15.2
Elementary school
Foreword
General section
Field of study
Chapter 15
Relationship between school grades
Among the main points of the new education policy, which was formulated with the entry into force of the law on kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools in 2008, was to increase scope, flexibility and continuity between school levels and within each school level. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the primary school better caters to the different needs of children, but this calls for greater flexibility in the organization of studies, including length of study and differences between school levels. The main goals of cooperation and connections between school levels are to create continuity in children’s learning, meet their needs and promote a more targeted structure of learning. The goal is also to strengthen mutual knowledge and understanding of the work of teachers and the learning of students and to promote the well-being and safety of children when they move between school levels.
15.1
Preschool and elementary school connections
In order to meet the different needs of children, flexibility is needed in the organization of studies, incl. study duration. Children can, with the permission of the primary school principal, start primary school education before the age of 6. Before such a decision is made, it is imperative that the staff of the relevant preschool and primary school and parents discuss the issue. According to the law on kindergartens and primary schools, local authorities must establish cooperation between kindergartens and primary schools. In school curricula, an account of the cooperation and how children’s adaptation and transfer between school levels should be handled. Children’s schooling should form a continuum so that experience and learning in previous school levels is useful in the next. When children start elementary school, they need to build on their previous learning and experiences from kindergarten. The skills that the children acquired in kindergarten will therefore be the foundation on which the studies in primary school are based. The successful transition of children from preschool to primary school also involves preparation and adjustment. Kindergarten children need to have the opportunity to get to know the expected elementary school while they are still in kindergarten, and the first weeks of elementary school should be seen as a period of adaptation and preparation.
15.1.1
Information between school levels
At the end of kindergarten, various information about the children is available. In order to ensure that pre-school children are based on their previous learning and experience when they enter primary school, and that their adaptation will be as good as possible, it is assumed that certain information about each child accompanies them to primary school. This can e.g. was in the form of a career folder that the children themselves have taken part in shaping. Parents are important contacts between the school levels and share information about their children and their preschool education. They also have the right to receive information about the data that accompanies the child from kindergarten to primary school and have the opportunity to respond to them.
15.1.2
Cooperation
The relationship between preschool and compulsory school is a collaborative project between parents and teachers at both school levels, with the child’s well-being as the focus. Teachers at both school levels need to familiarize themselves with each other’s curriculum and working methods so that children experience continuity between preschool and compulsory school. To ensure this, preschools and compulsory schools need to develop a plan that includes common emphases for both school levels according to the National Curriculum Guide, as well as decisions about work processes and responsibility for implementation. Such a plan should be published in the school curricula of schools at both school levels.
The vast majority of students begin their studies in upper secondary school immediately after completing primary school. It is important that students receive reliable information about the upper secondary school level as a whole and individual schools, especially schools in their home communities. This information is the responsibility of the upper secondary school and should be accessible to everyone.
In compulsory school, students shall receive reliable academic and career advice that makes it easier for them to choose a suitable course of study. Municipalities establish cooperation between compulsory and upper secondary schools. This cooperation is the joint responsibility of the principal of the compulsory school and the headmaster of the upper secondary school. The cooperation includes responsibility for providing information between schools and to students and parents about studies at the upper secondary school level and how cooperation can best be organised.
Students are permitted to pursue studies in individual subjects at the upper secondary school level after completing compulsory school education in the relevant subjects. Compulsory school students are also permitted to pursue such studies concurrently with compulsory school education, provided they have demonstrated sufficient competence. In such cases, there must be solid cooperation between compulsory and upper secondary schools.
The study is the responsibility of the primary school and evidence of this is published on the student’s report card at the end of primary school. Study at the upper secondary school level is defined by competence level. The upper secondary school concerned confirms that the study meets the requirements set by the school and assesses the study accordingly.
If a compulsory school student studies at an upper secondary school, which is defined as part of compulsory school studies, then the costs of teaching at the upper secondary school level are subject to the provisions of the Act on Primary and Secondary Schools. Further implementation and arrangements shall be agreed upon between the relevant primary and secondary schools.
When a primary school student studies in a special school or receives special resources in primary school, teachers and other professionals, together with the student and his parents, shall participate in the formulation and preparation of a transfer plan for his planned studies in upper secondary school, and the aim shall be for its preparation to begin in the 9th grade.
The Ministry publishes rules for enrollment in upper secondary schools from time to time. The following rules apply to the enrollment of compulsory school students in upper secondary schools:
- All students who have completed compulsory school or have reached the age of 16 have the opportunity to begin appropriate studies at an upper secondary school.
- Students who have completed compulsory education in accordance with the provisions of the National Curriculum Guide for Compulsory Schools may enroll in upper secondary school programs as long as no special requirements are made.
- Emphasis is placed on ensuring that students have the opportunity to attend a high school near their home or in a designated high school near their home community.