The Education Division’s international activities are based on the Helsinki City Strategy for 2021–2025: A Place of Growth.
These international activities support and develop the skills of students and personnel and are a part of everyday life at daycare centres, schools and other educational institutions. The activities include cooperation with partners, school camps, on-the-job learning periods, project activities, competitions and foreign visitors.
The international education path starts during early childhood education and continues on the next education levels. The international activities implement the objectives of:
- Early childhood education(Link leads to external service)
- Curricula(Link leads to external service)
- The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development(Link leads to external service)
Erasmus+ collaboration and visits
The Education Division of the city of Helsinki has been granted Erasmus+ accreditations for 2021 – 2027. The consortium consists of educational units from pre-primary to secondary level including vocational education, all of which are also accredited.
Our objectives in the Education Division are based on the municipality’s strategy and the curriculums of each school sector.
If you are planning to visit a school in Helsinki, we kindly encourage you to look for a suitable partner on European School Education Platform(Link leads to external service)
Visiting Us
Are you interested in the Finnish education system? Would you like to meet Finnish teachers and students as well as children in early childhood education?
On this site you can book a visit to a daycare centre, school or educational institution. Visit request form can be found at the bottom of this page.
Please familiarise yourself with the services below.
Our division provides education in Finnish and English. We also provide vocational education and training in Finnish.
The Education division of the City of Helsinki is in charge of organizing:
- Early childhood education, which includes daycare, pre-primary education, playground activities, and morning and afternoon activities for schoolchildren. Link to the services
- Basic education, which includes primary level (ages 7-12) and lower secondary level (ages 13-15). Link to the services
- General upper secondary education (ages 16+). Link to the services
- Vocational education, apprenticeship training, preparatory training for secondary education, and different workshop activities for young people. Link to the services
- Liberal adult education services, which offer a diverse selection of courses, hobbies, public lectures, concerts, theatre activities, events and open university studies for people of all ages at adult education centers. Link to the services
In all units of education we have over 15 000 professionals working together for the same goal, that is to make Helsinki the most impactful place in the world for learning.
For more information on the Finnish education system(Link leads to external service)
Educational visits to our units offer a unique opportunity to see how the Finnish educational system works in practice. A typical visit includes a short presentation of the unit and its work structure, a guided tour of the unit and the premises, as well as observing the lessons and the staff in action. Throughout the visit, visitors can ask questions and discuss with the learners and the staff.
We offer visits in English. You can bring an interpreter (at your own cost) if necessary. Please note that communication through an interpreter often increases the amount of time needed for the visit. We recommend that you plan your visit one hour longer if you choose to have an interpreter.
NOTE! The presentations by experts cannot be organized or presentation requests processed between 1.12.2024 - 17.1.2025.
We mainly welcome visitors between September and November, as well as between January and April. In June and July all schools and preschools are closed, some daycare centres are available for visits during June and July. For further details on specific dates of academic holidays.
Please plan your schedule so that you have enough time for transportation, especially if you book several visits at different locations. You should always arrive at the visiting unit on time.
| 1-2 hours' visit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Under 15 persons | 550€ + VAT 25,5% |
| 15-30 persons | 660€ + VAT 25,5% |
| Over 30 persons | 770€ + VAT 25,5% |
| 2-4 hours' visit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Under 15 persons | 880€ + VAT 25,5% |
| 15-30 persons | 1100€ +VAT 25,5% |
| Over 30 persons | 1320€ + VAT 25,5% |
|
Presentation by experts administration (also available virtually)
|
Fee
|
|---|---|
| 1,5 hours | 300€ + VAT 25,5% |
School lunches or coffees are not included in the price of the visit and must be agreed separately.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to order lunch or coffee for a visit to a daycare centre.
The City of Helsinki will invoice you after your visit. Unfortunately, we do not accept cash payments.
If you are interested in visiting us, you can book a visit to our units through our online booking system.
Please read the descriptions and themes of the visiting units below before filling in the visit request form.
Please note that generally, a maximum of 10 to 15 people can participate in the daycare visit, depending on the size of the daycare.
Our units are available for visits only on/at certain dates and times. You must make your booking at least six (6) weeks prior to the visit, so that the unit will have enough time to organize it. After receiving your request, the unit will contact you by email and let you know whether they can accommodate your visit request.