Support for learning and school attendance

Teaching arrangements that support the conditions for learning mean that teaching should be organised in a way that takes account of pupils’ diverse needs and abilities. Teaching groups are formed so that educational goals can be achieved.

Teaching arrangements that support the conditions for learning include:

• differentiation of instruction by adjusting the level of difficulty
• support related to the language and concepts used in the subject being studied
• accessibility of the learning environment.

Group-specific support is the primary form of support. Group-specific support is provided in a flexible and systematic manner throughout the school year. No administrative decisions are made concerning group-specific support.

The forms of group-specific support include:

• general remedial instruction provided by the teacher
• remedial instruction in the language of instruction provided by the teacher
• instruction provided by a special education teacher alongside other instruction.

Pupils who have difficulty in participating in instruction and progressing in their studies are entitled to general remedial instruction as well as instruction provided by a special education teacher alongside other instruction.

Pupils who do not have sufficient skills in the language of instruction to complete the basic education syllabus are entitled to remedial instruction in the language of instruction.

If group-specific support is not sufficient, pupil-specific support measures can also be provided. These support measures are based on each pupil’s individual needs, and support is provided regularly and on a long-term basis. Pupils may receive both group-specific and pupil-specific support at the same time. A separate administrative decision is made on pupil-specific support measures.

Pupil-specific support is provided, considering the best interests of the pupil, primarily at the pupil’s local school, with the exception of pupils requiring intensive support.

Pupil-specific support measures include:

• instruction provided by a special education teacher partly in small groups and alongside other instruction
• instruction provided in a small group by a special education teacher or special class teacher
• instruction provided by a special class teacher in a special education class
• interpretation services
• assistant services
• assistive devices

Deviation from the basic education syllabus or the objectives of the curriculum can refer to the following:

• Objective-based studies
  • The pupil’s studies in one or more subjects are based on an individualised, objective-based plan instead of progressing from one grade to the next. This allows the pupil to progress at a faster or slower pace in relation to a specific objective or objectives in one or more subjects.
• Limited subject syllabus
  • The syllabus of a specific subject is only limited if, despite group-specific support and pupil-specific support measures, the pupil is unable to complete the basic education syllabus and achieve the objectives of the curriculum (i.e. achieve at least a grade 5 on a grading scale of 4–10).
  • Limiting the syllabus is a last resort, as it means that the pupil’s studies are not based on the objectives of the basic education curriculum. In the final assessment, the grade given in a subject with a limited syllabus is always 5.
  • As a rule, being in the early stages of learning the language of instruction, absences, lack of motivation, inadequate study techniques or behavioural reactions cannot be a reason for limiting the syllabus.
• Temporary exemption from studying a subject syllabus for health reasons
  • A pupil can be temporarily exempted from having to study a subject due to health reasons. This means that the pupil will not participate in instruction during a short fixed period. The exemption can apply to the weekly lessons in a specific subject for a maximum period of four months.

Providing basic education for pupils with a disability, illness or functional limitations affecting their learning ability means that individual support measures are offered to these pupils based on their needs. The support measures may include pupil-specific support measures or deviating from the basic education syllabus or the objectives of the curriculum. Before starting their basic education, the pupil has received a decision on an early start of compulsory education.

The aim of the reform is to clarify the provision of support and strengthen pupils’ right to receive support as early as possible. The reform will clarify and harmonise the forms of support for learning at the national and local levels as well as the support measures and paths from pre-primary to upper secondary education.

The three-tiered support model will be discontinued and, from now on, support will primarily be provided in the form of group-specific support and through teaching arrangements that support the conditions for learning.

Teaching arrangements that support the conditions for learning include:

• differentiation of instruction by adjusting the level of difficulty
• support related to the language and concepts used in the subject being studied
• accessibility of the learning environment.

The forms of group-specific support include:

• general remedial instruction provided by the teacher
• remedial instruction in the language of instruction provided by the teacher
• instruction provided by a special education teacher alongside other instruction.

If group-specific support measures are not sufficient, the pupil is entitled to pupil-specific support measures.

Pupil-specific support measures include:

• instruction provided by a special education teacher and/or special class teacher, either alongside other instruction, in a small group or in a special education class
• pupil-specific interpretation and assistant services
• assistive devices.

The school year 2025–2026 is a transition period, and the current special support decisions will be reviewed during the school year to comply with the new legislation. Until the pupil’s decision is reviewed, they are entitled to support based on the special support decision. As part of the review process, a plan will be made as to how the pupil’s support will be arranged in the future. If pupil-specific support measures are needed, an administrative decision will be made in accordance with the new legislation.

Instruction provided in special education classes is one of the support forms defined in the new legislation. In Espoo, the focus in Finnish-language basic education will shift to special classes at local schools. Espoo’s Finnish-speaking schools will establish school-specific special education classes based on their pupils’ needs. In other words, Espoo’s Finnish Basic Education Unit will not reduce the number of special education classes due to the reform. In Espoo’s Swedish-language basic education, special education classes have been centralised in one primary school (grades 1–6) and one lower secondary school (grades 7–9).

Children who currently receive special support will have their need for support and support measures assessed during the school year 2025–2026, and their decisions will be reviewed during the school year to comply with the new legislation. For more information, you can contact your child’s school or the City of Espoo’s Education Support Unit (contact information at the bottom of the page).

General support is the first step taken to address a pupil’s need for support, and it is part of daily teaching activities. It includes pedagogical solutions at individual and group levels and guidance-based support measures to prevent problems in learning and school attendance at an early stage. If necessary, a learning plan can be drawn up for the pupil to monitor and assess the effectiveness of the support, but it is not required.

Intensified support is more continuous, intensive and individualised than general support. The pupil often needs more than one form of support at a time. A pedagogical evaluation is conducted to determine the start and end of intensified support. The evaluation is discussed in multiprofessional cooperation with pupil welfare staff. A personal learning plan is drawn up for the pupil. The learning plan describes the pupil’s tailored support measures and helps to monitor and assess the effectiveness of the support measures regularly during the school year. The learning plan is drawn up in cooperation between school and home

Special support is provided for pupils who are unable to meet their goals in terms of growth, development or learning with the help of other support measures. Special support is individualised, comprehensive and systematic support with the aim of ensuring that the pupil completes their compulsory education and has a foundation for further studies after basic education.

Before special support is considered, the pupil has received a wide range of general and intensified support, and the effectiveness of the support measures has been assessed over a sufficiently long period. A pedagogical report is drawn up before a decision on special support is made, and the report is discussed by the school’s multiprofessional learning support group. An administrative decision on the provision of special support is then made for the pupil, which requires that the pupil and their guardians are heard concerning the requested teaching arrangements.

An individualised educational plan (IEP, known as HOJKS in Finnish) is drawn up for the pupil, containing the pupil’s learning goals, the content of their studies, and support measures.

As a rule, special support is provided at the pupil’s own local school using flexible teaching arrangements.

1. Integrated into mainstream education

   The pupil’s primary teaching group is a mainstream education group. All forms of special support are available to the pupil, and small groups are used flexibly to support learning according to the pupil’s needs.

2. School-specific special education class

   The pupil’s primary teaching group is a special education class. All pupils in the class are pupils of the same school, and they all have various needs for support. The pupil is also systematically integrated into a mainstream education group.

3. Area-specific special education class

   The pupil’s primary teaching group is a special education class. All pupils in the class are from the same catchment area, and they all have various needs for support. The pupil is also systematically integrated into a mainstream education group.

4. City-level special education class

   The city-level special education classes have pupils from different parts of Espoo. The most common forms of city-level instruction are instruction for pupils with severe intellectual disabilities and rehabilitative instruction.

If the pupil is unable to achieve the goals related to a certain subject (grade 5 on a grading scale of 4–10), even with the help of strong support or special priority areas of study, it is possible to individualise the syllabus for the subject in question. Individualisation is only possible in connection with special support. Individualising a subject syllabus means that the target level for the subject is

determined according to the pupil’s abilities. The pupil’s individualised goals are recorded in their individualised educational plan, and the pupil’s assessment is based on these goals. Individualisation decisions are based on careful consideration as they limit a pupil’s right to receive instruction even at the minimum level of the basic education syllabus, which may affect the pupil’s further studies.

Education based on activity areas is intended for pupils who cannot study different subjects due to a disability or illness. This form of education focuses on everyday skills, such as motor skills, language and communication, social skills and cognitive skills.

Extended compulsory education concerns pupils who are unable to meet the goals set for basic education in nine years due to a disability or illness. The decision on extended compulsory education is often made before the start of compulsory education, which ensures that the pupil gains the maximum benefit. Compulsory education is not extended during basic education, which means that everyone’s compulsory education ends in the year they reach the age of 18.