Curriculum structure and
organisation from age four to
age 12
6.
(If children are not in primary
school at age four (or older),
what kind of pre-school
curriculum structure exists?)
The National Core Curriculum is determined by the Finnish National Board of Education. It includes the
objectives and core contents of the various subjects, as well as the principles of pupil assessment, special
needs education, pupil welfare and educational guidance. The principles of a good learning environment,
working approaches as well as the concept of learning are also addressed in the core curriculum. The
current National Core Curriculum for basic education was confirmed in January 2004 and introduced in
schools in August 2006.
The National Core Curriculum is currently being reviewed; the review will be completed by the end of 2014.
New local curricula - based on the revised National Core Curriculum – are expected to be in place by the
beginning of the 2016-17 school year. A revised National Core Curriculum for basic education will be
introduced in 2016.
The Basic Education Act regulates the subjects included in the curriculum and student counselling. The
Government decides on the overall time allocation by defining the minimum number of lessons for core subjects during basic education. In Grades 1–6 (ages seven to 13) pupils usually receive the same
education, but schools may focus on different subjects in different ways due to the flexible time allocation.
In Grades 7–9 (ages 13-16), more optional subjects are included in the curriculum. The curriculum also
includes a workplace guidance period. Pupils‟ parents or carers (along with pupils) decide which of the
optional subjects on offer the pupil will take. (European Commission et al., 2013b)
The National Core Curriculum for basic education includes the following subjects:
mother tongue and literature (Finnish or Swedish)
the other national language (Swedish or Finnish)
foreign languages
environmental studies
health education
religion or ethics
history
social studies
mathematics
physics
chemistry
biology
geography
physical education
music
visual arts
craft
home economics.
Not all subjects are taught from Year/Grade 1. Other languages, for example, are introduced from Grade 3
(age nine onwards) and, in Grades 1–4, biology, geography, physics and chemistry as well as health
education are integrated into a subject known as environment and nature studies. Physics and chemistry,
and history and civics are introduced from Grade 5 . Health education as a stand-alone subject and home
economics are studied from Grade 7.