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29.9.2021 | The World Bank’s new Coach programme aims to improve learning outcomes by supporting teacher professional development (TPD) in developing countries. Finland supports the global part of the initiative and its piloting in Mozambique.

16.4.2026 | Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen has been invited to join the Young Global Leaders network of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Young Global Leaders is a collaborative community of exceptional young leaders from politics, research, business and other sectors. Through its development programme, influential persons under the age of 40 receive tailored leadership training in cooperation with world-class universities.

24.2.2026 | The Finnish Government discussed recommendations, decisions and conclusions issued to Finland by international human rights monitoring bodies. Based on the discussion, the state secretaries of the parties in Government decided on further measures related to the recommendations. This was the second discussion held as part of the implementation of the Government’s equality statement.

9.6.2020 | The Ministry of Education and Culture is launching a three-year programme for assessing the quality and equality of vocational education and training. Over EUR 270 million has been allocated for 2020–2022 for improving learning opportunities and outcomes, increasing wellbeing and a sense of community, supporting education providers to reform their procedures and practices, and strengthening the capacity of education providers to respond to changes in their operating environment.

18.12.2025 | The international results of the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024 were published earlier this autumn. They have now been supplemented with Finland’s national results. Finland participated in the main TALIS 2024, which focused on lower secondary school teachers and principals, and in the TALIS Starting Strong module, which targeted staff in early childhood education and care and pre-primary education.

21.10.2025 | The Prime Minister’s Office has awarded a total of EUR 240,000 in discretionary government grants for work to combat racism in 2025–2026. The grants were available to civil society organisations representing ethnic minorities and were intended to strengthen the organisations’ core activities and develop new ways to combat racism.

9.6.2020 | Supporting women human rights defenders, preventing female genital mutilation, training business skills – civil society organisations promote the rights of women and girls in many ways Ministry for Foreign Affairs Publication date 9.6.2020 13.55 T...

2.12.2025 | An OECD survey shows that Finnish early childhood education and care (ECEC) stands out for active cooperation with families. In Finland, staff communicate and organise events for families more often than in most other participating countries. Stress levels among ECEC and pre-primary staff and leaders are lower in Finland than elsewhere, but staff shortages are a major source of stress.

14.1.2026 | The Ministry of Education and Culture carried out a two-year pre-primary education trial in a total of 148 municipalities between 2021 and 2024. Altogether 37,357 children took part. They were placed in the trial group and control group by drawing lots. Parents, carers and teachers were satisfied with the trial and the two-year pre-primary education trial slightly increased the participation rate of five-year-olds.

30.12.2024 | schools The Basic Education Act is being amended. With the amendments, the use of telephones and other mobile devices during lessons will only be allowed in certain situations. Regional State Administrative Agencies will also be able to investigate, on their own initiative, whether education is being organised in line with the Basic Education Act. In addition, promoting a physically active lifestyle will be added to the objectives of pre-primary, primary and lower secondary education.

6.11.2025 | The Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) will elect a new Council for the forthcoming two-year term in November-December. Finland is seeking re-election to the Council. The Ministry of Transport and Communications has invited Finnish maritime education institutions to serve as advisers to the Finnish delegation at the Assembly. Finnish maritime education is a sought-after export to various parts of the world. 

11.1.2024 | Finland is willing to support reconstruction efforts in Ukraine in the field of education. Readiness for this was established at a ministerial meeting in Helsinki on 11 January.

27.10.2023 | In 2024–2026, the higher education cooperation of Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs will prioritise teacher education, climate change and the circular economy, and food security. The Foreign Ministry grants just over EUR 6 million to the seven projects approved for the partnership programme.

20.11.2023 | The United Nation’s independent Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education Farida Shaheed will visit Finland on 20–29 November. This is the first country visit to the Nordic countries under the mandate of the Special Rapporteur established in 1998. The aim of the visit is to assess how educational rights are observed in Finland.

23.11.2023 | According to a recent evaluation, long-term commitment and funding for development cooperation in the education sector should be guaranteed to maintain Finland's current reputation and the effectiveness of development cooperation.

3.9.2024 | The 2025 budget proposal of Prime Minister Orpo's Government bolsters conditions for economic growth. Economic growth driven by the private sector will also serve to secure the financing base for central government finances. The fast-acting measures to curb indebtedness that were decided on due to the difficult situation in central government finances will move forward.

9.11.2022 | The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is financing ‘Coach’, a World Bank initiative to improve teacher development programmes. Coach experts visited Finland from 7 to 8 November 2022.

24.1.2023 | The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will be at Educa education and training event at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre Messukeskus from 27 to 28 January. At the Ministry’s stand 6n50, visitors can hear accounts of how Finland and the EU are supporting education in in the world’s crisis areas. Publications of the Foreign Ministry are available free of charge at the stand.

5.12.2023 | Findings of the OECD’s PISA 2022 (Programme for International Student Assessment) show that while the performance of Finnish young people has deteriorated, it remains above the OECD average. PISA 2022 focused on mathematical literacy.

24.1.2024 | The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will be present at the Educa education and training trade fair at Messukeskus Expo and Convention Centre in Helsinki on 26–27 January. On Friday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Karoliina Vaakanainen from UN Youth of Finland will discuss the present foreign policy situation. Foreign Ministry’s publications on global education and development policy will be available free of charge at stand 6n50.