Basic education schools in Jyväskylä start on Wednesday, 12 August 2026. Jyväskylä has 12,565 pupils, of whom 11,493 are in basic education schools, 656 in Jyväskylä Teacher Training School, 288 in Jyväskylä Christian School and 128 in Jyväskylä Steiner School. 1,186 children will start first grade in Jyväskylä.
Changes to the school year include the legislative amendment promoting a physically active lifestyle and a change to the Compulsory Education Act concerning extended compulsory education. Basic education schools have new rules, regulations, and practices concerning educational measures, disciplinary measures, and precautionary measures. Guardians of pupils at Puistokatu daycare school will start using the DigiOne system for home-school cooperation.
Promoting an active lifestyle is part of everyday school life
In the 2026–2027 school year, promoting an active lifestyle will become part of everyday school life. The aim is to support and improve the overall well-being of children and young people, and to strengthen the role of physical activity in the culture of pre-primary and basic education both as part of daily practice and as a life skill in its own right.
The new plan for educational measures, disciplinary measures, and precautionary measures in basic education defines how schools will ensure a calm learning environment, good order, and the smooth progress of studies. The plan sets out local procedures for example, for arranging educational discussions or follow-up sessions and supports the implementation of each school's rules and regulations.
As part of preparing this plan, the rules and regulations for basic education in Jyväskylä have also been updated. Basic education in Jyväskylä follows rules and regulations common to all schools, which individual schools may supplement with school-specific instructions. Together with their pupils, teachers can also agree on more detailed practices for each class or teaching group.
Change to the Compulsory Education Act
The transition period for last year's legislative amendment on learning support has now ended, and all pupils will receive learning support in accordance with the revised legislation.
As of 1 August 2026, a new amendment to section 2 of the Compulsory Education Act comes into effect: decisions on extended compulsory education will no longer be made. Instead, a decision on early compulsory education may be made for a child aged 5–6 if the child has a disability, illness, or functional limitation affecting their ability to learn.
When assessing a child's need for support, the type of support and how teaching is organized are always determined individually, in whatever way best supports that child's learning. The aim is to ensure that every child receives the support they need, at the right time and according to their own needs.
Guardians of Puistokatu Daycare school to start using DigiOne from 10 August 2026
From 10 August 2026, guardians of pupils at Puistokatu daycare school will be the first to use the DigiOne system for home-school cooperation. Communication between home and school will move to DigiOne, and guardians will no longer be able to access their child's information in Wilma if their child attends Puistokatu daycare school.
The national DigiOne project has been developed as a digital service platform for home-school cooperation, for planning and delivering teaching, and for the administration of educational institutions.
Puistokatu daycare school is piloting the DigiOne system. During the pilot, the service will be tested and feedback collected from guardians on its features and usability. This feedback is important for developing DigiOne further and for expanding its use to other schools in Jyväskylä. The timing of the transition for other Jyväskylä schools will be announced later.
Further information
Sami Lahti, Service Director, Jyväskylä Basic Education Services, tel. 050 3258578
DigiOne: IT Service Manager Jarkko Lampinen, City of Jyväskylä Digital Services, tel. 050 4010402