Skip to main content

Primary and lower secondary education


The objective of primary and lower secondary education in Finland is to support pupils’ growth towards humanity and ethically responsible membership of society and to provide them with the knowledge and skills needed in life.

Primary and lower secondary education lasts for 9 years and it is for all youngsters between 7 and 16 years. Pre-primary education starts one year before primary and lower secondary education at the age of 6. 

Primary and lower secondary education is provided in a single structure system. It includes grades 1–9. 

Municipalities are responsible for arranging education for all 6–18 years old living in a municipality.  

Pre-primary and primary and lower secondary education are free of charge for pupils. Pupils get also free learning materials, daily school meal, health and welfare services and transport from home to school if the way to school is long or dangerous.

Every pupil is allocated a place in a nearby school, but they can also choose another school with some restrictions.

All schools follow a national core curriculum, which includes objectives and core contents of different subjects. The education providers - most often municipalities as the local education authorities - and the schools themselves draw up their own curricula within the framework of the national core curriculum.

The former translation of primary and lower secondary education is basic education, which is used in the name of the current core curriculum,  The National Core Curriculum for Basic Education (2014).