Koulutus Oulussa

Education in Oulu

General information on the Finnish education system is available on the Education page of the Info Bank website.

Nursery schools

You may apply for a full or part-time nursery school place for any child under school age, and for free pre-school education. Nursery school services are also available for children requiring special services.

Further details of nursery services in Oulu are available on the City of Oulu website in Finnish and English.

English language nursery schools

Tuulikello is a multicultural nursery school operating in Finnish and English by applying early immersion language learning techniques in teaching. English is learned through daily activities that exploit all learning opportunities.

Address: Teknologiantie 8 C, FI-90590 Oulu
Website in Finnish and English.

Linnanmaa nursery school (Linnanmaan päiväkoti) is a Finnish nursery school that mainly seeks to enrol the children of students and foreigners.
Address: Yliopistokatu 22, FI-90570 Oulu
Website in Finnish and English.

Lintula nursery school (Lintulan päiväkoti) provides English language immersion.
Address: Kihokkitie 3, FI-90160 Oulu
Website in Finnish and English.

Private international nursery schools

The English Speaking Playschool of Oulu
Starbright kindergarten
Saksanpähkinä Kindergarten – The Finnish-German playschool of Oulu
Svenska Barnträdsgården – the Swedish kindergarten

The English list of nursery schools on the City of Oulu website is updated whenever changes occur.

Basic education

Details of the Finnish basic education system are available on the Basic education page of the Info Bank website.

Applying for basic education

Please contact the special support centre (Erityisen tuen keskus) in the City of Oulu Department of Education if your child is seeking admission to basic education. The co-ordinator for immigrant education will arrange education for immigrant children under the age of 16 years.

Department of Education (Opetustoimi)
Taka-Lyötyn katu 4
FI-90150 OULU

More detailed contact information is available on the City of Oulu Department of Education website in Finnish or English.

City schools providing basic education only enrol children living in Oulu. Children living in other districts may also enrol if they have special needs or are seeking admission to the International School.

All schools providing basic education under the Department of Education in Oulu are listed on the City of Oulu website in English.

Details of after-school activities for younger pupils are available on the Social services page in the Oulu section of the Info Bank website.

Oulu International School

If your child is seeking education in English, then you should contact Oulu International School (OIS), which operates under the City of Oulu providing education at grades 1 to 9. This teaching is arranged in Finnish and English. The curriculum is based on the Finnish basic education curriculum and the IB programme of the International Baccalaureate Organization.

Further details of Oulu International School and how to enrol are available on the school website in English.

Educational support services for immigrants

Preparatory instruction for comprehensive school

The City of Oulu provides preparatory instruction for Finnish comprehensive schooling for immigrant children not attending Oulu International School.

The aim of preparatory instruction is to teach children to communicate in Finnish, thereby facilitating their gradual adjustment to classroom teaching in a Finnish school. Preparatory instruction introduces basic vocabulary and familiarises pupils with the majority culture, surroundings and everyday life in Finland. This preparatory instruction usually takes one school year, after which pupils may continue their education in a normal Finnish school.

Education following preparatory instruction

Additional support is also provided to pupils after the year of preparatory instruction, with instruction in both Finnish and in the pupil’s native language, religious studies and remedial teaching where necessary. Other subjects are taught according to the Finnish curriculum.

Native language instruction

Immigrant children are taught their native language for two lessons per week, provided that at least four pupils study the same language together. Further details of this benefit are available on the City of Oulu website in English.

Secondary education

The admissions period for institutes of secondary education is twice a year: in March and October. You can apply via the haenyt website (in Finnish). Further details of secondary education in Finland are available on the Info Bank website.

Upper secondary schools

Oulu has 11 upper secondary schools providing daytime upper secondary education and one providing evening instruction mainly for adult learners. The latter institution also provides special instruction for immigrants. Further details of special instruction for immigrants are available on the Oulu High School for Adults (Oulun aikuislukio) website in Finnish, Swedish or English.

Oulu High School for Adults (Oulun aikuislukio) is in the Tuira district at Itäkangastie 9,  FI-90500 Oulu. More detailed contact information is provided on the school website in Finnish.

Most upper secondary schools in Oulu operate under the Department of Education of the City of Oulu. Oulun normaalikoulun lukio upper secondary school is State-maintained, while the Swedish-speaking Svenska Privatskolan i Uleåborg and the Finnish-speaking Oulu Steiner School (Oulun steinerkoulu) are privately owned.

It is also possible to attend upper secondary school in English by studying for the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma at Oulun Lyseo Upper Secondary School. Further details of this option are available on the school website in Finnish or English. The contact details of all upper secondary schools operating in Oulu are provided on the Education Department website in Finnish and English.

Vocational education

Five vocational institutes in Oulu provide vocational education in various fields. Many vocational institutes also arrange professional competence programmes through the apprenticeship system. Vocational education opportunities are also available after completing upper secondary school, and the matriculation exam may also be completed in tandem with vocational training. Further details of enrolment and qualifications can be obtained directly from the institute.

Vocational education institutes in Oulu:
Luovi Vocational College (Ammattiopisto Luovi): in Finnish, English, Swedish and German
Oulu unit of Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Oulun diakoniaopisto): in Finnish
Oulu Vocational College (Oulun seudun ammattiopisto, OSAO): in Finnish and English
Oulu Conservatoire (Oulun konservatorio): in Finnish and English
Oulu College of Services (Oulun palvelualan opisto, PAO): in Finnish and English

Preparatory education for immigrants is provided at the Oulu unit of Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Oulu Vocational College and Oulu Adult Education Centre (OAKK, in Finnish and English).

Higher education

Universities and Institutes of Higher Education page of the Info Bank website.

Oulu has the largest student population in Northern Finland. There is a multidisciplinary university and a university of applied sciences in the city.

Further details of higher education institute syllabuses in Oulu are available on the institute websites or from the studyinoulu website, which is available in English, Russian and Chinese.

The University of Oulu (Oulun yliopisto) website is available in Finnish and English.

The website of Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oulun seudun ammattikorkeakoulu) is available in Finnish and English.

The website of the Oulu unit of Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diakonia ammattikorkeakoulu, Oulun yksikkö) is available in Finnish  and English.

Adult, supplementary and further education

Supplementary and further education

The Oulu Conservatoire (Oulun konservatorio) provides musical education. Further details are available in Finnish or English.

The Oulu art school (Oulun taidekoulu) provides art education for children and young people aged 4–20 years. Its website is available in Finnish.

The Learning and Research Services unit at the University of Oulu (Koulutus- ja tutkimuspalvelut, Oulun yliopisto) arranges supplementary training programmes. Its website is available in Finnish and English.

Everybody can study at the Open University, regardless of age or educational goals and background. Open University studies in Oulu are organised by the University of Oulu (in Finnish and in English) and by the summer university Pohjois-Pohjanmaan kesäyliopisto (website in Finnish only).

Adult education

The following institutes provide adult education in Oulu:

Luovi Vocational College (Ammattiopisto Luovi): in Finnish, English, Swedish and German
Oulun diakoniaopisto: in Finnish
Oulu Conservatoire (Oulun konservatorio): in Finnish and English
Oulu College of Services (Oulun palvelualan opisto, PAO): in Finnish and English
Oulu Adult Education Centre (OAKK): in Finnish and in English
PSK-Adult Education Centre (PSK-Aikuisopisto): in Finnish, Swedish and English
The Institute of Marketing (Markkinointi-instituutti): in Finnish and English

There is a list of educational institutes currently providing adult education on the City of Oulu website in English.

Education to promote the integration of immigrants in Finland is organised at the Oulu Adult Education Centre, the Oulu unit of Diaconia University of Applied Sciences and the PSK-Adult Education Centre.

Civic Colleges

Civic colleges provide general informal education in many fields. Further details of the curriculum are available on the websites of these institutes:

• Oulu Institute (Oulu-opisto) in Finnish
• Oulu Civic College (Oulun kansalaisopisto) in Finnish