NTES National Curriculum Framework Library
Explore Finland's national curriculum architecture from early childhood through basic education, general upper secondary education and vocational pathways.
Finland combines nationally defined core curricula with locally developed curricula, transversal competences, multidisciplinary learning, learner participation and professional teacher judgement.
Structure
National + Local Curricula
Basic Education
Grades 1–9
Core Feature
Transversal Competences
Upper Secondary
150 Credits
Important curriculum distinction
The national core curriculum establishes common objectives, principles and curriculum foundations. Municipalities and education providers then construct local curricula that determine teaching and school work in greater detail while responding to local needs and perspectives.
Finnish education pathway
Before pre-primary / school age
National Core Curriculum
Finnish early childhood education and care combines care, education and teaching through an integrated educare model, with strong emphasis on pedagogy, play, wellbeing and holistic development.
Official Finnish information →National Core Curriculum for ECEC
Play-based learning
Holistic development
Individual ECEC plan
Guardian collaboration
Transversal competences
Before compulsory basic education
National Pre-Primary Curriculum
Pre-primary education forms the transition between early childhood education and basic education and supports children's development, learning readiness, participation and wellbeing.
Official Finnish information →Transition into basic education
Play and active learning
Holistic development
Learning readiness
Participation
Local curriculum implementation
Grades 1–9
National Core Curriculum
Finland's national core curriculum for primary and lower secondary education provides a common national foundation while municipalities and schools develop local curricula that respond to local needs and perspectives.
Official Finnish information →Grades 1–9
National core curriculum
Local curriculum design
Subject-based learning
Seven transversal competences
Multidisciplinary learning modules
Post-basic education
National Core Curriculum + Matriculation Examination
General upper secondary education builds broad general knowledge, transversal competence and readiness for further study. The current national core curriculum is based on the 2019 framework and has been implemented since 2021.
Official Finnish information →150 credits
Compulsory and optional studies
Transversal competences
Local study units
General upper secondary syllabus
National matriculation examination
Upper secondary and adult pathways
Competence-Based Qualification System
Finnish vocational education and training is competence-based and links education directly with working life, lifelong learning, upskilling and reskilling.
Official Finnish information →Competence-based qualifications
Workplace competence demonstrations
Initial vocational qualifications
Further vocational qualifications
Specialist vocational qualifications
Higher-education eligibility
Curriculum architecture
The Finnish National Agency for Education establishes national core curricula that provide common objectives and principles across the education system.
Municipalities and other education providers build local curricula on the national core curriculum and adapt implementation to local circumstances.
Students are encouraged to set goals, solve problems, assess their learning and participate actively in school life.
Curriculum design develops not only subject knowledge but also transferable competences needed in learning, work and society.
Values, learning environments, collaboration, wellbeing and the school's operating culture are treated as important parts of curriculum implementation.
Curriculum is intended to function as an active and flexible tool for developing teaching and school practice rather than simply as a static syllabus.
Basic education subjects
Finland's national core curriculum remains organised around subjects specified in legislation while also connecting those subjects with transversal competence and multidisciplinary learning.
Mother tongue and literature
Second national language
Foreign languages
Mathematics
Environmental studies
Biology
Geography
Physics
Chemistry
Health education
Religion
Ethics
History
Social studies
Music
Visual arts
Crafts
Physical education
Home economics
Guidance counselling
Seven transversal competences
In basic education, transversal competences are embedded within every subject rather than treated as an isolated curriculum area.
Learners develop curiosity, reasoning, problem-solving, reflection and awareness of their own learning processes.
Students develop communication, cultural understanding, identity, interaction and the ability to express themselves in different contexts.
Learners develop wellbeing, safety, everyday-life competence, responsibility and the ability to manage increasingly independently.
Students learn to interpret, produce and evaluate different forms of information, media, symbols, texts and representations.
Digital competence is developed across subjects through responsible, creative and purposeful use of information and communication technologies.
Students build collaboration, initiative, working-life awareness, entrepreneurship and readiness to operate in changing environments.
Learners develop participation, democratic responsibility, sustainability awareness and capacity to contribute to their communities and future society.
Multidisciplinary learning
Basic education schools are expected to provide at least one multidisciplinary learning module for every pupil each school year.
Modules bring together objectives and content from more than one subject around meaningful themes or phenomena.
Learners should participate in planning and evaluating multidisciplinary learning experiences.
Schools determine the themes, duration and practical organisation of multidisciplinary modules within the national framework.
Assessment
Assessment supports learning during the learning process through feedback, guidance, reflection and identification of next steps.
Summative assessment makes achievement of curriculum objectives visible at appropriate points in learning.
Assessment draws on different demonstrations of knowledge, skills and competence rather than one form of evidence alone.
Learners develop the ability to evaluate their own progress and learning strategies against agreed objectives.
Assessment should be aligned with the objectives and competence expectations defined in the applicable curriculum.
Assessment is intended to guide and encourage learning as well as document achievement.
General upper secondary
Finland's current general upper secondary curriculum is based on the 2019 national core curriculum, implemented from 2021.
A student completes the general upper secondary syllabus after completing the required minimum of 150 credits.
The national core curriculum defines modules that form the building blocks of general upper secondary studies.
Education providers combine modules into locally designed study units suited to their context and curriculum organisation.
Broad competences are embedded within individual subjects and interdisciplinary study rather than taught as an isolated subject.
Students normally complete the national matriculation examination at the end of general upper secondary education.
General upper secondary education develops broad general knowledge and readiness for university, university of applied sciences or other further study.
Upper-secondary transversal competences
Vocational education
Finnish vocational qualifications are competence-based, and competence is demonstrated through real-life work tasks.
Initial vocational qualifications provide broad occupational competence and eligibility for higher education.
Further vocational qualifications recognise more specialised competence developed through work and vocational learning.
Specialist qualifications recognise advanced occupational competence and specialist responsibility.
School implementation
The value of Finland's model lies not in copying isolated techniques but in understanding how curriculum, competence, local responsibility, assessment, teacher collaboration and school culture work together.
Schools and education providers need to translate national curriculum objectives into coherent local curriculum structures and school practice.
Subject knowledge and transversal competences should develop systematically across years rather than being treated as disconnected activities.
Interdisciplinary modules should have clear curriculum objectives and meaningful connections rather than functioning as isolated themed events.
ICT competence should be embedded across curriculum implementation, teaching, communication, creation and information literacy.
Teachers need shared understanding of curriculum objectives, formative assessment, summative assessment and evidence of learner progress.
Curriculum implementation should support learner wellbeing, participation, equity, inclusion and access to appropriate support.
Local curriculum implementation benefits from collaborative planning across subjects, phases and professional teams.
Curriculum evaluation should connect evidence about learner outcomes, teaching quality and school culture with improvement planning.
Framework overview
| Phase | National Framework | Local Role | Main Emphasis |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECEC | National Core Curriculum for ECEC | Local ECEC curriculum + individual child plan | Play, holistic development, wellbeing and transversal competence |
| Basic Education | National Core Curriculum for Primary and Lower Secondary Education | Municipality / school curriculum | Subjects, transversal competences and multidisciplinary learning |
| General Upper Secondary | National Core Curriculum for General Upper Secondary Education | Local curriculum and study units | General knowledge, transversal competence and higher-education readiness |
| Vocational Education | National qualification requirements | Provider implementation and individual competence development | Competence-based learning and workplace demonstration |
Official Finnish resources
Curriculum documents, regulations and implementation guidance can change. Schools should use current Finnish National Agency for Education resources when making formal decisions.
Official Finnish National Agency for Education overview of Finland's education system and major education stages.
Explore Finnish EducationOfficial information about Finland's national core curriculum for primary and lower secondary education.
Explore Basic Education CurriculumOfficial information about Finland's upper-secondary curriculum, 150-credit structure and matriculation pathway.
Explore Upper SecondaryOfficial information about Finnish ECEC, the educare model and the national core curriculum.
Explore ECECOfficial summary of the 2022 National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care.
Explore ECEC CurriculumOfficial overview of the 2019 national core curriculum implemented from 2021.
Explore Upper Secondary CurriculumOfficial information about Finland's competence-based vocational education and qualification pathways.
Explore Finnish VETOfficial overview of the Finnish National Framework for Qualifications and its relationship with the European Qualifications Framework.
Explore Qualifications FrameworkFinland's national core curricula operate within Finnish legislation, teacher education, local governance, funding and social structures. Individual practices should not be copied into another education system without considering the surrounding context.
NT Education Solutions is an independent education provider and is not affiliated with the Finnish National Agency for Education or the Government of Finland.
From international benchmarking to school improvement
Curriculum benchmarking is most valuable when it helps schools examine progression, transferable competence, assessment, digital learning, teacher collaboration and the quality of learner experiences.