Student survey: Students want versatile exercise and art try-outs - These will soon be possible in lower secondary schools
More than 112,000 primary and lower secondary schoolchildren from 1,300 schools took part in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s national student survey. According to the survey, 85% of schoolchildren have a hobby they enjoy. 19% of lower secondary school students lack a hobby, even though lower secondary school students showed a great deal of interest in different leisure activities. They indicated an interest in trying out 11 leisure activities. Starting next autumn, the Finnish Model for Leisure Activities will include leisure activity try-outs for lower secondary school students.
The 2024 national Student Survey organised by the Ministry of Education and Culture asked schoolchildren about hobbies they were interested in, what leisure activities they would like to try out, and how they reconcile hobbies, friendships, coping and school work. The survey is part of the implementation of the Finnish Model for Leisure Activities. The survey was organised for the sixth time.
The most popular leisure activities that girls in primary school would like to try out include horseback riding, animal club, cooking club and visual arts; while boys were interested in trying out football, parkour, fishing and computer game club. Girls in lower secondary school would like to go to the gym, snowboarding and downhill skiing; boys were also interested in going to the gym as well as football, fishing and moped clubs. Schoolchildren were given the opportunity to choose their desired hobbies and the try-out hobbies from a list of 85 leisure activities.
Lower secondary school boys showed interest in trying out parkour, going to the gym, billiards and animation, architecture and history clubs. Girls were interested in trying out visual arts, fashion drawing, fashion sketching, film, manual skills and art club. 19% of lower secondary school students lack a hobby, even though they showed interest in many leisure activities. Lower secondary school students would be interested in participating in six hobbies and in trying out up to 11 hobbies.
“We want to respond even better to the wishes of lower secondary school students and make it possible for them to try out leisure activities during their school day. Municipalities can apply for support for organising leisure activity try-outs according to the wishes of students. If lower secondary school students gain an interest in something, this may continue as a regular hobby. I believe that the opportunity to experiment will lower the threshold for starting a hobby, said Minister Sandra Bergqvist.
Listening more to children's and young people's voices
The Student Survey contained questions for schoolchildren about their views on the reconciliation of hobbies and other leisure time. The majority of children stated these were well-balanced: they had time to see their friend and do their school work, and the hobby did not take up too much of their time. Hobbies were also not seen as exhausting, as students stated they were happy following activities (90%). But there is also room for improvement: many schoolchildren (37%) replied that they had to attend leisure activities even when tired and that they could not be absent to prepare for tests at school (38%).
One in seven girls in lower secondary school feels that there is too much competition and stress in the their hobby. Many girls (31%) and boys (22%) in lower secondary school have considered quitting their hobbies. A quarter of the boys in lower secondary school felt that school attendance was not considered important by the instructor.
“I hope that these results will contribute to instructors regularly asking children and young people about their views and their lives, taking into account, such things as, test schedules at schools. Children and young people should be more involved even more in planning the content and rules for hobbies," Minister Sandra Bergqvist emphasised.
The Finnish Model for Leisure Activities involved the organisation of leisure activities in which each school's students showed an interest at primary and lower secondary schools and recreational facilities. The Ministry of Education and Culture grants a total of EUR 14 million a year in support to municipalities. The Finnish Model for Leisure Activities is in use in 258 municipalities. A total of 143,000 primary and lower secondary school students participate in the leisure activities included in the model.
Inquiries: Iina Berden, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Education and Culture, tel. + 358 295 330 069
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Read more about the Finnish model for leisure activities.