1.What happens to a child when grades are not high enough to go to IB and Finnish language is not enough to go to a vocational school?
2. Is vocational school in Finland accepted in USA as completed high school?
Thanks for all information and please not nasty comments. This is serious matter
Options for IB?
Re: Options for IB?
I sympathise with you. This is a real problem. It is paradoxical that immigrant children are denied access to IB schools because they score poorly in Finnish (which has a high weighting in the calculation of the grade point average) - yet the IB programme is taught in English 
My understanding is that this year the IB schools are not allowed to be so selective about who they invite to sit the entrance tests. In the past certain schools have been a bit secretive about their selection criteria (my own son was not even invited to sit the IB entrance exam even though his grade point average was above 8 ). This is because they know that immigrant children school high in the English exam, which therefore discriminates against Finnish children.
So, what's the alternative...
Many immigrant children with poor Finnish skills go to Eira Lukio for adults. http://www.eiraedu.com Eira offers students the choice between the AICE diploma (a combination of English AS and A levels) and also intensive Finnish second language courses and regular lukio courses which can lead to the Finnish High School certificate and the Matriculation exam. Although it is a High School for Adults it does admit children graduating from 9th grade. However, the children are expected to manage their own options, timetabling etc and won't be hand held through lukio. Eira is the biggest lukio in the country and has some great teachers. It is using different teaching methods including blended learning with many courses offered on-line. I have heard good reports on Eira's ability to get immigrant kids through the Finnish matriculation exam.
Your child could also take "10th grade" in Eira (or in many other schools) which is basically a resit of 8th an 9th grades which may enable him to improve his grades and then enter the Joint Application System again for admission to IB or pre-IB.
Other options in Helsinki include The English School lukio or Kulosaari Yhteiskoulu lukio both of which offer the AICE diploma, but within a regular high school environment.
The AICE diploma is now recognised by the Finnish Polytechnics so it is possible to get onto a bachelors degree course in Finland (and many of these are in English) with a good AICE diploma.
The ammattikoulu are an alternative to lukio. There are some courses in English, for example there is a Catering course in Vantaa which is taught entirely in English. In my opinion many of the ammattikoulu courses that are taught in Finnish are also accessible to students with poor Finnish skills and the government is actively encouraging the schools to admit foreign students onto those programmes. There is a brochure available which lists ALL the ammattikoulu programmes and if your child is in 9th grade he/she should have received a copy of it from school.
There are now also "joint" lukio and ammattikoulu programmes where the student can take high school subjects and a ammattikoulu programme in parallel (for example Perho Culinary school offers such a course). The teaching is in Finnish but it is extremely "hands on" so much more accessible to students with poor Finnish skills. And of course, it is MUCH easier to make progress in Finnish if you are actually DOING something in Finnish.
If you have a son/daughter in 9th grade you should receive some brochures with all the high school options listed BEFORE the closing date for the Joint Application System. And of course, the school should be helping your child to make the right choices.
In a nutshell... if your son/daughter plans to stay in Finland and look for work here then I think it is worth trying to get through the Finnish matriculation exam, possibly through Eira's intensive Finnish programme OR take an ammattikoulu course. If your child wishes to go into Further or Higher education (eg a Bachelors degree) then the Finnish matriculation or the AICE diploma is the way to go.
My understanding is that this year the IB schools are not allowed to be so selective about who they invite to sit the entrance tests. In the past certain schools have been a bit secretive about their selection criteria (my own son was not even invited to sit the IB entrance exam even though his grade point average was above 8 ). This is because they know that immigrant children school high in the English exam, which therefore discriminates against Finnish children.So, what's the alternative...
Many immigrant children with poor Finnish skills go to Eira Lukio for adults. http://www.eiraedu.com Eira offers students the choice between the AICE diploma (a combination of English AS and A levels) and also intensive Finnish second language courses and regular lukio courses which can lead to the Finnish High School certificate and the Matriculation exam. Although it is a High School for Adults it does admit children graduating from 9th grade. However, the children are expected to manage their own options, timetabling etc and won't be hand held through lukio. Eira is the biggest lukio in the country and has some great teachers. It is using different teaching methods including blended learning with many courses offered on-line. I have heard good reports on Eira's ability to get immigrant kids through the Finnish matriculation exam.
Your child could also take "10th grade" in Eira (or in many other schools) which is basically a resit of 8th an 9th grades which may enable him to improve his grades and then enter the Joint Application System again for admission to IB or pre-IB.
Other options in Helsinki include The English School lukio or Kulosaari Yhteiskoulu lukio both of which offer the AICE diploma, but within a regular high school environment.
The AICE diploma is now recognised by the Finnish Polytechnics so it is possible to get onto a bachelors degree course in Finland (and many of these are in English) with a good AICE diploma.
The ammattikoulu are an alternative to lukio. There are some courses in English, for example there is a Catering course in Vantaa which is taught entirely in English. In my opinion many of the ammattikoulu courses that are taught in Finnish are also accessible to students with poor Finnish skills and the government is actively encouraging the schools to admit foreign students onto those programmes. There is a brochure available which lists ALL the ammattikoulu programmes and if your child is in 9th grade he/she should have received a copy of it from school.
There are now also "joint" lukio and ammattikoulu programmes where the student can take high school subjects and a ammattikoulu programme in parallel (for example Perho Culinary school offers such a course). The teaching is in Finnish but it is extremely "hands on" so much more accessible to students with poor Finnish skills. And of course, it is MUCH easier to make progress in Finnish if you are actually DOING something in Finnish.
If you have a son/daughter in 9th grade you should receive some brochures with all the high school options listed BEFORE the closing date for the Joint Application System. And of course, the school should be helping your child to make the right choices.
In a nutshell... if your son/daughter plans to stay in Finland and look for work here then I think it is worth trying to get through the Finnish matriculation exam, possibly through Eira's intensive Finnish programme OR take an ammattikoulu course. If your child wishes to go into Further or Higher education (eg a Bachelors degree) then the Finnish matriculation or the AICE diploma is the way to go.
Re: Options for IB?
Thaks for all the information, I already ordered the booklet. Also I will have a meeting with the principal to know more about the options because seems my son "forgot" to give me the letter of parent's principal meeting where all this was going to be explained. I understand that there is the 10th grade option for some students but don't know if is giving in English.
I don't live in Helsinki area, but I will look for more information where I live. I feel so guilty because I should have known or a least look for this kind of information before I came to live here. I knew his grades were not the highest But everything were roses and a bright future until you face reality.
Thanks again
I don't live in Helsinki area, but I will look for more information where I live. I feel so guilty because I should have known or a least look for this kind of information before I came to live here. I knew his grades were not the highest But everything were roses and a bright future until you face reality.
Thanks again
You don't know what you've got until it's gone