Curriculum, school subjects and assessment

In Helsinki, we want all pupils to have the opportunity to learn languages in a versatile and effective manner. That is why our pupils are allowed to study more languages than required by the national number of hours, and the range of languages offered in different schools is broad. Our teachers also make language studies inspiring and motivating.

Languages studies compulsory for everyone

The A1 language begins in grade one and the B1 language begins in grade six.

The A1 language refers to the first foreign language the pupil first starts studying at school. The A1 language begins in grade one and is studied for 2–3 hours a week, depending on the grade. The choice of the first foreign language is important because the pupil's language skills will become particularly strong in that language. The pupil will study the selected language throughout basic education and later in upper secondary education. 

Inform the school of your child’s language choice wishes when enrolling for first grade. The language selection for each school is available on the school's website. More detailed information about language studies and teaching is provided at the schools’ information events and parents’ evenings in pre-primary education.

The B1 language refers to the language beginning in grade six. In Helsinki, B1 languages are studied for two hours a week in grades six to nine.

Optional language studies

Pupils also have the opportunity to study optional languages from the third and eighth grades onwards. Starting studies in the optional language is voluntary, but once the studies start, the choice will be binding and the pupil will study the selected language throughout basic education.

The A2 language begins in grade three and is studied for 1–3 hours a week, depending on the grade. In grades 7–9, teaching is organised in such a way that the pupil's number of hours a week is 1–2 hours higher than for others or that the A2 language is one of the pupil's optional subjects. This means that choosing the A2 language may affect the number of optional subjects in grades 7–9.

The B2 language begins in grade eight in all languages except in Latin. Studies in Latin begins as early as in grade seven, and the pupils to be included in the teaching are selected via a language test. The B2 language is studied according to the school's own lesson plan presented in the school curriculum.

Language options

In our Finnish-language schools

• A1 language options are English, Spanish, Chinese, Northern Sámi, French, Swedish, German, Russian and Estonian
• A2 language options are English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Swedish, German and Russian
• B1 language options are Swedish and English
• B2 language options are Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Latin, French, German and Russian.

Not all languages listed are available at every school. At the majority of schools, the A1 language can be chosen from at least two alternatives, but at some schools, only English is available. The language selection of each school is available on the school website.

Leaflet in different languages on choosing A1 language, PDF

• Russian, pdf: Выбор языка А1 (обязательного иностранного языка) для будущего школьника
• Arabic, pdf: اختيار اللغة 1A للطالب القادم
• Somali, pdf: Doorashada luqadda A1 ee ardeyga dugsiga bilaabaya
• Sorani, pdf:  1A هەڵبژاردنی زمانی
• Finnish, pdf: Tulevan koululaisen A1-kielen valinta
• Swedish, pdf: Val av A1-språk för en blivande skolelev
• English, pdf: Upcoming pupil's A1 language selection

Bilingual basic education

You can also study in bilingual basic education in Helsinki. Learn more about the different options below. Please note that for Grades 2–9 in Basic education in English and Bilingual education pupils are selected via a language test. There is no test to language test to Grade 1.
Basic education in English
Bilingual education
English-enriched education
Swedish-language immersion

Languages studies compulsory for everyone

In our Swedish-language schools, the A1 language is always Finnish, and it starts in the first grade. A pupils can be study either the native-level Finnish syllabus or A1 Finnish syllabus.

A2 language in the Swedish-language schools starts in grade 3. It is studied for 2−3 per week,

Optional language studies

Pupils also have the opportunity to study optional languages. Starting studies in the optional language is voluntary, but once the studies start, the choice will be binding, and the pupil will study the selected language throughout basic education.

In our Swedish-language schools, pupils can study optional B2 language form the seventh grade onwards. The B2 language starts a year earlier than in the Finnish-language schools. In Helsinki, B2 language is studied for two hours more than what is the national minimum.

Language options

In our Swedish-language schools

• A1 language options are Finnish and native-level Finnish.
• A2 language options are English, French and German.
• B2 language options are English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Latin and Russian.

Not all the A2 and B2 languages above are available in every school. In schools where your chosen language is offered, teaching can begin if a sufficient number of students have chosen the language in question.

Mother tongue or home language studies support multilingual pupils in maintaining and developing their language skills. In Helsinki, a total of roughly 50 different languages are taught as a mother tongue. Out of these, pupils can only participate in the teaching of one language. The language studies supplement basic education, and the pupil will receive a separate assessment for these studies. 

The lessons are held once a week in the morning or afternoon, when the pupil has no other classes. The largest language groups may be taught at the pupil’s own school, but often pupils have to travel to another school for lessons. If necessary, you can apply for a student travel card for these journeys.

Who can apply for the studies?

• multilingual pupils whose mother tongue is not Finnish or Swedish
• pupils in Finnish-language basic education whose mother tongue or home language is Swedish
• pupils who speak Romani or whose families speak Romani
• pupils who speak a Sámi language or whose families speak a Sámi language
• pupils returning to Finland from another country in which they have learned a foreign language.

Mother tongue instruction is only organised for pupils in schools maintained by the City of Helsinki and other schools that are part of the City's local school network.

How do you enrol your child in mother tongue instruction?

Enrol your child in to mother tongue instruction upon enrolling the child to grade one and seven. At other times, enrol your child in Wilma under ‘Ilmoittautuminen oman äidinkielen opetukseen’ (enrolment in mother tongue instruction).

If you are unable to use Wilma, enrol your child using a PDF form below. Return the completed form to the school secretary of the pupil’s school.

Forms

• Form in English: Instruction in mother tongue or foreign language acquired abroad
• Form in Finnish: Ilmoittautuminen oman äidinkielen, kotikielen tai ulkomailla opitun vieraan kielen opetukseen
• Form in Swedish: Anmälan till undervisning i eget modersmål, hemspråk eller utomlands inlärt språk 
• Form in Arabic, تنسيق اللغة العربية: الحصول على درس اللغة الأم: (عربي) 
• Form in French, Formulaire en français: Inscription pour la langue maternelle/langue parlée a la maison ou langue étrangère apprise à l´étranger
• Form in Somali, Foomku waa Soomaali: Isdiiwaangalinta Kaqeybgalka Barista Afka Hooyo  
• Form in Russian, Форма на русском языке: заявление на участие в обучении родному/домашнему/приобретенному за рубежом языку

After enrolment, you may request information on the time and place of lessons from your child's own school. Groups for new languages are formed based on the number of enrolled pupils.

Pupils can participate in the instruction after enrolment. The enrolment will be valid until the guardian notifies the school of an interruption or when the pupil moves on to grade seven, in which case the enrolment must be repeated.

Participation in mother tongue studies is optional; however, once the pupil has enrolled in the studies, the pupil is  required to attend the lessons regularly.

Finnish or Swedish as a second language and literature is a way of completing the mother tongue and literature subject studies. 

Finnish as a second language and literature (S2) is intended for pupils: 

• whose mother tongue is not Finnish, Swedish or a Sámi language or who have a multilingual background, and
• whose Finnish language skills are not sufficient for them to study Finnish as a mother tongue (Finnish language and literature studies, S1), or 
• whose language proficiency is clearly lacking in a certain language competence area, such as understanding speech, speaking, writing and understanding text.

Similarly, our Swedish-language schools offer Swedish as a second language and literature (S2) studies. 

S2 instruction improves the ability of the pupil to speak Finnish or Swedish so that they can work and study in Finnish or Swedish with others. 

Teachers assess the pupil's language skills in different language areas and, on this basis, recommend Finnish or Swedish as a second language and literature (S2) or Finnish or Swedish and literature (S1) studies for the pupil. Ultimately, the decision is up to the guardian. 

S2 studies can be provided either in S2 classes or in joint language and literature studies for S2 and S1 pupils. S2 studies do not increase the pupils' weekly hours. 

Pupils can study according to S2 objectives until their skills are sufficient for Finnish language and literature studies (or in Swedish-language schools for studies in Swedish language and literature).

One of the common subjects of basic education is religion or ethics. The teaching of religion is politically neutral and religiously non-denominational.

The responsibility for a child's religious education belongs to the home.

Below you will find a description of which religion studies the pupil can or should participate in. Religion or ethics instruction in school depends on which religious community the pupil belongs or does not belong to.
 
Pupil who is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church

• always participates in the Evangelical Lutheran religion instruction.

Pupil who is a member of the Orthodox Church 

• participates in the Orthodox religion instruction, or 
• can participate in the instruction for the majority, i.e. the Evangelical Lutheran religion, after the guardian has notified the school.

Pupils belonging to one of these religious communities registered in Finland: the Buddhist community, Islam, Krishna and the Catholic Church

• may, at the request of their guardian, participate in the instruction of their own religion (in Swedish-language school this applies to Islam and Catholic church only), or
• can participate in the instruction for the majority, i.e. the Evangelical Lutheran religion, after the guardian has notified the school or
• may, at the request of their guardian, participate in ethics teaching, or
• may, at the request of their guardian, participate in the teaching of Orthodox religion, if the teaching, on the basis of the pupils' educational and cultural background, appears to correspond to their religious beliefs.

Pupils belonging to another religious community registered in Finland (which is not one of the religious communities listed above)

• can participate in the instruction of their own religious community instead of the religion classes at school after the guardian has notified the school. In this event, the guardian must submit to the school a statement of the pupil’s membership of the religious community in question and their participation in instruction provided outside of school. This education will not be graded on the pupil’s report card. Or
• can participate in the instruction for the majority, i.e. the Evangelical Lutheran religion, after the guardian has notified the school or 
• may, at the request of their guardian, participate in ethics instruction, or
• may, at the request of their guardian, participate in the Orthodox religion instruction or their own religion, if the teaching, on the basis of the pupil’s educational and cultural background, appears to correspond to their religious beliefs, or
• does not participate in any religion or ethics instruction. In this event, the school will organise other instruction or guided activities as substitute activities.

Pupils not belonging to a religious community

• participate in ethics instruction, or
• can participate in the instruction for the majority, i.e. the Evangelical Lutheran religion, after the guardian has notified the school or
• may, at the request of their guardian, participate in the Orthodox religion instruction or their own religion, if the instruction, on the basis of the pupil’s educational and cultural background, appears to correspond to their religious beliefs.

Religious events at school

More detailed information about the ethics instruction and applying for instruction of the pupil’s own religion is provided by the pupil’s school. At the start of the school year, the school informs the guardians about religious events held at the school. The guardians decide whether the pupil will attend these events. Alternative activities are always provided for religious events.

Optional studies deepen learning, expand studies and strengthen the pupils’ readiness for further education. They provide pupils with the opportunity to develop their competence in the subjects they choose.

Optional studies include optional classes in artistic and practical subjects, optional subjects and optional syllabi in foreign languages.

The selection of optional studies is available in the curriculum of each school. The content of optional subjects and their availability in different grades are decided by the schools themselves. The selection of optional syllabi in foreign languages varies between schools, but the lesson distribution is the same throughout Helsinki.

Optional subjects are evaluated either in numerical grades or in writing. Optional classes in artistic and practical subjects are part of the compulsory syllabi in these subjects. They will be assessed as part of these subjects and the optional subjects will not be assessed separately. Optional syllabi in foreign languages are assessed in numerical grades starting in grade four.