Education for foreigners in basic education

The City of Jyväskylä provides basic education in accordance with the Finnish Basic Education Act.
Education is compulsory for pupils of compulsory school age in Finland.
A pupil is subject to compulsory education if they have a municipality of residence in Finland. 
It is the guardian's duty to ensure that the child completes compulsory education.
The child starts first grade in the year they turn 7 years old.
Basic education lasts 9 years.
Compulsory education ends in the year when the young person turns 18.
Basic education is free of charge.
The learning material is free.
The language of instruction is Finnish.
The pupil usually goes to the school closest to their place of residence. 
If the local school is full, the pupil will be assigned another school that is within a safe and short distance.
At school, pupils study according to the curriculum. 
The curriculum guides what is taught at school and what goals the learning has.
Teaching in English is provided in two schools in Jyväskylä. The languages of instruction are English and Finnish. 
Swedish-language education is provided in one school. The language of instruction is Swedish.
Other special classes include music and sports classes. There are music classes in two schools and sports classes in two schools.
 

The pupil needs a backpack when coming to school.
The pupil receives schoolbooks and a writing kit from the school. 
The pupil needs a pencil and an eraser to do their homework.
The pupil receives a timetable from the school. 
The pupil attends school according to the timetable. 
The timetable shows when the school day starts and ends. 
The timetable shows the subjects to be studied on the school day.
The pupil must be at school at the start of the first lesson. 
The parent does not have to accompany the pupil to school or register with the teacher. 
In the morning, a guardian can accompany a small pupil to the school yard if they wish.
The pupil waits in the school yard for the school day to start. At school, the bell rings when the lesson starts.
Pupils are not allowed to leave school in the middle of the day without permission.
At school, pupils go outdoors during breaks. The pupil needs clothes and shoes suitable for the weather.
Physical education classes are indoors or outdoors. For indoor sports, the pupil needs a change of clothes: shorts, a T-shirt, and a towel. For outdoor sports, the pupil needs outerwear and shoes suitable for the weather and exercise.
The school supports the pupil in language development, learning, and schooling.
The school has rules and regulations.
No one should be bullied.
Pupils are insured during the school day.
If a pupil breaks school property, guardians must compensate the broken items.
 

The guardian's responsibility is to ensure that the child attends school.
The school supports the guardian in their educational task.
Both guardians have the right to receive information about the child's studies.
Communication between home and school takes place mainly in the Wilma system.
Instructions for using Wilma can be obtained from the school secretary of the child's own school.
The school invites guardians to meetings concerning the pupil and parents' evenings.
The guardian notifies the school of health issues related to the pupil's safety.
If a pupil falls ill, the school must be notified as soon as possible.
The guardian notifies the pupil's absence due to illness in Wilma, by phone, or a text message.
The guardian must apply for other absences in Wilma. A pupil cannot report absences.
The teacher can grant an absence of 1-5 days.
Absences of more than 5 days are granted by the principal.
Jyväskylä uses a school absence model, which is attached at the end of this leaflet.
If a pupil has a high number of absences, the school will contact the guardian. 
The school intervenes in bullying. The guardian informs the school if a pupil tells about bullying to the guardians at home.
Operational model against bullying is attached at the end of this leaflet.
 

If a pupil does not yet speak Finnish, they participate in preparatory education for basic education. 
Preparatory education is intended for pupils aged 6–16.
A pupil can start preparatory education in the middle of the school year.
Preparatory education is not available in all schools.
Preparatory education has its own curriculum.
An individual study programme is prepared for the pupil together with the guardians.
The pupil studies Finnish language and important contents in other subjects. 
If possible, the pupil also attends basic education classes in Finnish in some lessons. This supports the pupil's integration.
The pupil participates in preparatory education for one year.
After preparatory education, the pupil moves to their own local school for basic education in Finnish.
Children between the ages of 7 and 10 receive 25 hours of preparatory instruction per week.
Children between the ages of 11 and 15 receive 26 hours of preparatory instruction per week.
 

After preparatory education, the pupil moves to a local school for basic education in Finnish.
Finnish as a Second Language and Literature (S2) syllabus is for pupils who are just learning Finnish.
The syllabus can be changed when the pupil's language skills have developed sufficiently.
The guardian decides on the syllabus.
S2 teaching is available in all schools.
S2 teaching is available in all subjects.
S2 education is not special education or remedial education.
The S2 syllabus is of the same value as Finnish as a mother tongue.

Heritage language learning is intended for children and young people aged 6–18 whose native language or one of the family's languages is other than Finnish.
Heritage language teaching is provided if there are at least four pupils in the same language group and there is a teacher for the language.
In Finland's official minority languages (Finnish Sign Language, different Sami languages, and Romani language), there must be at least two pupils in the language teaching group.
Participation in heritage language lessons is voluntary.
After registration, the pupil commits to participating in heritage language lessons regularly.
Lessons and teaching is free of charge.
There are two hours of lessons per week.
Lessons are after the school day.
The teaching group may be in another school.
The guardian takes care of the transportation. Pupils can get free transportation to their heritage language lessons. 
Registration for heritage language lessons is done in the spring in April-May.
If you do not register, you cannot attend classes.
Registration in the middle of the academic year takes place on a paper form.
Registration for the heritage language lessons is done separately each year.
For more information, please contact Service Manager Pia Bärlund [email protected]
 

The pupil receives a free lunch at school. Schools do not serve breakfast.
The schools serve Finnish food and dishes. 
The school follows Finnish table manners. 
The pupil uses a fork and knife when eating. Food is not eaten with fingers.

The guardian must notify the school kitchen of the pupil's special diet or food allergies on a separate special diet form. 
The child needs a medical certificate from a doctor or dietitian regarding a special diet or food allergy. A public health nurse's certificate is also valid if it is based on a doctor's diagnosis.
A certificate from a doctor or dietitian is not required if the diet is lactose-free, vegan, or vegetarian.
The certificate is not required for diets based on religious reasons. In this case, a notification on the special diet form is sufficient.
In some schools you can buy snacks. 
You can bring your own healthy snack to school.
 

School commute should be carried out safely according to traffic rules.
Shorter school commutes are usually made on foot or by bike.
It is recommended to practice the safest route to school together with the child.
School transportation benefit is only available if the pupil attends a school assigned by the City of Jyväskylä.
Pupils in grades 1-2 are granted free school transport if their travel to school exceeds 3.5 kilometres.
Pupils in grades 3-9 are granted free school transport if their travel to school exceeds 5 kilometres.
You do not need to submit an application for school transport.
When the distance limit is exceeded, the school will automatically grant free school transport.
The pupil receives a free bus card from the school.
If a pupil has an illness or disability and cannot travel to school by themselves, a separate application must be submitted. The pupil must have a medical certificate.
If a pupil is granted a taxi transportation, guardians use the MunSchool app.
 

Pupil welfare supports pupils' well-being and health.
Pupil welfare is free of charge.
Contact information for pupil welfare can be found on the schools' websites.
The school nurse and school doctor monitor the pupil's health and well-being.
The pupil is invited for an extensive health examination in the 1st, 5th, and 8th grades. 
An extensive health examination includes both a public health nurse's examination and a medical examination. 
Both parents of the pupil are also invited to an extensive health examination.
The pupil is invited to a dental health check in the 1st, 5th, and 8th grades.
A school social worker helps pupils if they have concerns or difficulties.
The school psychologist assesses the pupil's competence and need for support.
School coaches also work in schools. The school coach supports the pupil's well-being and helps the pupil. 
Schools have youth workers who support young people's growth and wellbeing.
 

Morning and afternoon activities before and after school are intended for pupils in grades 1-2.
Pupils in grades 1–5 who have received a decision on special support can also participate in morning and afternoon activities.
The activities are subject to a charge.
Supervised morning and afternoon activities are organised in connection with schools in Jyväskylä.
Afternoon activities take place on school days between 12:00 and 17:00.
Morning activities are organised as morning clubs if there are enough children registered.
An application must be submitted for morning and afternoon activities.
If the pupil has intellectual disability, you can ask for the right to Vertti activities. Ask the school.