History of Hatanpään lukio upper secondary school

Pirkanmaa co-educational school

The so-called baby boomers, born during and after World War II, reached school age in the 1950s. The traditional schools in the city center could not meet the growing demand, leading to the establishment of several private suburban schools in Tampere during the 1950s: Kaleva Co-educational School in 1952, Harju Co-educational School (later Kaarila School) in 1956, Pirkanmaa Co-educational School in 1957, and Messukylä Co-educational School in 1960. The term "co-educational" at that time meant that both boys and girls attended the school.

In the southern districts of Tampere, such as Härmälä, Rantaperkiö, Nekala, and Viinikka, there were about 20,000 residents, but no secondary school. The pressure was increased by the residents of Sääksjärvi and Kulju in Lempäälä. Pirkkala established its own secondary school only in 1970.

The founding meeting of the support association for Pirkanmaa Co-educational School was held at Rantaperkiö School in February 1957. The members of the support association's board, led by Teuvo Saarentaus, the head teacher of Rantaperkiö Elementary School, personally guaranteed the loan for the initial capital of three million marks required to establish the school. The establishment of the school progressed very quickly. By May 1957, Pirkanmaa Co-educational School had received an operating license from the Ministry of Education.

Typically for secondary schools of that time, Pirkanmaa Co-educational School was designed to have eight grades, and students were admitted through entrance exams after four years of elementary school. Compared to the current system, the school initially had students from fifth grade to the third year of upper secondary school. The first three classrooms were rented from existing elementary schools: two from Rantaperkiö Elementary School, now part of Hatanpään lukio Upper Secondary School, and one from Nekala Elementary School. The first principal was Martti Tyrkkö, a teacher of history and religion.

In 1958, the city leased a plot of land next to Rantaperkiö Elementary School to Pirkanmaa Co-educational School for a nominal rent. The new building for Pirkanmaa Co-educational School, now used by Hatanpää Comprehensive School, was constructed on the plot in stages from 1959 to 1962. Pirkanmaa Co-educational School can be said to have reached maturity in the spring of 1965, when the first students participated in the matriculation examination eight years after the school's founding. Lauri Viljanmaa, who became the second principal, started his tenure in 1966.

Hatanpään lukio upper secondary school

The parallel school system of secondary schools, elementary schools, and civic schools developed as an extension of elementary schools was dismantled in the late 1960s and 1970s. Tampere transitioned to the comprehensive school system in 1976. Most private secondary schools had already been municipalized a couple of years earlier. The lower grades of Pirkanmaa Co-educational School were formed into Hatanpää Lower Secondary School (grades 7-9) and the oldest high school students into Hatanpään lukio Upper Secondary School.

Both Hatanpään lukio Upper Secondary School and Hatanpää School began their operations in 1976 in the former premises of Pirkanmaa Co-educational School at Haapakuja 2, where the high school received seven classrooms. Initially, most of the upper secondary school's students were graduates of its own lower secondary school, but students from Pirkkala and Lempäälä also applied to Hatanpään lukio Upper Secondary School. Traditionally, upper secondary school applicants were placed in the nearest upper secondary school based on their residence. When the so-called joint application process began in the 1980s, and public transportation improved, the situation changed. Students from the suburbs also began to apply to upper secondary schools in the city center.

In the fall of 1982, Hatanpään lukio Upper Secondary School, like other upper secondary schools in Tampere, transitioned to a course-based system. The school year was divided into six periods. The course-based system allowed for differentiation among upper secondary schools, and Hatanpään lukio Upper School developed its course offerings particularly in natural sciences, environmental issues, and physical education. In 1995, Tampere's upper secondary schools transitioned to a non-graded system. The third principal of the upper secondary school, Kaisa Kuoppala, served from 1991 to 2002.

Music Program: National special educational task

The Music Program at Hatanpään lukio Upper Secondary School began in the fall of 2004 under the leadership of the new principal, Raimo Meriluoto. Tampere lacked an upper secondary school with a focus on music. The leadership of upper secondary school education at the time supported the initiative. The start of the Music Program expanded the school's intake area, and students from all over Pirkanmaa began to apply to the program. The Music Program was complemented by the Music Theatre Program, which began in 2012. Over fifty new students were admitted annually to the programs through separate entrance exams.

In 2008-2009, the old Rantaperkiö Elementary School building next to Hatanpää School at Haapakuja 5 was renovated to become Hatanpään lukio Upper Secondary School's own building. The beautiful, classically styled building designed by Bertel Strömmer was originally built in 1925. In 1937, the building was raised from two stories to four stories. The renovated upper secondary school building included a recording studio and band rooms for the popular programs. The Media Library, suitable for small performances, became the heart of the building.

Hatanpään lukio Upper Secondary School's specialized music education (Music and Musical Theatre) was granted national special educational task status starting in 2018. In addition to being a National Upper Secondary School for Music, the school continues to operate as a high-quality general upper secondary school. Ville Vuorisalmi has been the principal since 2016.

2025: Pyynikin lukio upper secondary school

With the growing popularity of the urban area and upper secondary school education, the city of Tampere has decided to move our upper secondary school to the city center and nearly double its size. Hatanpään lukio Upper Secondary School will move to Pyynikintie 2, into the prestigious "Old Tech" building, during the 2025-2026 school year. The new upper secondary school building was completely renovated between 2021 and 2023. Along with the move, the school's name will also change: starting from August 1, 2025, the school will operate under the name Pyynikin lukio Upper Secondary School.

-- The sources for this article include the anniversary publications of Pirkanmaa Co-educational School (Hatanpää School and Hatanpään lukio Upper Secondary School) from 1997 "Our School 40 Years" and 2007 "In Time."