Moving with my children to Finland...education question????

shezza · Post by **shezza** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:30 pm

I am moving to Finland from Britain to live with my fiancee and my 2 children ( a 3 and a 7 yr old ) soon. I am wondering about my son and education. I would like him to go to a local school as they are smaller and he suffers from anxiety and hates being in crowds etc. I am trying to figure out if he should go straight in to school or if he would be able to take a few months out to learn the language and to adjust and then go to school. I am hoping someone else has had the same issues as me to give me some advice on whats the best thing to do.

**Sponsor:**

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:46 pm

Does your son know any Finnish already? If not, it would seem a bit traumatic for him to be put straight into a Finnish school. But on the other hand, you can not just decide that he should not attend any school (plus he won´t learn any Finnish if every other kid is at school and he sits at home alone).

shezza · Post by **shezza** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 3:58 pm

interleukin wrote:Does your son know any Finnish already? If not, it would seem a bit traumatic for him to be put straight into a Finnish school. But on the other hand, you can not just decide that he should not attend any school (plus he won´t learn any Finnish if every other kid is at school and he sits at home alone).

I was thinking more down the line of him learning the language, or at least the basics, before putting him in school but I do not know if this would be allowed. The school he will be going to speaks swedish and Finnish I think but I will have both my children learn both languages ( me also ). Due to his anxiety I do not want to upset him but then I wonder if he will learn quicker if he does go to school??? He really wants to move over to Finland and we have talked about this for many months in depth with him. I was just wonering if anyone has had a similar situation and had any light to shed on it

CH · Post by CH » Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:09 pm

shezza wrote:The school he will be going to speaks swedish and Finnish I think but I will have both my children learn both languages ( me also ).

The schools are usually either Finnish or Swedish speaking schools, although there are some exceptions. But the schooling is either in Finnish or Swedish, unless it is a language immersion class. (Finnish does start as a subject in Swedish speaking schools in 3rd grade, and Swedish in 7th grade in Finnish speaking shools.) Which language does your fiancee speak (Finnish or Swedish)? I would personally go according to that, as your children would then get better language support from home to manage school. Oh, and make your fiancee always speak her language to your children. Check up on how to support bilingualism.

If you are going to live in a bigger city, then there would probably be better knowledge and support for a child that cannot speak the language that is being taught in a Finnish school (most immigrants would choose a Finnish speaking school), but in a smaller town I would guess there isn't that much of a difference.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:57 pm

There are immigrant integration programs within some schools which are aimed at integrating children slowly into mainstream schooling. This would be perfect for your son since he would get Finnish-language tutoring in a small group and gradually integrate a larger class. First and second grade classes are usually quite small, ie around 20 children but it can vary from one place to another. You need to ask the Education Board at your local municipality which schools are currently hosting children on the integration programme. Your son would also be entitled to mother tongue tuition (another programme aimed at immigrant children) whereby he would get 2h per week English lessons with a native English-speaking teacher. Again this is not always available locally but you can fill out the forms and see what happens.

So you have to contact your local education authority in the town where you will be living in Finland.

By the way, if you are living permanently in Finland you have to send your son to school...keeping him at home is not really an option (school is compulsory from 7-16 years). And from my own (rather messy) experience I would strongly recommend you put him into mainstream Finnish (or Swedish) schooling. Especially if your decision to move here is permanent.

It is frustrating to parent a child that is being schooled in a foreign language. It makes you feel rather useless and out of control. But your role remains as important as ever and you can do so much to help your children at home by reading to them in English and helping them to read and write in your language. At times you will feel that the whole system is against you, but don't give up. Trust the system and trust your own instincts and capabilities as a parent and you'll all do fine.

Australialainen · Post by **Australialainen** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:10 am

I put my 9 year old english speaking son straight into a Finnish school. His teacher spoke English as I'm sure most of them do. He had no problems and picked up basic words very quickly. I would advise you to do the same. If your son suffers with anxiety, he will suffer regardless of where he is. The sooner he starts mixing with other kids and making friends the better.

shezza · Post by **shezza** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 5:44 pm

Thanks everyone!. I decided to talk to the head teacher of his current school and his teacher and they both said he will do better to go straight in to school because he learns so quickly anyway. It's only a small school so at least he wont be frightened by the size!

shezza · Post by **shezza** » Mon Sep 19, 2011 5:47 pm

" Which language does your fiancee speak (Finnish or Swedish)?"

My fiancee speaks both Finnish and Swedish! but the school he will be going to is a swedish speaking school.

Tiwaz · Post by **Tiwaz** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:15 am

shezza wrote:" Which language does your fiancee speak (Finnish or Swedish)?"

My fiancee speaks both Finnish and Swedish! but the school he will be going to is a swedish speaking school.

Bad decision if you are going to be in Finland for good. Swedish, while official language, is one spoken by 4% of population.

Your solution is about as rational as going to Spain and putting your kid in Basque school.

Yeah, it can work out if the kid either picks up more useful language on the side (but how proficient is that kid going to be in each of reading, writing and talking?). Which also requires that his school mates will opt for Finnish outside classrooms.
Or if kid is content to forever being tied up to tiny minority, which is basically on the decline.

Yes, they will receive some education in the other official language regardless of school chosen, but level of fluency in that one is going to be much poorer. (let's face it, most Finns could not speak their way out of wet paperbag with swedish)

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:35 am

But if the OP has a child with anxiety problems and no friends (yet), it also makes sense to put the kid in a school where they can actually communicate (I assume the kid knows some Swedish already). After a certain period of adjustment and some Finnish skills, the OP might consider a move to a Finnish-language school.

There is no right or wrong here, the OP is just trying to do what what is best for the kid.
I was three times as a kid/young adult put into a school in a new country where I didn't know a word of the local language. It worked out fine for me and I made quick progress in the language. I was, however, quite a tough cookie as a kid, almost on the border of "f**k you all!" so it was hard to break me down even when the situation was stressful. If a kid is anxious about school already, it may not be so easy.

Also, OP, are you planning a permanent move now to Finland or is this a "few years in Finland and let's see" thing? That would also help to determine how important it is to dive in to the Finnish-language pool from the deep end or not.

Tiwaz · Post by **Tiwaz** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:40 am

interleukin wrote:But if the OP has a child with anxiety problems and no friends (yet), it also makes sense to put the kid in a school where they can actually communicate (I assume the kid knows some Swedish already). After a certain period of adjustment and some Finnish skills, the OP might consider a move to a Finnish-language school.

Except those Finnish skills are not going to magically make themselves manifest if kid is kept inside Swedish bubble. Not to mention that after this adjusting period kid already is attached to his Swedish speaking class and to make him develop good Finnish level you would have to tear him away from that environment to Finnish speaking school where he has to start from zero all over again.

There is no right or wrong here, the OP is just trying to do what what is best for the kid.

Yes, but many people fail to think in really long term. Swedish speaking school can be good short term solution, but if kid is to stay in Finland, sooner they start learning Finnish and making long term friends the better.

I was three times as a kid/young adult put into a school in a new country where I didn't know a word of the local language. It worked out fine for me and I made quick progress in the language. I was, however, quite a tough cookie as a kid, almost on the border of "f**k you all!" so it was hard to break me down even when the situation was stressful. If a kid is anxious about school already, it may not be so easy.

And pushing kid to two different schools during first 6 years is not going to help with anxiety issues. Nor is giving kid useless language skills if he is to stay in Finland for good. If not, then any solution works out as badly as the other, some English speaking school being perhaps best option. Perhaps... Or not.

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:43 am

Tiwaz, I am not arguing with you. Your points are valid, I just wanted to add some (in my opinion needed) nuance to the discussions.

Tiwaz · Post by **Tiwaz** » Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:09 am

And I pointed out why going by that nuance is in my opinion going to make things worse, not better.

I also try to think best of the kid in terms of social interaction. Age 7 means classes 1 and 2. Even with anxiety, kid has best chance of adapting to his class, and avoiding being "the new kid". If he spends 2 or 3 years in Swedish school and switches, it is whole different animal. He would be moving to already established group, with higher chance of being "the new kid" who is picked on because of his bad Finnish. Add on top of that hiking up the studies towards 6th grade...

That's what I mean with thinking long term. You should look at how decisions would affect long term school progress, not just what is (or might be) simplest in any short time period.

Finland Forum

Find information about moving to, living in and life in Finland