Due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Finnish Ministry of Education has extended the deadline for the joint application procedure for education after comprehensive school.
According to the Ministry of Education, this spring’s deadline for applying for vocational education and training, general upper secondary education as well as for preparatory education after comprehensive school and vocational education and training organised in the form of intensive special needs support, ends at 15.00 on 7 April 2021.
“This joint application procedure is a historic one. Now that compulsory education has been restructured, for the first time ever young person leaving comprehensive school will be applying in the joint application procedure. All students in year 9 will go from comprehensive school to vocational education and training, or to general upper secondary school or to year 10 of comprehensive school, for example,” said Minister of Education Jussi Saramo.
“We want to make sure that every young person receives all the support and guidance they need during this notable joint application procedure. That is why we have decided to extend the deadline until 7 April. This way it is possible to return to contact teaching before the deadline for the joint application, allowing students to go through their options for the application with their own school guidance counsellor following the distance learning period,” the Minister added.
Students born in 2005
The obligation to apply for compulsory education entered into force at the beginning of 2021. In practice, the obligation applies young people who are in year 9 of comprehensive school education in spring 2021 (mainly those born in 2005). Before the end of the final year of comprehensive school education (basic education), students need to apply for upper secondary education, transition point education or other education within the scope of compulsory education.
Guidance on the joint application procedure and student guidance is also available during the distance learning period in lower secondary schools (between 8 and 28 March). Guidance can be organised by means of online connections and in small groups, or by meeting up face-to-face, with due consideration for hygiene and physical distancing recommendations.
Students in distance learning for other reasons, such as quarantine, isolation, belonging to a risk group or their family member being in the risk group, can receive guidance for applying in joint application procedure as well as student guidance by means of online connections.
