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Home , Education in Finland

– a traditional and modern city of schools!

turku.fi/ Learn something new every day 189 900 A Unique city population

Turku is both a traditional and a modern city. There and has its own Swedish-language care and are four characteristics that particularly make Turku education system. a unique place. Turku has always been an international city and Turku is the oldest education-providing city in a meeting place of different cultures. Almost 20 , with an educational history which spans percent of the pupils in early childhood education nearly 750 years. This history is constantly present and basic education speak a language other than in the functions of early childhood education and Finnish or Swedish. The number is expected to educational institutes. However, Turku is also living grow in the near future. the future: The City has integrated modern learning environments into day care centres and educational The city of Turku is a significant centre of care and institutes that comfortably meet the educational education in Finland. There are over 60 000 people needs of the 2020s. studying in Turku and within the services of the Turku City Education Division. This means Swedish- in Turku is of major that more than a third of the citizens are somehow significance and is valued and supported by the connected with the care and education services. city’s institutions. Turku is home to the world’s only Swedish-language outside of Sweden Timo Jalonen Director of the Education Division

City of Turku www.turku.fi/education Phone: 02 330 000 Early childhood education is all about interaction 8 000 Early childhood education

The City of Turku has roughly 50 Finnish- and Swedish- well as English language showers and preschooling. language day care units that can consist of several Additionally, experiments in early language learning separate day care centres or for example nursery are offered in multiple languages. Private day care schools. We have operations in over 70 branches. centres also offer early day care in foreign languages, for instance French and Russian. Furthermore, our The City of Turku Department of Early Childhood tasks include supporting the children that are part of Education offers various part-time and full-time day cultural minorities to grow both as members of their care activities including evening and 24-hour day care own culture and Finnish society. services, education, as well as supplementary early childhood education carried out in cooperation Special early childhood education services include with day care centres or schools. Family day care is various forms of support that are designed for individual organized in the caregiver’s own home or in the form children and are available at their day care centres or of three-family day care. There are also many private in integrated regional groups. Special needs teachers day care units in Turku, where families can acquire day support the children, staff, and families by consulting care with a service voucher or with private day care and participating in everyday activities at the day care allowance and municipal allowance. centres.

Open early childhood education has nearly 30 There are many projects implemented in early childhood playgrounds all over the city. Playschools, family clubs, education that encourage children to exercise and and open day care activities are also a part of open play sports. The daily physical activity of children is early childhood education. Some playschools are even emphasized in early childhood education. organised outdoors. www.turku.fi/en/daycare Early childhood education also organises language Service coordination: 02 262 5610 immersion courses and preschooling in Swedish, as Chat: www.turku.fi/en/early-childhood-education-chat Have an engaging and active day at school! 14 100 Basic education

The Turku school system encompasses islands and Active attitudes, inclusion, and the well-being of wild nature and upholds a principle of continuous pupils are the essential building blocks in Turku education from the first grade to the ninth. The basic basic education. The pupils have the opportunity education of the City of Turku consists of 31 Finnish- to influence education politics through student language schools and four Swedish-language ones. body activity. Pupils from elementary schools can The Turku International School offers education represent their school in Turun Lasten Parlamentti, in English. There are native speakers of over 70 the children’s parliament in Turku, and secondary languages in the schools of Turku. Multicultural school pupils in Turun Nuorisovaltuusto, the youth encounters are a daily occurrence. council in Turku. A comprehensive selection of special classes enables the pupils to concentrate on their Basic education provides everyone with the same personal interests. There are special classes offered qualifications for further education. Its aim is to in the areas of languages, natural sciences, sports, support the personal growth of the pupils and to and music. Different working methods and learning offer them relevant knowledge and skills. Pupils have environments are actively utilised via projects such the right to receive education in accordance with as the Culture Path, which applies to all pupils in the curriculum, as well as guidance counselling, and basic education. sufficient support for learning and attending school. The mission of basic education is to respond to the changing needs of society. Topical development subjects include for instance the digitalisation of learning. In order to enable it, Turku offers a personal smart device to all pupils in grades 4–9. www.turku.fi/en/basic-education Turku - The oldest school city in Finland

1276 1600 1872 1899

The oldest school in The first secondary The first municipal The first day care Finland, Katedralskolan school was founded in school in Turku, centre in Turku, i Åbo, was founded in Turku at the beginning kansakoulu, was Kansanlastentarha 1276. The father of literary of the 17th century. It founded in 1872 and nro 1 (general day Finnish, , became the academy the first secondary care number 1), was among others, was the of Turku, Turun school, oppikoulu, opened in 1899. head of the school in the akatemia, in 1640. Turun Suomalainen 16th century. Lyseo was founded in 1879. The Education division in numbers

59 000 Basic education Children, pupils, 14 100 students Early childhood education 3 750 8 000 Staff 1908 1950 1998 2020

The Swedish Adult The Aninkainen Turku Vocational The goal of the Education Center of school building for Institute (TAI) was Turku and the Finnish launched in 1998. is to make the Finnish Turku was commissioned TAI was founded population the most Center started in 1950 with the help by unifying different skilled people in operating in 1908. of machinery and vocational education 2020. furniture donations providers. The Altogether from the twin city training selection Gothenburg, among of TAI is one of the 62 750 others. largest in the country.

Upper education and adult education centres 22 100

Vocational training and apprenticeships

Education in Swedish 10 000 4 800 Live and learn in Swedish 4 800 Education in Swedish

The bilingual roots of Turku are long and vital. Turku The Swedish upper secondary school, Katedralskolan is Finland’s oldest school city: Along with high- i Åbo, is among the best in the whole country. quality , the Swedish-language day care Founded in 1276, the Katedralskolan is the oldest centres and schools invest in the strengthening of school in Finland. As a noteworthy detail, one of the the Finland-Swedish culture. school’s previous principals was Mikael Agricola, the reformer of the . Children, Swedish-language care and education offer children young people, and adults from the neighbouring and young people a safe environment for growth municipalities also study in Swedish care and and education in their own mother tongue. Swedish- education. language education is secured from day care and basic education to studies in The bilingual Turku Vocational Institute offers institutes. Swedish-language education in the curricula of Business and IT. The Swedish Adult Education There are several Swedish day care centres and Center of Turku – Arbis, in turn, offers diverse in Turku. Education for the school years courses and recreational activities. The institute is 1–6 is offered to children in Cygnaeus School, one of the oldest in our country and attracts almost Sirkkala School and Brahe School. St. Olofsskolan 3,000 participants per year. is the place of study for Swedish-speaking children in grades 7-9. The school also gives the students The service area is also responsible for the Nordic an opportunity to be oriented towards sports and twin city cooperation on behalf of the City’s municipal natural sciences. Sirkkalabacken School provides educational administration. education to children with special needs. www.turku.fi/en/basic-education-in-swedish Top marks for upper secondary school graduates 22 100 Upper secondary education and adult education centers

Upper secondary education For example, they can choose to study in English The upper secondary school students of Turku at the Turku International School, or do flexible achieve top marks in the national matriculation studies in the evenings. The students can select examinations year after year – thanks to motivated courses from all upper secondary schools in the students and high standards of teaching. The city. Compared to the national average, schools in Swedish-language upper secondary school in Turku, Turku provide students with better qualifications for Katedralskolan i Åbo, is the oldest upper secondary institutes of . school in Finland. Its former principals include the founder of literary Finnish, Mikael Agricola. Adult education centers The adult education centres in Turku offer Nearly all upper secondary schools in Turku specialise diverse liberal education with an emphasis on in a certain field by appointment of the Ministry customer orientation, sustainable development, of Education and Culture. These fields include multiculturalism, and wellness. The centres organize sports, performing arts, and natural sciences. hundreds of courses, lecture series, and seminars There is also a study track dedicated to maritime every year. The largest subject groups are languages, studies. Specialisation in the upper secondary handicraft, and fine arts. schools is manifested through activities such as game design, grand music productions, laboratory In the selection of the subjects, immigrants and courses organised at universities, or field study students with special needs have also been taken into at the Archipelago Sea. The special activities are account. The multicultural education in the centres coordinated in concert with the regular curriculum. consists of Finnish and courses of various levels, as well as recreational acitivities. Students in the upper secondary schools of Turku Integrative education is also offered to immigrants. can decide how they want to conduct their studies.

www.turku.fi/en/uppersecondaryschools www.turuntyovaenopisto.fi www.aboarbis.fi Graduate for anything. Prepare for the best. 10 000 Vocational training

Turku Vocational Institute (abbr. TAI in Finnish) In several fields of study, TAI also offers education successfully educates thousands of students for solutions that are personalised to students or tailored vocational upper secondary qualifications, vocational to meet the needs of a partnering institution or qualifications and specialist vocational qualifications. company. We train teachers and workplace tutors, Individual studies form the basis of the education and and collaborate with industries and other educational teaching. Individual studying choices ensure that the institutes. students get a suitable and functional curriculum. For example, conducting a double degree offers Active competition offers excellent possibilities for prerequisites for further studies. the students to advance their skills and to reach a world-class level of professionalism. Internationality In addition to vocational studies, TAI offers career and multilingualism are a part of every school day, coaching and training to students from immigrant and student and teacher exchanges are arranged backgrounds. The basics of the Finnish language throughout the semester to almost every continent. that are taught in basic education for adults prepares the immigrants to operate as Finnish citizens. The TAI is located in several school buildings around preparatory education for vocational education Turku, and education is given in both Finnish and provides guidance and instruction to students Swedish. The hostel and education boat S/S Bore who are still uncertain of their future prospects and provides the students with a unique and novel professional career. learning environment. At Bore, students from different fields work in cooperation with TAI’s own staff.

www.taiturku.fi oppisopimus.turku.fi/en The City of Turku Education Division

Yliopistonkatu 27 a, PO Box 355 20100 Turku tel. 02 330 000 [email protected] www.turku.fi/education

Publisher: City of Turku, Education Division Layout: Siina Alaranta Images: Citu of Turku photobank, istockphoto.com Printed in: The Turku Vocational Institute printing services 2018