian , Arabic , Spanish , English , Farsi , Khmer , Chinese , Kurdish , Japanese , Somali , Russian , Vietnamese and Estonian . Native-language teaching is also arranged in Espoo in other languages.
Finnish-language teaching for young immigrants
The Young Immigrant's Group (NUMA-ryhmä) is intended for newly arrived foreigners aged 15-25 years in need of Finnish language teaching to enable the transition into higher education or working life.
Foreign-language basic education in Espoo
In addition to Finnish- and Swedish-language teaching Espoo also organises English-language basic education. The City of Espoo pages contain information on English-language teaching in Finnish and English . Information about Finnish-English bilingual teaching intended for those speaking Finnish as their mother tongue in Finnish .
The city’s website contains further details of language and culture group teaching in Finnish and English.
Information concerning study and education in Espoo can be found on the City of Espoo website in Finnish, Swedish and English. The website also includes Education Guides detailing education available in Espoo.
Pupils' morning and afternoon club activities
Afternoon club activities in Espoo are available primarily for first year pupils and for older pupils in need of special support. In certain units, afternoon club places are also offered to second-year pupils where this is possible.
Espoo afternoon club activities are arranged by private companies, associations and communities and are primarily in Finnish or Swedish, although English-language afternoon club activities are also provided.
The City of Espoo pages contain further information on afternoon club activities for pupils in Finnish and Swedish , as well as an application form in Finnish, Swedish and English. The form should be returned directly to the afternoon club service provider.
Komeetta School English-language afternoon club:
HSIS Iltapäivätoiminta Oy/Henna Soininen-Stojanov
Tel. 040-561 1015
henna.stojanov(at)hsis.fi
Further information in Finnish
Tähtiniitty School bilingual (English-Finnish) afternoon club activities:
Kissankulman Muksut Oy/Cuck Club /Päivi Merkkiniemi
Tel. 0400-505 854,
paivi.merkkiniemi(at)doro.fi
Adult basic education students
Espoo Upper Secondary School for Adults provides for the completion of basic education, improvement of grades on the basic education certificate, and the study of individual subjects. Further information about Espoo Upper Secondary School for Adults in Finnish.
Upper secondary school
Information about upper secondary education in Espoo in Finnish, Swedish and English.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma may be completed in Espoo at Mattlidens Gymnasium in Swedish and at Etelä-Tapiola Upper Secondary School (Etelä-Tapiolan lukio). Espoo is also home to the Espoo International Upper Secondary School .
Upper secondary level vocational education
Omnia Vocational College (Omnian ammattiopisto) arranges courses in business and commerce, tourism, catering and home economics, social services and health, and technology and culture. The Finnish School of Watchmaking (Kelloseppäkoulu), a private vocational educational institution, is also located in Espoo.
The Arla Institute (Invalidisäätiön Arlan toimipaikka) vocational education and development centre is located in Leppaväärä, Espoo. Arla provides diversified vocational rehabilitation and training as well as expert services aimed at the visually impaired, blind and deaf-blind.
Omnia organises preparatory training for immigrant vocational education. Further information can be obtained from the education guide in Finnish on the City of Espoo website.
Adult education is available, for example, at Espoo Upper Secondary School for Adults, Espoo Adult Education Centre and Omnia Vocational College.
Career counselling
Transition stage guidance is intended for young people in Espoo. Transition stage instructors provide individual support and guidance for pupils leaving or who have already left an upper secondary educational institution, who are seeking information about upper secondary study or about outside study alternatives connected with the system of joint application.
Information on career choices can be found on the Info Bank Career Counselling page.