Pupil and student welfare

Pupils in pre-primary, primary and lower secondary school as well as students in upper secondary school have the right to pupil and student welfare services.

Pupil and student welfare is primarily preventive student welfare that supports the school community as a whole. In the school community, this means an institutional culture that includes collaborative activities and cooperation between the school and home as well as measures that promote safety.

Students are also entitled to individualised student welfare. Individualised student welfare services include the services of psychologists and school social workers as well as pupil and student healthcare services. Individialised student welfare aims to help the student learn, be healthy, experience wellbeing and a sense of inclusion and to prevent problems from arising. The purpose is also to ensure that student welfare services are available and that students have access to early support.

The education providers supply information to the students and their parents and guardians on student welfare and, when necessary, guide students to seek help from student welfare services.

The wishes and opinions of students must be taken into consideration when adopting any measures and decisions involving them, bearing in mind the student’s age, level of development and other personal capabilities. Based on the provisions in law, minors may forbid their parents or guardians from taking part in matters involving student welfare, and may also forbid student welfare authorities from supplying confidential information related to them to the student’s parents or guardians. Parents and guardians are not entitled to forbid a minor from using student welfare services.

Ministry of Education and Culture. Pupil and Student Welfare [https://okm.fi/en/pupil-and-student-welfare]