Between 23 October and 17 November 2024, Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen and Vantaa carried out a joint client survey aimed at all the guardians of children in municipal and private early childhood and pre-primary education.
The survey was sent to the guardians of roughly 54,400 children and taken by the families of 11,582 children. The survey was conducted by the market research company Taloustutkimus.
Guardians’ satisfaction has increased
The families taking the survey gave early childhood and pre-primary education services a school grade of 9.04.
Guardians’ satisfaction has increased from the previous survey. In the 2022 survey, the general grade given by guardians was 8.8.
The work carried out in early childhood education in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area is persistent and high-quality.
“40 per cent of the respondents gave early childhood education in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area a perfect ten, while slightly over one third gave a grade of nine. The respondents gave very little negative feedback,” says Senior Insight Manager Timo Myllymäki from Taloustutkimus.
“What is also noteworthy is that parents have given excellent grades in previous surveys as well. The work carried out in early childhood education in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area is persistent and high-quality,” Myllymäki comments.
Helsinki’s results
Guardians gave Helsinki’s early childhood education services a general grade of 9.05
Based on the survey results, guardians are now more satisfied with early childhood and pre-primary education in Helsinki than they were in the previous survey in 2022. Guardians were also asked to give early childhood and pre-primary education a general grade on the school scale of 4–10. The general grade given by the guardians was 9.05, while in the 2022 survey it was 8.8.
Guardians are satisfied with the support provided to their children
Guardians are also happy with their children’s level of enjoyment and support in early childhood and pre-primary education.
90% of the guardians who took the survey are of the view that their child receives the support that they need in their own group. 95% of the respondents feel that the workers of their child’s group are positive and encouraging towards the child.
“In recent years, we here in Helsinki have been strongly focusing on developing inclusive early childhood education and strengthening our staff’s know-how with regard to supporting the children, as well as increasing various support resources. It’s great that this work can also be seen by guardians,” Head of Early Childhood Education Miia Kemppi from the City of Helsinki comments.
Children’s participation is being strengthened in Helsinki
Strengthening participation has been a strategic priority of the City of Helsinki. Because of this, Helsinki wanted to ask children in particular about their experience of participation.
Children were asked to respond to assertions with the following options: ‘most of the time’, ‘sometimes’ or ‘never’. 79% of the children felt that the adults of the daycare centre listen to them and are interested in what they say and do. 86% stated that they have friends and like being in their group.
The results regarding children’s participation are good, but the City of Helsinki’s early childhood education providers continue their determined and long-term work to strengthen children’s emotional and interaction skills.
“The City of Helsinki has drawn up a participation plan for the period of 2023–2025 to promote participation in the Education Division,” Miia Kemppi says. “The plan includes procedures for increasing the participation of children and guardians as well.”
The results show that the majority of guardians living in Helsinki who took the survey feel that they are encountered in an appreciative and friendly manner, giving an average grade of 4.7 (on a scale of 1–5), and that
their wishes are listened to and their feedback is accepted, giving an average grade of 4.5. They also felt that the cooperation between the daycare centre and home is regular and sufficient, giving an average grade of 4.5.
Children are encountered as they are
Guardians are satisfied with the quality of early childhood education. The assertions that children have opportunities to engage in diverse activities and play and that children’s strengths, interests and needs are taken into account were both given an average grade of 4.5.
Guardians feel that their child is encountered as they are at the daycare centre every day, giving an average grade of 4.7, and that the staff are positive and encouraging towards the child, giving the same average grade of 4.7.
“Since autumn 2023, Swedish-language early childhood education units have been consciously focusing on seeing the strengths of the children and staff alike. The theme has been ‘Se det goda,’” comments Head of Swedish-language Early Childhood Education Jenni Tirronen.
Children and families living in Helsinki have very different backgrounds in terms of language, culture, religion and beliefs. With an average grade of 4.2, guardians feel that different language and cultural backgrounds are valued in their child’s group.
For several years, early childhood education providers have been working to promote encountering different cultures and taking children’s different native languages into account at daycare centres. Since 2021, every early childhood education unit of Helsinki has drawn up an equality and non-discrimination plan, and these plans will be drawn up in the future as well.
Background information on the municipalities’ joint survey
Respondents could take the survey in Finnish, Swedish, English, Estonian, Russian, Albanian, Arabic and Somali.
The response rate of the survey was 19%. The municipality-specific response rates were 46% in Kauniainen, 24% in Vantaa, 18% in Espoo and 17% in Helsinki.
The cities of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area have been conducting the survey since 2008. The cities utilise the survey results in the development of early childhood education services. The plan is to conduct the next client survey in 2026.
Helsinki results (pdf)
