- 2019Design
- 2020Approved/Agreed
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Completed
Background
One of the central aims of the Government Programme 2019-23 is to raise the education level and prevent the discontinuation of upper secondary education.
Objectives
The government aims to raise the minimum school leaving age to 18 years of age and introduce free upper secondary education. The extension of compulsory education was planned to come into force in 2021.
Description
Preparations to raise the minimum school leaving age to 18 years of age and introduce free upper secondary education help avoid discontinuing education due to the financial costs of attending VET.
A range of study and support options for completing compulsory education, such as voluntary additional comprehensive school education, folk high schools, workshops and rehabilitation and preparatory education may be included.
Preparations to raise the minimum school leaving age to 18 and introduce free upper secondary education were ongoing.
The legislation on the extension of compulsory education was adopted in December 2020 and is set to come into force in August 2021.
The Ministry of Education and Culture was also rolling out an extensive programme to support guidance counselling in primary education, lower secondary education, general upper secondary education and vocational education and training. The programme was part of the extension of compulsory education. It aimed to improve the quality and increase the amount of counselling in VET by 2022. The aim was also to provide all students in VET with the guidance and support they need at the right time and in all learning environments so there are fewer school dropouts and learning outcomes improve.
Extended compulsory education came into force in August 2021 and the first age group started their compulsory upper secondary level or preparatory studies. The admission and entry statistics were followed closely and at the end of November only 664 students (0.01 percent of the age group) were still in the process of finding a suitable continuation to basic education. The Ministry of Education and Culture, together with EDUFI, launched a follow-up programme to support its implementation in 2021-24 focusing on seven aspects of the reform: application and admission, student counselling, quality of teaching, special education, student welfare, cost realisation and impact.
In 2022, the Ministry of Education and Culture started working on the 2023 report on the implementation of compulsory education that is cost-free for learners. The education ministry also carried out a survey on the amount and sufficiency of guidance, directed at learners in compulsory education studying in a vocational or general upper secondary education programmes.
The Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) prepared monitoring reports on applications to and placement in education and training of persons within the scope of compulsory education. The reports were published at Vipunen, the education administration's reporting portal. EDUFI also started working on the 2023 report on the progress of studies.
As part of the extension of compulsory education, a new programme designed for the transition point from lower to upper secondary education started in August 2022. It is called preparatory education for programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification or TUVA. TUVA combines the former voluntary additional basic education, also known as 10th grade, with preparatory education for general upper secondary education (LUVA), and preparatory education for vocational education and training (VALMA).
Monitoring the extension of compulsory education was carried out in accordance with the established monitoring plan.
In the monitoring, various indicators were used, such as applications for enrolments, number of students at different educational levels, dropout rates, student well-being, special support needs, and cost effects. The indicators helped assess the impact of the reform and the achievement of its objectives, such as promoting educational equality and reducing school dropout rates. EDUFI updated the indicators in the education statistics portal Vipunen.
The Ministry of Education and Culture published a report on support services in upper secondary education, focusing on the support received by disabled students and students with special needs in the context of the extension of compulsory education. The Ministry of Finance conducted a preliminary assessment on gender impacts of the expansion of compulsory education.
According to the extension of compulsory education monitoring plan, the final follow-ups were carried in 2024. To support statistical monitoring, content was added to Vipunen education statistics portal's compulsory education tracking reports by the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI).
The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) completed an evaluation of the new forms of student counselling. It focused on new or enhanced forms of student counselling brought about by the extension of compulsory education.
The effectiveness of preparatory education programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification (TUVA) was evaluated. The evaluation of TUVA revealed its effectiveness in providing individualised learning paths and support for students transitioning to vocational education. However, challenges such as varying implementation practices across providers and a need for better coordination and resource allocation were identified. The findings aim to inform future improvements to enhance consistency and support for learners.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education and Culture
- Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI)
- Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
Entities providing VET
- VET providers (all kinds)
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to the ways VET is funded at the system level. Policies include optimisation of VET provider funding that allows them to adapt their offer to changing skill needs, green and digital transitions, the social agenda and economic cycles, e.g. increasing the funding for VET or for specific programmes. They can also concern changing the mechanism of how the funding is allocated to VET schools (per capita vs based on achievement or other criteria). Using EU funds and financial instruments for development of VET and skills also falls into this sub-category.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to providing high-quality lifelong learning and career guidance services, including making full use of Europass and other digital services and resources.
This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET promoting equality of opportunities
Osnabrück Declaration
- Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Extension of compulsory education: Finland. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/36303