Question for you teachers/daycare teachers out there!

[Spectra]

Hi!

Can anyone tell me what the Finnish law says about native English-speaking people working with children in daycare? Must they have teaching credentials, childcare qualifications, etc?

If you want to get a job in an English themed daycare as an English teacher, and you have experience with kids, but don't have qualifications, can they hire you?

Silly question, but what about teaching, with experience with kids, no qualifications, ok Finnish skills, in a regular Finnish daycare? Would that even be remotely possible?


THANKS!!

[Pursuivant]

they can hire the soup ladys off the street just on the pedo-paper from the police, but to be tenured you need to have your preschool education candidate degree from the university... of course one would get hired but on the soup lady salary as unqualified...

[richard berman]

There is a lady called Sara on this forum, look for her profile under search, she has worked a few years for a English day care centre, she will be able to help you.

[Pursuivant]

they can hire whomever they wish to hire. There're no regulations.

isn't the police cert required even for privvies? even though it doesn't much do any good for someone just off the plane

[Spectra]

Are you serious? No qualifications are necessary if you are hired by a private kindergarten?
Is there an actual law that states that?? I would love to know where it's written down.

So does that go for all the teachers? Or does at least one (or two, or three, etc) have to have some kind of qualifications to care for children?

Thanks again!

[Pursuivant]

well the act on daycare says that theres minimum of qualified per amount of children...

[Upphew]

well the act on daycare says that theres minimum of qualified per amount of children...

Not a minimum of qualified but a certain number of adults per child. And again, there's a difference between private vs state in whether they need
to be qualified (ie. qualifications recognized by the Finnish training system).

Laki lasten päivähoidosta 19.1.1973/36 doesn't seem to care if daycare is private or public.
Asetus lasten päivähoidosta 16.3.1973/239 states:
"Päiväkodissa tulee hoito- ja kasvatustehtävissä olla vähintään yksi henkilö, jolla on sosiaalihuollon ammatillisen henkilöstön kelpoisuusehdoista annetun asetuksen (804/92) 4 tai 5 §:ssä säädetty ammatillinen kelpoisuus, enintään seitsemää kokopäivähoidossa olevaa kolme vuotta täyttänyttä lasta kohden. Enintään neljää alle kolmivuotiasta lasta kohden tulee päiväkodissa hoito- ja kasvatustehtävissä samoin olla vähintään yksi henkilö, jolla on edellä säädetty ammatillinen kelpoisuus."
and
"Päiväkodissa tulee vähintään joka kolmannella hoito- ja kasvatustehtävissä toimivalla olla sosiaalihuollon ammatillisen henkilöstön kelpoisuusehdoista annetun asetuksen 4 §:ssä säädetty ammatillinen kelpoisuus ja muilla hoito- ja kasvatustehtävissä toimivilla 5 §:ssä säädetty ammatillinen kelpoisuus."

That "asetus" seems to apply only to the public daycare, but the law "takes" its requirements to staff from that "asetus"... but I leave it to the pros tell me how it really is

[Spectra]

Ok, will call OPE and ask. Thanks.

Now, a different question: What about becoming certified? Has anyone (non-native Finnish speaker) studied to become certified as a daycare teacher/nurse? How was that experience? How long did it take? How were your Finnish skills, and how big a problem was the language? My Finnish is so-so. I can hold a decent conversation. People can understand me but I know I'm butchering the grammar.

What schools did you attend? How much did it cost?

Thanks again!

[Pursuivant]

What schools did you attend?

found here

How much did it cost?

this is Finland?

[Spectra]

ok.

What about you, Cory, did you have training in Finland?

[Spectra]

ok, sorry, thought that you had been also teaching.

[che77]

Hi!

Can anyone tell me what the Finnish law says about native English-speaking people working with children in daycare? Must they have teaching credentials, childcare qualifications, etc?

If you want to get a job in an English themed daycare as an English teacher, and you have experience with kids, but don't have qualifications, can they hire you?

Silly question, but what about teaching, with experience with kids, no qualifications, ok Finnish skills, in a regular Finnish daycare? Would that even be remotely possible?


THANKS!!

hi, teaching in Finnish daycare without any Finnish language is probably next to impossible as i dont see how you can teach when you dont even speak the language. as for working in an english themed daycare without any qualification or experience in working with kids, i guess this depends on the employer. correct me if im wrong on this but as far as i know, according to the law employers can hire a non qualified teacher (if they want) but he/she can only work for a maximum of one year regardless of whether the person is a native speaker or not .

[nappula_]

I'm currently working in a day care center and as far as I know you do need to be qualified even on the private sector. It's stated here: http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/alkup/2005/20050272 . However if the contract is for less than 12months they are allowed to hire unqualified personnel as well, but this happens rarely and they would want significant amount of experience.

[Amandine.K]

It does happen to a few daycare actually, they employ you from August to June so that they can hire whoever they judge suitable and don't pay holiday money.

I worked in an English-speaking daycare last year and we had a esikoulu class. Two groups, 3 adults : 1 qualified teacher and 2 assistant teachers. The qualified teacher had the necessary qualification and some member of staff were taking further qualifications. You can be a daycare teacher by being a lähihoitaja (practical nurse). You can do the course in English, it takes 3 years. Check Omnia in Espoo.

[RA]

Hmm.. in my understanding a lastentarhaopettaja (daycare teacher) requires a university degree- Kasvatustieden kandidaatti (bachelor level degree in pedagogics), previously I think they actually required a master's degree. A lastenhoitajaa = nanny in daycare requires the lähihoitaja degree that can be taken at a 'University of Applied Science'- ammattikorkeakoulu. Unqualified nannies can be hired for a defined period of time. In my daughter's daycare group, they have 1 teacher and 2 nannies and 1 nanny trainee.

Here are the unis where you can study to be a daycare teacher:

Helsingin yliopisto
Joensuun yliopisto - Savonlinnan opettajankoulutuslaitos
Jyväskylän yliopisto
Oulun yliopisto
Snellman-korkeakoulu, Helsinki
* Steinerpedagoginen varhaiskasvattajakoulutus
Tampereen yliopisto
Turun yliopisto - Rauman opettajankoulutuslaitos
Åbo Akademi, Jakobstad