peruskoulua

Peruskoulua is the Finnish term for the country’s nine-year comprehensive basic education. It is compulsory for all children and covers grades 1 through 9, typically from ages 7 to 16. The education is publicly funded and provided by municipalities; it is free of charge, and most schools offer free meals to pupils. Instruction is mainly in Finnish, with Swedish-language peruskoulu options in Swedish-speaking areas; multilingual settings and language support are available for pupils with diverse backgrounds.

The nine years are usually organized as primary education (grades 1–6) and lower secondary education (grades 7–9). The national core curriculum, prepared by the Finnish National Agency for Education, guides teaching and learning across peruskoulua. It emphasizes equality of opportunity, inclusive education, student welfare, and a broad curriculum that includes mother tongue and literature, second language, mathematics, sciences, social studies, arts, physical education, and religion or ethics. Assessment is primarily continuous and formative, with a final completion certificate issued at the end of the nine years (peruskoulun päättötodistus).

After completing peruskoulua, most students continue to upper secondary education, either lukio (general upper secondary) or vocational education and training programs. The Matriculation Examination is taken after lukio and is the main route to higher education. Finland’s peruskoulua system is central to national education policy and is designed to support high participation, equity, and teacher professional autonomy.