According to the law, compulsory education continues until the young person turns 18 or, before this, completes an upper secondary qualification (vocational qualification or matriculation examination).
Secondary education is free of charge for young people. The right to free upper secondary education lasts until the end of the calendar year in which the student turns 20.
Compulsory education can be completed:
The obligation to apply means that young people must apply for either upper secondary education, transition phase education or other compulsory education before the end of grade 9. All pupils completing basic education in the spring must apply for upper secondary education in the joint application process between 18 February and 18 March 2025 by 15:00 at the latest or in some other way.
If a young person does not obtain a place through the joint application process, the obligation to apply continues after completing basic education until they have been offered a place in education or training. The obligation to apply continues if the young person of compulsory school age does not obtain or accept a place, does not start their studies or if the studies they have already started are interrupted.
The guardian must ensure that the young person applies for studies after basic education and completes their compulsory education until the age of 18.
The organiser of basic education, i.e. the school, is responsible for guiding, supporting and supervising the completion of the young person's compulsory education and application for studies after basic education.
In Tampere, guidance counsellors provide guidance in matters related to application and monitor that pupils apply for education and start their studies. The guidance counsellors specify the application practices of their schools and inform the pupils and their guardians of them in more detail. The joint application must be made online during the application period.
If the young person of compulsory school age does not receive a study place in the joint application process, the guidance counsellors of basic education will guide them in the summer when the results of the joint application process are published. A young person without a study place can apply for one in the continuous application process for vocational education. They can also apply for other open education programmes.
Guidance counsellors in basic education are at work when the joint application results are published from 12 June 2025. Schools will provide more information about the schedules during the spring.
During August, guidance counsellors in basic education monitor and ensure that young people have started their studies after basic education. In addition, the guidance counsellors guide those who have not yet started their studies or received a study place. According to the new law, each young person completing basic education is assigned a study place in transition-phase education if the person of compulsory school age does not otherwise receive a study place.
If a young person remains without a study place after August or drops out, the responsibility for guiding and supervising the completion of compulsory education passes to the young person's municipality of residence. When a student starts in upper secondary education, the new educational institution guides and supports the student in completing compulsory education. If the studies are interrupted, the obligation to apply enters into force again.
(Edit 14.2.2025: TUVA and TELMA training)
