Oulu Gets Free English-Language Pre-School
City will soon have free English-language education for full range of schooling.
Until now, the city has provided English language daycare and English-language schooling but no English pre-school. Pre-school is the reception year before pupils begin school aged seven, but until now the only English-language options have been private.
This situation will soon change in light of the city’s Education Committee’s decision in December to establish an English-language pre-school in Pikku-Aino päiväkoti.
Before beginning, the preschool, which will be organized by the International School, will assess pupils’ linguistic skills and, after their pre-school year, they will be moved onto the International School and continue there, as long as their standard of English remains sufficient.
Fifteen pupils per year group will be needed for the preschool to go ahead.
Anneli Jokelainen, the International School’s Deputy Head, told 65DN that the main benefit of the new pre-school is that, unlike the private schools, it will follow the same curriculum as the International School. It will also be free of charge.
According to the Education Committee ‘It was the parents in Oulu and its regions who expressed a desire and need to expand the teaching of English in both pre-school education and the first years of primary education. Furthermore, the recent decisions about big investments in the Oulu region and an increasing number of foreign families arriving to Oulu have given fuel to the planning of new coherent learning school paths for children.’
There will be a meeting at the International School on Wednesday evening (18th January) at 6pm for all parents interested in sending their children either to the International School or the new English-language pre-school.
So will the Pre-school be employing Native English speakers?
@ Englantilainen Mies…
Hope so! PLEASE don’t teach the kids American English! There are two ‘L’s in “travelling”, it’s “transport”, not “transportation”. “Aluminium”, not “Aluminum” etc.
I actually knew a capable English teacher who confessed that she’d never even been to England !
“Oulu Gets Free English-Language Pre-School”
An addition / correction to this piece of news.
Pre-School is free of charge in ALL day cares both City and private ones and has been this way since it was introduced by the Finnish government.
Pre-school education is included within a day care day in Finland. About 4 hours of the day care day is pre-school time and the rest is classed as day care.
Some schools offer only pre-school places, in which case children would have to join a day care possibly close-by if needed.
Oulu International school will start a pre-school with day care which will be charged for.
“We follow the National Core Curriculum and the IB guidelines and standards.” (Taken from Oulu International school website.)
All Finnish pre-schools have got their own curriculum based on the national guidelines issued by the ministry of education and these curriculums are written so that there is a straight continuation to school, and the curriculum of Oulu International school follows this Finnish curriculum.
We all welcome this pre-school, so we can make sure everyone wanting to study in English has got the opportunity to do so.
Ulla Terho
@ Andy… that has to be the most retarded statement from any Brit I’ve ever heard. Get over yourself and realize that most people learning English would much rather learn from someone that speaks “American English” rather than “British English” for the simple reason we don’t talk like we have a mouth full of dirt. Go have yourself another beer and chill out.
@Andy…
Well at least I hope that YOU don’t apply to work there. Sounds like you’re not very internationally minded.