Adult basic education enrolment rises nearly quarter this decade

The number of students in adult basic education in Finland has risen from fewer than 6,400 in 2020 to nearly 8,000, Yle reports. Most are immigrants who need Finnish or Swedish language skills and a basic education certificate to continue their studies and enter working life.

Most students are under 40 and speak a first language other than Finnish or Swedish. Enrolment has increased particularly sharply in large municipalities, where numbers have risen by as much as 100 percent.

Zahra Jafari, who has lived in Finland for three years, is studying at the Alma adult education centre in Vaasa to obtain a basic education certificate. She said the qualification would give her stronger language skills and the opportunity to pursue further studies.

“I want to learn much more Finnish and speak Finnish well,” Jafari said.

Jafari’s first language is Persian, which is also spoken mainly at home. She is considering applying to the University of Vaasa or a university of applied sciences in three or four years, possibly to study literature.

Sanna Voipio-Huovinen, a senior education adviser at the Finnish National Agency for Education, said many adult basic education students aim to continue to upper secondary education and beyond.

“Language is the most important tool for learning, which is why learning it is essential,” Voipio-Huovinen said.

She said regional differences in enrolment growth were substantial. In Vantaa, for example, the proportion of pupils from immigrant backgrounds is high among both children and adults.

Sannasirkka Autio, principal of the Alma adult education centre, said immigrants were highly motivated to learn Finnish and obtain a basic education certificate.

The centre currently has 175 students representing 30 nationalities. Fewer than 5 percent are Finnish, while 7 percent study in Swedish.

“The students are motivated to learn Finnish and obtain a certificate so they have better opportunities to study for a profession and, for example, attend university,” Autio said.

Another student, Abdullahi Yasin, said he understood that progressing in Finnish society was not possible without strong language skills. He hopes to attend upper secondary school and study to become a doctor, while vocational training and a career in construction are alternatives.

Both Jafari and Yasin plan to remain in Finland to work after completing their studies.

Adult basic education consists of three stages: literacy, an initial stage and a final stage. Each student receives an individual study plan identifying the education they need.

Students can complete the full basic education syllabus, take individual subjects or parts of subjects, and improve grades on their basic education certificate. Since 2018, the programme has also included literacy training, preparatory education and elements of integration training.