Finnish upper secondary students increasingly need support as anxiety disrupts classroom learning

Finnish high school students are struggling with rising anxiety and mental health challenges, requiring more support than schools can currently provide, reports Yle, Finland’s national public broadcaster. Some students experience such severe social anxiety that attending regular classes becomes impossible, according to educators.

The gap in support emerges when students transition from comprehensive school—where special education resources are more available—to upper secondary school, where independent learning is expected. At Tampere’s Kalevan lukio, a school of 700 students, only one special education teacher is available to address these needs.

“For many, it’s a shock,” said Terhi Lintunen, the school’s principal. “Suddenly, they can’t just go to a special education teacher’s classroom like they could in lower grades.” Some students arrive expecting the same level of individualised support, only to find that high school operates differently.

### Social anxiety keeps students out of classrooms
Teachers report a growing number of students unable to cope in standard classroom settings due to severe social anxiety. “They don’t dare stay in the room. Being in a large group triggers intense distress, and they want to leave,” Lintunen explained.

While primary and lower secondary schools often have multiple special education teachers—sometimes three or four per grade—high schools typically have far fewer. At Kalevan lukio, a single special education teacher, Maria Järvenpää, supports the entire student body. “Some students assume they can simply study with the special education teacher instead of attending subject classes, but that’s not how it works here,” she said.

### Limited flexibility in high school structure
Unlike comprehensive schools, Finnish high schools follow a uniform national curriculum with little room for individualised adjustments. “We can’t expect a special education teacher to, for example, teach advanced calculus integrals—that’s the subject teacher’s role,” noted Kyösti Värri, a specialist at the Association of Finnish Municipalities.

Support measures include allowing students to take exams in a quieter setting, complete tasks outside the classroom if needed, or extend their studies from three to four years. However, the ultimate goal remains the same: students must eventually participate in classroom learning and pass the national ylioppilaskirjoitukset (matriculation exams).

For those who still struggle, transferring to an adult upper secondary school (aikuislukio) at age 18—where schedules are more flexible—is an option. “High school is unforgiving in that sense. Everyone must follow the same path and meet the same goals,” Lintunen said.

### Stigma prevents students from seeking help
Despite available support, many students hesitate to use it due to shame or reluctance to acknowledge their struggles. First-year students at Kalevan lukio told Yle they were satisfied with the assistance offered, though the shift to more independent learning had been challenging.

The issue extends beyond high schools. Yle reported earlier this month that vocational schools (ammattikoulut) are also seeing a rising number of students requiring special support, a trend linked to the expansion of compulsory education and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.