Education minister Anders Adlercreutz has said that children born in Finland should not be placed in Finnish- or Swedish-as-a-second-language teaching, as the government prepares changes to national language education policy.
Adlercreutz told Helsingin Sanomat that S2 and R2 teaching, referring to Finnish or Swedish as a second language, should primarily serve first-generation immigrants. He said the current system has allowed some pupils to remain in second-language tracks even when their skills would support a move into mainstream language teaching.
“There has been concern that pupils stay in that instruction even when they could progress to the regular curriculum,” Adlercreutz said. “That is not in the best interests of children and young people.”
Under the planned reform, the national curriculum will set clearer criteria for who qualifies for S2 and R2 instruction. It will also establish defined proficiency levels at which pupils are expected to transfer into standard Finnish or Swedish language classes. The stated goal is that second-language teaching acts as a transitional stage rather than a long-term placement.
Adlercreutz said S2 and R2 were not intended for children who were born in Finland and who have attended Finnish early childhood education. He acknowledged that some Finland-born children still lack sufficient language skills to take part in mainstream mother tongue instruction, but said the policy aim is to reduce such cases.
According to official figures, participation in early childhood education remains lower among children from foreign-language backgrounds. In Helsinki, 83.5 percent of all children attended early childhood education in 2023, compared with 77.7 percent of children from non-Finnish-speaking families.
Adlercreutz said increasing participation in early childhood education plays a central role in improving language skills before school age. He said attitudes and awareness should be addressed through services such as maternity and child health clinics.
The government has also introduced other changes aimed at strengthening language learning among pupils with immigrant backgrounds. Preparatory education for newly arrived pupils has been extended so that students can now remain in preparatory classes for up to two years, instead of the previous one-year limit. Preparatory education targets pupils whose language skills are not yet sufficient for full participation in basic education.
In addition, a reformed system of learning support entered into force last year. It includes a new form of group-based assistance known as instructional language support. This support focuses on subject-specific vocabulary and language skills needed to follow classroom teaching.
The reforms are expected to redefine how schools assess language needs and how long pupils remain in second-language instruction. The education ministry has said the goal is to ensure that language teaching supports integration into mainstream education rather than limiting pupils’ future academic paths.
HT
