English-language education path
In Vaasa, it is possible to study in English beginning from the first year of basic education up to higher education. You can also choose English as the language of your child’s early childhood education and care (ECEC). At the ECEC level, families have a variety of options.
As an international city, Vaasa’s residents have almost a hundred different mother tongues. Combining skills, languages, and cultures is a natural part of our culture. A strong history of international trade and the manufacture of boats, ships, and the engines that propel them have developed Vaasa into a global energy hub.
Early Childhood Education and Care
Early childhood education and care in Vaasa is available in English for both Finnish-speaking children and children whose home language is English.
The options at this level are:
- Joining the international daycare group (Hedgehogs) for English-speaking children aged 3–6 at Vaasa English Playschool:
- This is an option for families who have English as a home language.
- The child does not need to speak any Finnish.
- Enrolling in English-language early childhood education for Finnish-speaking children aged 5–6 years:
- This is organised at Vaasa English Playschool.
- This is an option, if the child’s mother tongue is Finnish or if the child has good Finnish language skills (an extensive vocabulary).
- Applying for a place in an international daycare centre:
- At Vaasa’s bilingual daycare centre Pikkuponi, both Finnish and English are spoken.
- It offers language-enriched early childhood education in English.
More information on English and bilingual (Finnish/English) early childhood education
Basic education
In Vaasa, bilingual (Finnish/English) and English-language education is provided in Suvilahti school (grades 1–6) and Merenkurkku school (grades 7–9).
Read more about bilingual (Finnish/English) and English-language teaching
In bilingual education, both Finnish and English are taught in parallel.
- In grades 1 and 2, English accounts for about 80% of the teaching, gradually decreasing to 40% by the end of grade 6. The aim is to achieve fluent bilingualism in both Finnish and English.
In English-language teaching, pupils learn more in English than in bilingual teaching, and no previous knowledge of Finnish is required.
- English-language teaching is a school pathway in which the proportion of English-language teaching varies between 60% and 80%. As a rule, the pupils are taught in English, but there are also parts of the curriculum that are taught in Finnish.
In addition, Vasa övningsskola offers a bilingual education programme (Swedish/English). This is a form of language immersion, combining academic topics with language studies.
Upper secondary education
Vasa övningsskolan’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is offered in English.
The IB Diploma is an international matriculation examination. The IB route itself takes two years, and it is preceded by a preparatory year. Therefore, the overall length of the IB is equivalent to a three-year upper secondary school in Finland. The language of teaching is English.
Vocational education and training
The vocational education provider Vamia in Vaasa offers five different basic vocational qualifications in English: cook, machinist, mechanical fitter, waiter/waitress, and plater/welder.
For more information: https://vamia.fi/en/education-and-applying/programs/
Higher education
Vaasa is a true student city. There are more than 13 000 higher education students and around 4 000 students in vocational education and training. Vaasa is thus one of the largest student cities in Finland in relation to its population.
Six higher education institutions offer degrees in dozens of different fields in Finnish, Swedish, and English. The higher education institutions in Vaasa are:
- University of Vaasa
- Vaasan ammattikorkeakouluVaasa university of Applied Sciences
- Åbo akademi
- Hanken
- Novia
- University of Helsinki’s Vaasa Unit of Legal Studies
Vaasa is a truly international place. Almost 100 different languages are spoken in the Vaasa region, with inhabitants from around 120 countries. Studying is international too. Every year, hundreds of international students come to study in Vaasa!
Alma Adult Education Centre
The Vaasa Adult Education Centre Alma offers courses open to all, from languages to arts and crafts, sports, and performing arts.
Find out more about courses in English at https://uusi.opistopalvelut.fi/vaasa/en/ (Tip: you find the courses taught in English by checking the box for English in the “Language of Education” category!)