Mother tongue and home language instruction
View connections →The aim is to provide students with instruction in their own mother tongue or home language. Instruction is organised based on student enrolment.
Published by: City of Helsinki, Education Division · Municipality
Description language: English
Coverage: Selected municipalities, regions or wellbeing services counties
About this service
Description
The student is taught their own mother tongue, home language and language to maintain that the student has learned while studying abroad. The instruction supplements comprehensive education and is organised on the basis of student enrolment. Students may only enrol in studies in one language taught as their mother tongue.
Students can enrol in mother tongue instruction when enrolling in 1st grade. At other times, enrolment is open twice a year; in April–May for the next school year and in November–December for the spring semester.
Enrolling in mother tongue instruction is optional, but those who enrol are required to attend the lessons regularly, as the student will receive a separate verbal assessment or numerical final assessment of their performance.
There are roughly 40 language options available. In the largest language groups, the instruction can take place at the student’s own school, but in most cases, students need to go to another school for these lessons.
How to use it
Students can enrol in mother tongue instruction when enrolling in 1st grade. In other grades, enrolment is open twice a year; in April–May for the next school year and in November–December for the spring semester. Enrol the child via Wilma under ‘Ilmoittautuminen oman äidinkielen opetukseen’ (enrolment in mother tongue instruction) or by filling out a paper form and submitting it to the administrative assistant of the student’s school.
Students moving to Helsinki at the beginning of the school year or the beginning of the spring semester can enrol in August and January. After enrolment, the parent or guardian will be instructed to ask the school’s administrative assistant for the timetable for the language instruction. Enrolment is valid for one school year, and the student needs to enrol in mother tongue instruction every year.
Conditions
The studies are intended for students studying at schools of the City of Helsinki. Students at private schools operating under an agreement with the City of Helsinki, Helsinki Normal Lyceum and Viikki Teacher Training School can also enrol in the studies. The studies are available to:
• multilingual students whose mother tongue or home language is not Finnish or Swedish
• students whose home language or mother tongue is Swedish and who attend Finnish-language comprehensive education
• students whose family speaks Romani
• students whose family speaks Sámi
• students returning to Finland from another country in which they have learned a foreign language.
Where and how to get help
Karviaistie School · Visit in person
Located in Malmi, our school is a special education school that includes grades 1–9. The teaching language is Finnish.
Description: English · Service languages: Swedish, Finnish
Visit address: Karviaistie 1 00700
Phone: 358 931084038 · Charged
Homepage →
Check the official service page for current hours, exceptions, identification requirements and further contact details.
Kulosaari Primary School · Visit in person
Located in Kulosaari, our school is a primary school that includes grades 1–6. The teaching language is Finnish.
Description: English · Service languages: Swedish, Finnish
Visit address: Kyösti Kallion tie 1 00570
Phone: 358 931080325 · Charged
Homepage →
Check the official service page for current hours, exceptions, identification requirements and further contact details.
Ressu Comprehensive School · Visit in person
Located in Kamppi, our school includes primary school grades 1–6 and lower secondary school grades 7–9. The teaching language is Finnish.
Description: English · Service languages: Swedish, Finnish
Visit address: Lapinlahdenkatu 10 00180
Phone: 358 931082700 · Charged
Homepage →
Check the official service page for current hours, exceptions, identification requirements and further contact details.
Vesala Comprehensive School · Visit in person
Located in Vesala, our school includes primary school grades 1–6 and lower secondary school grades 7–9. The teaching language is Finnish.
Description: English · Service languages: Swedish, Finnish
Visit address: Sakara 5 00940
Phone: 358 931082732 · Charged
Homepage →
Check the official service page for current hours, exceptions, identification requirements and further contact details.
Porolahti Comprehensive School · Visit in person
Located in Roihuvuori, our school includes primary school grades 1–6 and lower secondary school grades 7–9. The teaching language is Finnish.
Description: English · Service languages: Swedish, Finnish
Visit address: Satumaanpolku 2 00820
Phone: 358 931027388 · Charged
Homepage →
Check the official service page for current hours, exceptions, identification requirements and further contact details.
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