Students repeating grades in Finnish primary schools reach highest level in over a decade

In Finnish primary schools, the number of students repeating a grade reached its highest level in over a decade last year, according to Uutissuomalainen. Nearly 1,900 students were retained in their grades in the last academic year, marking the highest number since 2013. The information was gathered from statistics provided by Statistics Finland, which have been tracked since the year 2000.

Over the past 24 years, the trend has generally shown a decline in the number of students left behind, with the fewest instances reported in 2021, when just under 1,400 students were retained.

Riia Palmqvist, an education advisor at the Finnish National Agency for Education, suggested that several factors could be influencing this increase. These include the clarification of criteria for final assessments in basic education, lingering effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the extension of compulsory education.

Additionally, the Finnish education professionals’ trade union, OAJ, speculated that another contributing factor might be the declining learning outcomes highlighted by international assessments like PISA and various national evaluations. The situation indicates a growing concern regarding educational standards and student performance in Finland.