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Internationality and cultural richness are part of the value base of primary and lower secondary education and thus one of the cornerstones of school culture. Cultural competence, interaction and expression are part of the transversal competences of the national core curricula for primary and lower secondary education that transcend the boundaries of individual subjects.  

Primary and lower secondary education supports the building of the pupils' own cultural identity and interest in other cultures. It strengthens respect for cultural diversity, promotes interaction within and between cultures and thus lays the foundation for culturally sustainable development. Primary and lower secondary education provides a foundation for global citizenship that respects human rights.  

The school as a learning community is part of a diverse society in which the local and global overlap. Different identities, languages, religions and beliefs coexist and interact with each other. Domestic internationality is a crucial resource in the learning community. The aim is to develop understanding and respect between individuals and groups as well as responsible conduct.  

The goals of study and careers guidance in primary and lower secondary education include supporting pupils’ ability to operate in intercultural encounters and cooperation situations and guiding pupils to obtain and take in information on study and work opportunities in multinational working environments and abroad. 
 

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The national core curriculum for general upper secondary education (2019) is based on the Act on General Upper Secondary Education, which was revised in 2018. One of the objectives of the revision was to guide general upper secondary schools to organise their teaching in a way that provides students with opportunities to develop their international competence. In the same context, the Act also mentions the development of cooperation with higher education institutions and of skills for working life and entrepreneurship (714/2018, section 13). The revision of the Act anticipated the reform of the national core curriculum, and the 2019 national core curriculum for general upper secondary education included a section dedicated to these three cooperation and competence themes (LOPS2019, Subsection 3.6). 

One of the transversal competences included in the national core curriculum for general upper secondary education is global and cultural competence. It includes international competences and the global citizen’s disposition; knowledge of Finnish, European and global heritage and appreciation of cultural diversity; and ethical agency in the globalised spheres of media and technology. 

The transversal competences have been incorporated into the objectives of all general upper secondary education subjects.  All six competences promote the examination of international competence from the perspective of interaction between people, civic engagement and the conservation of nature and the vitality of the planet. The common thread of both the transversal competences and the definition of internationality in general upper secondary education is the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

The objective of internationality is to diversify the experiences of general upper secondary school students, expand their worldview and strengthen their ability to operate in an ethically sustainable manner in a globalised world of challenges and opportunities.  

In general upper secondary education, the priorities of international competence and the ways in which international activities, learning and competence are assessed are decided in the local curriculum of each general upper secondary school. 
 

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The internationality of vocational education and training is based on the need to respond to the increasingly international demands of Finnish working life. Internationality is not limited to student exchanges or traineeships abroad, as it also includes domestic internationality, meaning the acquisition of international competence in Finland.  

In vocational qualifications, internationality is a part of common units, the key competences for lifelong learning and vocational competence requirements. The capabilities related to international competence include not only language skills, tolerance and intercultural competence, but also persistence, productivity and curiosity.  

In common units, internationality is reflected particularly in communication and interaction skills as regards languages and in civic and working life skills as regards cultural diversity.

The key competences for lifelong learning related to internationality are reflected in vocational competence requirements in the form of communication and interaction competence, social competence and civic skills, cultural competence and sustainable development competence.

Different qualifications emphasise internationality in different ways in accordance with the vocational competence requirements of working life. The common unit “Working in an international work environment” included in all initial vocational qualifications offers opportunities especially for students in fields where internationality has traditionally not been a part of studies. These include certain fields of technology or welfare and health. 
 

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