The teaching profession is regulated in Finland. The qualifications required for different types of teaching posts have been determined in the Teaching Qualifications Decree (986/1998).
If you have completed a qualification abroad and wish to become eligible for a teaching post or position in Finland, you will generally need to apply to the Finnish National Board of Education for a decision on eligibility.
Teaching qualifications from another Nordic country
If you have completed a class teacher degree with a duration of at least three years in Sweden, Denmark, Norway or Iceland and are a fully qualified class teacher in that country, you are qualified to work as a class teacher without any specific decision (Decree 986/1998, section 4).
If you have completed a class teacher degree with a duration of less than three years in Sweden, Denmark, Norway or Iceland and are a fully qualified class teacher in that country, you are qualified to teach grades 1–4 of basic education and, upon completion of additional studies determined in the Finnish National Board of Education Decision No. 181/014/1998, all grades in basic education.
Even if you have completed a class teacher degree in another Nordic country and are therefore qualified without a specific decision, you may apply for recognition of your eligibility in accordance with the Act on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications, if you wish (see section ‘Recognition of teaching qualifications obtained by EU/EEA citizens in an EU/EEA state’).
Recognition of teaching qualifications obtained by EU/EEA citizens in an EU/EEA state
If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA state or Switzerland and have qualified as a teacher in another EU/EEA state or in Switzerland, the decision is made by virtue of the Act on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications.
The Finnish National Board of Education may issue a decision on eligibility as a teacher to a person who is fully qualified for a corresponding teaching position in another Member Country. Subject teaching qualifications may be granted for the subjects to be taught in Finland that the person is also qualified to teach in the country of origin.
Besides the professional qualifications in the country of origin, the content of studies is also examined when processing the application. The applicant’s professional experience may in some cases be taken into account when making the decision.
Adaptation period or aptitude test
The decision may require you to complete an adaptation period or an aptitude test as a compensation measure if your training or the content of professional activities in the country of origin differ substantially from the training qualifying for the position or from the content of professional activities in Finland.
You are free to choose whether to complete an adaptation period or an aptitude test.
During an adaptation period, you will work in Finland as a teacher appointed for a fixed term in the teaching position mentioned within the decision. You should find a job yourself. Once you have completed the adaptation period, you should apply for the final decision regarding your eligibility from the Finnish National Board of Education.
In an aptitude test, you are expected to demonstrate your command of knowledge and skills required in the relevant teaching profession in Finland. The decision issued by the Finnish National Board of Education determines the subject areas covered by the aptitude test and where the test may be taken. As a general rule, the aptitude test may be completed in Finnish or Swedish. Once you have completed the aptitude test, you should apply for the final decision regarding your eligibility from the Finnish National Board of Education.
Comparability of teacher training obtained outside the EU/EEA
If you have completed your training outside the EU/EEA or if you are not an EU/EEA citizen, the Finnish National Board of Education will make the decision on the basis of the Act on Eligibility Provided by Foreign Higher Education Studies for Public Posts in Finland.
A favourable decision on comparability is subject to conditions such as:
- whether the applicant is fully qualified in his or her country of origin to work in the teaching position for which he or she is seeking eligibility in Finland;
- whether the qualification corresponds to a Finnish university Master’s degree in terms of requirements; and
- whether the applicant’s studies correspond to those required in Finland for the relevant teaching position in terms of scope, content and requirements.
Where necessary, the Finnish National Board of Education will request an opinion from a Finnish university faculty to support its decision-making process.
As a general rule, decisions require applicants to complete supplementary studies. The supplementary studies required may include both those relating to subject knowledge and pedagogical studies. In practical terms, the supplementary pedagogical studies required of an applicant will always involve teaching practice with a scope of one academic term and related studies. The applicant is expected to contact a Finnish higher education institution in order to complete the supplementary studies.
A favourable decision cannot be granted if the total amount of supplementary studies required exceeds 60 credits.
Comparability of a foreign study module with studies required of teachers
A study module included in or completed in addition to a foreign higher education degree may be compared with a higher education study module that is required in Finland to qualify for a teaching position. Such modules may be teachers’ pedagogical studies or studies in the teaching subject as part of subject teacher training. The Finnish National Board of Education makes the decision in accordance with the Act on Eligibility Provided by Foreign Higher Education Studies for Public Posts in Finland.
The decision-making process involves comparing the scope, content and requirements of the foreign studies to the relevant Finnish study module. Where necessary, the Finnish National Board of Education will request an opinion from a Finnish university faculty to support its decision-making process.
As a general rule, decisions require applicants to complete supplementary studies. A study module from a foreign higher education institution may be recognised as teachers’ pedagogical studies if the maximum amount of supplementary studies required is 15 credits. A study module from a foreign higher education institution may be recognised asanother study module if the amount of supplementary studies required is relatively small when compared to the full scope of the study module.
Foreign-language education
For special reasons, the Finnish National Board of Education may grant eligibility to provide education where the language of instruction is other than Finnish, Swedish or Saami (Decree 986/1998, section 21). Its decisions may grant eligibility to provide pre-primary, class, subject or special needs education within English-language education, for example.
These decisions have mainly been issued to people who have received teacher training outside the EU/EEA.
A favourable decision on eligibility requires at least that:
• the applicant is fully qualified to work in a corresponding teaching position in his or her country of origin;
• the teacher training completed by the applicant corresponds to at least a Finnish university Bachelor’s degree in terms of scope and requirements;
• the applicant has completed pedagogical studies and studies in the teaching subject with adequate scopes;
• the applicant has completed teacher training in the foreign language in which he or she is going to teach in Finland and which is an official language in his or her country of origin.
As a general rule, decisions require applicants to take an aptitude test. In an aptitude test, you are expected to demonstrate your command of knowledge and skills required in the relevant profession in Finland. The decision issued by the Finnish National Board of Education determines the subject areas covered by the aptitude test and where the test may be taken.
People who have completed teacher training abroad will not generally need a specific decision on sufficient studies to qualify for foreign-language education, if they receive a decision on recognition of teaching qualifications that they have completed in another EU/EEA country or a decision on comparability of training completed outside the EU/EEA with studies required of teachers in Finland.
Steiner and Montessori pedagogy
Eligibility to provide education based on Steiner pedagogy and pre-primary education based on Montessori pedagogy covers anyone who is generally qualified to teach at the equivalent level of education. In addition, those who have completed studies deemed sufficient by the Finnish National Board of Education in Finland or abroad (Decree 986/1998, section 21) are also qualified to provide this type of education.
In terms of Steiner pedagogy, sufficient studies have been determined in the Finnish National Board of Education Regulations No. 40/011/2010 and No. 9/011/2011. If your training fulfils the conditions specified in one of these Regulations, you are qualified to work in the positions referred to in that Regulation. If this is not the case, you may apply to the Finnish National Board of Education for an individual decision.
Those wishing to become eligible to provide pre-primary education based on Montessori pedagogy may apply to the Finnish National Board of Education for an individual decision. The Finnish National Board of Education has defined the principles applied in the decision-making process in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and relevant organisations.