Support for multilingual pupils

Preparatory education is intended for pupils who have recently moved to Finland and whose language skills are not yet sufficient for studying in Finnish. In preparatory education, students become familiar with school life and learn how to study in the Finnish language. The primary goal of the instruction is to learn the basics of the Finnish language. Preparatory education lasts approximately one year, after which the pupil usually transfers to their local school to join a general education group.

See the locations for preparatory education and the application for pupil placement in preparatory education:

Finnish as a second language (S2) is one of the syllabi for mother tongue and literature. The S2 syllabus is chosen if the pupil’s Finnish language skills are deficient in one or more areas. The majority of pupils studying the S2 syllabus have an immigrant background, but the S2 syllabus may also be applicable for children of returnees, children adopted to Finland, or children from bilingual families. The central factor is that the pupil receives instruction according to the syllabus that best suits them.

The need for the S2 syllabus for each pupil is determined jointly by the teachers instructing the student. The pupil’s guardian makes the final decision regarding the choice of syllabi. Upon registration for the first grade, schools receive information about the pupil’s mother tongue directly from the population register. In some cases, a pupil may require S2 education even if Finnish is registered as their mother tongue. This is the case, for example, with some children from bilingual families where Finnish is not the strongest language, even if it is marked as the mother tongue in the population register.

Hämeenlinna offers a Swedish-language education and teaching path from early childhood education to comprehensive school. Swedish-language early childhood education and pre-primary education are organized at Jappebo Daycare Centre, and Swedish-language basic education for grades 1–6 is provided at Seminaari Comprehensive School.

Swedish-language education is primarily intended for Swedish-speaking children. Additionally, Finnish-speaking children may participate in the Swedish language immersion offered by Jappebo in early childhood and pre-primary education. Finnish-speaking pupils applying for Swedish-language primary education are required to have sufficient linguistic readiness to follow the instruction.

Applying for Swedish-language education

Applications for Swedish-language early childhood education, pre-primary education, and basic education are made in accordance with the city’s standard application procedures. The city is developing and refining the criteria for pupil admission and the assessment of linguistic readiness for Finnish-speaking students applying for Swedish-language education.

Guardians are provided with information about different school paths already during pre-primary education, so that families can make the educational choices that best suit their child.

Lower secondary education

Lower secondary education for Swedish-speaking pupils is organized at Svenska skolan i Tammerfors in Tampere. Currently, Swedish-language lower secondary education is not organized in Hämeenlinna. Finnish-speaking pupils are offered education at their local Finnish-speaking school. Extensive bilingual Swedish-language education in its current form will conclude at the end of the academic year.

School transport

The city organizes and funds school transport in accordance with the valid transport principles. For the Swedish-language lower secondary school located in Tampere, school transport is funded for students whose mother tongue is Swedish. For Finnish-speaking students, any potential transport costs are the responsibility of the guardians.

Service development

The City of Hämeenlinna is developing Swedish-language education and teaching for the long term. The goal is to strengthen the quality and continuity of Swedish-language education and to refine practices regarding curricula, lesson distribution, and pupil admission. Simultaneously, the possibilities for increasing the share of Swedish-language instruction in primary school and developing Swedish-language support services are being evaluated.