Education in Vantaa

Vantaa has city-owned and private day-care centres. Early childhood education is available in Finnish, Swedish, Russian and English in Vantaa. Day-care centres also provide teaching in Finnish as a second language. Early childhood education may also be organised as family day care and as group family day care, which are supervised by the city.

Apply for a place in early childhood education for your child at least four months prior to the beginning of the care period. If you need the place in early childhood education as a matter of urgency, for example because of a new job or the beginning of your studies, submit an application no later than two weeks before your child needs the place.

You can apply for a city day-care place online or using a paper form. For the electronic application, you need personal online banking credentials or an electronic ID card. Paper forms are available at Vantaa Infos and day-care centres. You can apply for private day-care centres, group family day-care centres and family day-care centres by contacting the day-care centre or the family day-care provider directly.

In matters related to applying for early childhood education, you can contact the centralised Early Childhood Education Service Guidance:

tel. 09 839 50226
Tue–Thu 09:00–12:00

E-mail: varhaiskasvatuksen.palveluohjaus@vantaa.fi (Link opens default mail program)

Read more: Early childhood education

Pre-primary education (esiopetus) is provided in city-owned day-care centres, private day-care centres and in pre-primary education units operating in school premises. In Vantaa, pre-primary education is available in Finnish, Swedish and English.

You must apply for pre-primary education. The application can be submitted electronically through the city’s website or on a paper form. The application period is in January, but you can also submit applications at other times if your family moves to Vantaa in the middle of the year, for example.

Preparatory education is available for immigrant children whose Finnish is not good enough for pre-primary education. The preparatory education is intended for 6 year-old children with an immigrant background. It is organised in pre-primary education groups. Children are guided to preparatory education in day care when they apply for pre-primary education.

More information on pre-primary education, how to apply to pre-primary education, and preparatory education is available on the website of the City of Vantaa (Vantaan kaupunki). You can also request more information from day-care centres.

Read more: Pre-primary education

Vantaa has Finnish and Swedish comprehensive schools (peruskoulu). There is also an international school in Vantaa, where you can complete comprehensive school in English. More information about schools in Vantaa is available on the website of the City of Vantaa (Vantaan kaupunki).

You must enrol for school in advance. The enrolment time is usually in January. The contact information for schools and additional information about registration can be found on the website of the City of Vantaa.

To read more, go to: Comprehensive education

Preparatory education for comprehensive school

If a child does not have good enough Finnish language skills to study at a Finnish-language comprehensive school, he or she can receive preparatory education (valmistava opetus). In preparatory education, children study Finnish and comprehensive school subjects. It usually lasts for one year.

If you have recently arrived in Finland and have school-age children, contact the regional coordinator (aluekoordinaattori) of your residential area. The regional coordinator will instruct and help you in arrangements and matters regarding your child’s schooling.

Comprehensive education for young immigrants

At the Vantaa Adult Education Centre (Vantaan aikuisopisto), 17–24 year-old immigrants living in Vantaa can obtain the comprehensive school leaving certificate. If you have not finished comprehensive school, you can also complete it at the Eira High School for Adults (Eiran aikuislukio).

Immigrants and comprehensive school

The comprehensive schools in Vantaa provide native language education in many languages. The schools also provide education in Finnish as a second language (suomi toisena kielenä) to students whose native language is something other than Finnish, Swedish or Sami and whose Finnish skills are not at a native level.

When you enrol for school, you can also enrol for native language education and education in your own religion. You can also enrol for the education by filling in a form that you can get from your school. Return the form to your school. Education in your own religion can be organised if there are at least three pupils or students in the group.

You can learn more about native language education and education in your own religion from the city’s website and from the regional coordinators (aluekoordinaattorit)

Vocational education in Vantaa is organised by Vantaa Vocational College Varia, MERCURIA Business College and the Vantaa unit of the TTS Työtehoseura association.

Education in English and vocational studies in Finnish aimed especially at immigrants are also organised at Varia.

Careria institute provides vocational education and training for adults.

Vantaa is also home to Finavia’s Avia College, which provides education for professions in the field of aviation.

Read more: Vocational education.

In Vantaa, you can study at general upper secondary school (lukio) in Finnish, Swedish or English. Instruction in English is provided in the IB programme at Tikkurila General Upper Secondary School. Vantaa also has a general upper secondary school for adults.

Read more: General upper secondary school

If you would like to acquire more knowledge and skills before applying for general upper secondary school or vocational education and training, you can apply for preparatory education for programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification i.e. TUVA. During TUVA education, you can improve your basic education grades and also improve your Finnish language skills.

In Vantaa, TUVA education is organised by Vantaa Vocational College Varia, in connection with Lumo General Upper Secondary School and Vaskivuori General Upper Secondary School.

Ohjaamo

If you are under 30 years of age, you can get advice and guidance from the Ohjaamo service. If you do not have a job or a study place, the Ohjaamo personnel will help you. You can also ask about other matters, such as housing or personal finances.

Outreach youth work -house

If you are a Vantaa resident and under 29 years old and do not have a study place or a job, you can receive guidance and advice at the Outreach youth work -house Call and make an appointment in advance. The outreach youth workers can help you with questions related to education, employment, housing, health and finances as well as with planning your future. The service is free of charge. More information is available on the website of the City of Vantaa.

Outreach youth work (Etsivä nuorisotyö)
Ratatie 2, Tikkurila
Tel. 050 312 4372
Mon–Fri 09:00–15:00

There are two universities of applied sciences (ammattikorkeakoulu) in Vantaa, Laurea and Metropolia. They provide education in many fields. For information on the study programmes and application, visit the websites of the institutes.

Open university (avoin yliopisto) units of the University of Helsinki also operate in Vantaa providing university-level and continuing education.

Read more: Universities of applied sciences, Universities.

At the Vantaa Adult Education Centre (Vantaan aikuisopisto), you can study, for example, languages, crafts and cooking, or take part in guided sports activities. The courses are subject to a fee, and are held during the daytime and in the evening. The adult education centre also holds courses for immigrants. More information is available on the website of the City of Vantaa.

Read more: Studying as a hobby.