HomeEducation / Homeschool

[Ventilator]

Hello,

Does anyone know of families that are teaching their children at home? I know that it is supposedly allowed in Finland - as it is in most european countries, but does anybody actualy do it? Where can I get in contact with families that homeschool?

We are homeschooling, and thinking of moving to Finland this summer.

[EP]

I suppose homeschoooling is possible but I have never known anybody who does that. The only case I have read about was a family that went sailing around the world for two years. Sorry.

[Hank W.]

Oh, it is allowed all right. As long as you can pass the curriculum.... magic word is kotiopetus, but as EP said its not really mainstream, so the links you get seems the best information on the practicalities you get from some fundamentalist religious organization website.

[EP]

Surpsire, surprise! This has been asked four years ago on FinlandForum. And this seems to be a person who knows:

"There are basically two kinds of home education in Finland. If you need more detailed information, then you should probably contact someone in your municipality.

In Finland, education at home is an officially recognized form of education for pupils of compulsory age. In 2002 there were 347 children of compulsory school age (of a total of 595, 700 pupils) studying at home or in private instruction.

Education is compulsory but there’s no compulsory school attendance. However, the Basic Education Act (628/1998 :45 §) does stipulate that if a guardian neglects his/her duty to supervise that his/her child completes compulsory education, he/she may be fined.

There are basically two different types of home education. First of all, parents may arrange instruction for their children at home, if they so wish. Parents do not need to apply for a permit but a written notice to the municipality is required. The only task of the municipality of residence is to supervise that the compulsory education syllabi are completed.

In that case, in principle, the guardians are allowed to choose the teaching methods and the curriculum freely, and the guardians are solely responsible for the education provided at home. Education at home is inspected, for example, the city of Helsinki, has an employee, or a teacher, who visits the students at home, or the students come to school for examinations or complete the required syllabus otherwise under the supervision of the teacher.

Secondly, according to Basic the Education Act (628/1998:18§) it is possible to organize education partly or entirely at home, if the student is not able to attend school, for medical reasons, for instance. The municipality is responsible of providing means for this kind of education.

The curriculum must follow the requirements in the national core curriculum. Education at home must include the same aims, subject matter, subjects and guidance as the education provided at school. However, there may be variations to the distribution of lesson hours, or the subject matter may be organised in cross-curricular themes, for those pupils who are seriously handicapped or ill.

At the end of each school year, students have to receive a certificate (Basic Education Decree (852/1998) 10 §). Evaluation is based on the general requirements in the national core curriculum, or in case the pupil has an IEP, i.e., an individual education plan, then the evaluation is based on individual goals. In home education, evaluation must be done by taking the student’s abilities and needs into consideration, and providing alternative ways to take part in examinations.

A school appoints one teacher to supervise home education and to evaluate the student’s progress. The school also determines how many hours per week/month the teacher works with the student. Teachers may give home instruction 2-4 hours a week."

[EP]

The whole thread is here: http://www.finlandforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4860&p=49033&hilit=home+schooling#p49033