Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Finland plans English-language curriculum and final exams for high schools

Published 8 November 2024
– By Ivana Bratovanova
3 minute read

The Finnish Minister of Education, Anders Adlercreutz, has proposed a new piece of legislation that would allow high schools in Finland to offer both a curriculum and a final matriculation exam in English. If approved by parliament, the reform could take effect by the autumn of 2026, with the first English-language matriculation exams anticipated by 2028.

Currently, students in Finland complete the matriculation exam in either Finnish or Swedish, with limited options for those who lack sufficient skills in either language. The proposed English-language option by Anders Adlercreutz, Minister of Education, would offer an alternative for international students and families moving to Finland for work.

– We are expanding the languages available from two to three, and along with that, by application, high schools will also be able to give the high school curriculum in English, Adlercreutz explained.

The demand for more English-language secondary education has been due to what some perceive as a persistent bottleneck in Finland’s educational system, which leaves some 16-year-olds, particularly in Helsinki, with few secondary education options in English. Last year, approximately 100 students in Helsinki completed English-language schooling, with 175 completing bilingual Finnish-English programs at the basic education level. However, when students transition to secondary education, options become scarce.

Shwetha Ariyadka, a postdoctoral researcher who moved to Helsinki from India with her 15-year-old son, shared her family’s struggle to find accessible upper secondary options. Her son, despite a solid academic record, lacked the grades to qualify for highly competitive English-language high schools and was not yet proficient enough in Finnish for standard Finnish-language options.

– This will decide your entire future, Ariyadka said. Her son now adapts to a vocational program taught primarily in Finnish, but the family still struggles with integrating in Finland.

Educational experts and city officials expressed support for the proposed changes. Tarja Aro-Kuuskoski, head of Upper Secondary Education for the City of Helsinki, noted that the reform would help meet a growing demand.

– The City of Helsinki sees these English-speaking, not yet Finnish- or Swedish-speaking students, as an asset, says Aro-Kuuskoski.

However, implementing an English-language curriculum and exam presents logistical challenges. Tiina Tähkä from the Matriculation Examination Board described the potential workload involved in translating curriculum materials and exams into English.

– It’s going to be quite a lot of work, she said. There’s a growing population of adolescents who don’t know enough Finnish or Swedish to attend compulsory upper secondary education. For them, this opportunity is vital.

Some government officials have expressed concerns about the long-term impact of increasing English-language education options. Ari Koponen, vice-chair of the parliamentary Education Committee and a  member of the Finns Party, supports the proposal but warns of potential risks to the role of Finnish as the language of instruction.

– The English-language matriculation exam should not be expanded further for Finnish- or Swedish-speaking students, says Koponen.

Adlercreutz, however, expressed confidence that his proposal will succeed thanks to the coalition support within the current government.

According to the Helsinki Region’s Chamber of Commerce, the initiative to make Finland’s educational system more accessible to foreign families is a crucial step for Finland’s workforce development and economic growth. Director Markku Lahtinen highlighted the importance of looking beyond just the foreign workers to also consider their families’ needs, calling the lack of family-centered support an “insane strategy” in a competitive global job market.

– There has been a clear demand for this [reform], Adlercreutz says, as he believes it could serve to make the country a more attractive destination for foreign professionals and their families.

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

Finns ate more meat last year

Published 21 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
1 minute read

Last year, people in Finland ate more meat and chicken than the year before. At the same time, oat consumption set a new record in the Finnish diet, according to a new study.

Last year, Finns ate 78.2 kilograms of meat per person, including game and offal. Most of the meat, 76.2 kilograms, was beef, pork, lamb and chicken.

The consumption of beef in particular has decreased for several years in a row, but last year it increased, according to a survey by the Finnish Natural Resources Institute. The amount of chicken on the plate also increased in Finnish homes. At the same time, less pork and mutton was eaten. The consumption of fish remained seemingly unchanged, with each Finn eating an average of 13.7 kilograms last year.

Cereal consumption increased last year, reaching 87.3 kg per person. The main increase was in the amount of oats consumed, which reached record levels last year. Wheat and barley consumption also increased, while rye decreased.

– Here we see something of a trend. This is because the food industry has created a lot of new oat products. Part of this trend is also that Finns are drinking more oat milk, says statistics expert Erja Mikkola, to Finnish state broadcaster Yle.

Regular milk drinking decreased by about two percent, but people ate about the same amount of butter and cheese as in the previous year. Furthermore, each Finn ate an average of 48 kilograms of fruit and 64 kilograms of vegetables last year.

Rapid increase in antidepressants and ADHD medicines in Finland

Published 10 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
One fifth of Finnish women under 30 are currently taking antidepressants.
1 minute read

The use of antidepressants has increased sharply in Finland over the past decade, compared to the other Nordic countries. Prescription of ADHD medication for children has also increased significantly.

One fifth of women aged 18-29 use antidepressants, according to a survey by the Finnish Social Insurance Institution (Kela). Among men of the same age, the figure is eight percent. The figures are double those of 2014.

According to studies, mood and anxiety disorders have become more common, especially among young girls and women. The diagnoses of depression, anxiety disorders and sleep disorders are also increasingly visible in the health care records of young women, says Miika Vuori, Senior Researcher at Kela, in a press release.

Furthermore, adhd medication for children has also increased in the country. Last year, 11% of boys and 4% of girls aged 7-12 were prescribed medication for ADHD. When comparing Swedish and Finnish boys aged 5-9, 6% of Finnish boys used ADHD medication last year, while the corresponding proportion in Sweden was just over 2%. The use of antidepressants among young people has also increased faster in Finland than in the other Nordic countries over the past ten years.

The increase in the use of these two drugs has been strong in Finland, not only in comparison with Sweden but also with Norway and Denmark, says Vuori.

Finnish youth evicted at record pace

Published 3 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The number of evictions due to unpaid housing costs has increased fivefold in just three years.
1 minute read

A growing number of young Finns are being evicted from their rental properties due to unpaid rent. Lack of personal finance skills is cited as one of the main reasons.

Debt problems have increased significantly among Finns, with the number of payment reminders increasing tenfold since 2021. During the same period, the number of collections related to unpaid housing costs has increased twentyfold.

At the same time, the number of evictions is increasing – in 2024, 10% of collections for unpaid housing costs have led to eviction, compared to only 2% three years ago.

The problem exists across all age groups, but is particularly pronounced among young adults. It is highest among people under 25, and so far this year, as many young people have run into problems with rent arrears as in the whole of 2023.

“Everything has gone digital”

At Finnish debt collection company Intrum, the impression is that young people do not learn to manage their finances as they grow up and that an unpaid bill is often a matter of forgetfulness.

– They don’t necessarily understand the consequences of not paying a bill, said Reetta Lehessaari, Head of Debt Collection Services, to the Finnish state broadcaster Yle, and continued:

– Apparently, people no longer learn to pay bills at home in the same way as before. Everything has gone digital. Young people no longer see bills being paid in concrete terms.

Fines increased for killing protected species in Finland

Biodiversity

Published 30 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The fine for killing an Arctic fox in Finland is €17,656.
1 minute read

The Finnish Ministry of the Environment has significantly increased the fines for killing protected animals. For example, killing a freshwater pearl mussel is now three times more expensive than before.

Recently, it was decided to update the list of protected animals and the penalty for killing one of them. In Finland, the list was last updated in 2002, when a total of 286 animal species were included.

The new updated list now includes 320 animal species as well as 158 plant species that are protected and therefore illegal to kill or harm. Among others, the viper has been added.

The fines for killing a protected species have also been increased. For example, the fine for killing a Arctic fox has increased from €7,400 to €17,656. For the species black tern, it has increased from €185 to €9,865. The freshwater pearl mussel has increased from €589 to €1,496.

Some species on the list have received smaller fines, such as the white-tailed eagle, which has gone from €7,400 to just €407.

The value of a species is assessed on a number of criteria. These include the size of the population, how threatened the species is and how fast it is reproducing.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.