Language and Cultural Minorities

As stipulated in the Constitution of Finland, the two national languages, Finnish and Swedish, are equal languages throughout the country with respect to dealing with the authorities. The third of the languages spoken in Finland is the regional language, Saami (Lappish), which is spoken by approximately 1,800 people (0.03 percent of the population) as their mother tongue. The Saami-speaking population has the right to receive services from society in their mother tongue.

The Sami, as an indigenous people, as well as the Roma and other groups, have the right to maintain and develop their own language and culture. Provisions on the right of the Sami to use the Sami language before the authorities are laid down by an Act.

The rights of persons using sign language and of persons in need of interpretation or translation aid owing to disability shall be guaranteed by an Act.

Finnish and Swedish are languages of instruction in educational institutions on all educational levels. Usually the institutions have either Finnish or Swedish as their language of instruction, but there are upper secondary vocational institutions and universities which are bilingual. Saami is the language of instruction in some basic education, upper secondary general and vocational institutions on the Saami-speaking areas.

The aims of immigrant education, for both children and adults, include equality, functional bilingualism and multiculturalism. The objective of immigrant education provided by different educational institutions is to prepare immigrants for integration into the Finnish education system and society, to support their cultural identity and to provide them with as well-functioning bilingualism as possible so that, in addition to Finnish (or Swedish), they will also have a command of their own native language.