Education of language and culture groups in Espoo

www.espoo.fi/maahanmuuttajaopetus

Astrid Kauber and Sanna Voipio-HuovinenUnit for Language and Culture Groups2013

Key figures of schools in Espoo

• 97 comprehensive schools with roughly 27 000 pupils

– 83 Finnish-speaking comprehensive schools• 24 000 pupils, of which roughly 8 000 in middle schools• about 2 000 teachers

– 12 Swedish-speaking comprehensive schools• about 2 600 pupils in total

– 2 private schools

• 11 Finnish-speaking general upper secondary schools– About 4 600 students and roughly 300 teachers

• 1 general upper secondary school for adults (about 1 500 students)

• 1 Swedish-speaking general upper secondary school (about 500 students)

• Several upper secondary vocational education and training institutions, of which the largest is Omnia

Sanna Voipio-Huovinen2

Number of students with a foreign L1, FSL-students and students studing their own mother tongue in Espoo 1998-2013

Astrid Kauber 16.8.20133

Largest groups of students in Espoo comprehensive schools

• Russian 498

• Estonian 466

• Somali 441

• Albanian 222

• Arabic 210

• English 149

• Kurdish 144

• Mandarin Chinese 113

Sanna Voipio-Huovinen4

Preparatory education• Children who are in need of support with their Finnish language

begin their schooling in preparatory education (valmistava opetus)• Lasts for one school year (2 semesters)• Main focus on Finnish as a Second Language• Pupils in grades 2–9 are assigned to separate groups for

preparatory education (“traditional” group-based preparatory education, like in other parts of Finland)

• For pre-primary-aged children and first and second graders, preparatory education is organised in conjunction with ordinary pre-primary and first grade education (inclusive preparatory education, in Espoo only): 1-2 teachers giving extra support in simultaneous teaching or mini groups, making friends and learning from native Finnish speakers

Sanna Voipio-Huovinen5

L1= immigrants´ mother tongue and teaching of minority religions

• Children with an immigrant background can receive education in their own mother tongue (maahanmuuttajien äidinkielen opetus, 2h /week).

• Finnish returnee pupils and children adopted from abroad can also participate in the classes to maintain language skills acquired abroad.

• Education in the mother tongue is provided in more than 34 languages.

• 8 different religious and ethical subjects are taught in Espoo.

Sanna Voipio-Huovinen6

Sanna Voipio-Huovinen7

L1 Immigrants´ mother tongue

• Instruction in Espoo 2013 - 14: Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Bosnian,Bulgarian, English, Spanish, Farsi/Dari, Filipino/Tagalog, Hindi, Dutch, Indonesia, Italian, Cantonese, Khmer, Greek, Kurdish, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Mandarin Chinese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Polish, French,Romanian, Roma language, Same, German, Somali, Danish, Thai, Turkish, Hungarian, Russian, Vietnamese, Estonian

• 2 lessons / week 90 min.• Education for pre-primary students in separate groups,

mainly in the evenings: languages Spanish, English, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Estonian, Arabic,Hungarian,German

• more languages will be needed in the future, organization depends on the number of applications and finding a qualified teacher

Intensified support in future school years after preparatory education

• After preparatory education, the pupil is transferred to basic education, where he/she receives intensified support (maahanmuuttajien määräaikainen opetus, support given in Espoo) with his/her studies, if necessary

• extra support from 1-5 teachers, two teachers in the same class, different educational arrangements etc.

Sanna Voipio-Huovinen8

Cooperation betweenhome and school

– The school provides the guardians with information that allows them to monitor and advance the schooling and learning of their child

– Guardians are entitled to a personal meeting with their child’s class teacher or tutor at least once per school year

– Parent-teacher evenings and other events for parents: home-school collaborative support groups (vertaisryhmä, see Väestöliitto)

– All schools use the electronic Wilma system where guardians can monitor the pupil’s learning outcomes, view and report on the pupil’s absences, send messages to teachers, receive messages and notifications from the teacher and the school; also reissuvihko still in use with immigrants or other measures

Sanna Voipio-Huovinen9

General, intensified and special support for learning

• The pupil can also receive special support either in a special class, part-time special class or, if possible, in connection with other teaching. The organisation of education observes the pupil’s best interests, learning potential and the special demands set for the learning environment.

• Pupils are also supported by interpretation and assistant services as well as special needs assistants in compliance with the Basic Education Act and the Services and Assistance for the Disabled Act.

• interpreters used weekly at schools, needed for all collaboration with immigrant /refugee families

Sanna Voipio-Huovinen10

Pupil and student welfare

• Responsible for the physical, mental and social wellbeing of pupils and students.

• Aims to identify the pupils’ and students’ need for support as early as possible

• The support is provided by

– School social workers

– Psychologists

– Therapists

– School health care staff

• Free of charge and confidential

• Organised in cooperation with parents and teachers.

• Each comprehensive school in Espoo has a pupil welfare team that coordinates and develops pupil welfare

Sanna Voipio-Huovinen11

Immigrant students’ path in Espoo, if s/he Immigrant students’ path in Espoo, if s/he does not have a full schooling backgrounddoes not have a full schooling background

Sanna Voipio-Huovinen12

Preparatory education for

adults

1 (2) yrs. In different

groups and in a separate group for illiterates

Comprehensive school

upper level, no grades (courses on

7th-9th level) starting

competence in Finnish A2.2

Comprehensive school

lower levelStarting

competence in Finnish A1.3,

objective level A2.2

(1 yr.)

Adult high school/

Adult high school start courses/

Other high schools, 3

yrs.

APPLICATIONS / GUIDANCE to Espoo adult high school test, regarding the prior schooling and studying experience.:

Enrollment 3 times a year

Universities and

colleges

Vocational studies and preparatory education in vocational

studiesOMNIA