Final report of the action plan for strengthening the basic skills and language of instruction of pupils with a migrant background (2025–2026)
FINEEC is preparing a final report on the Ministry of Education and Culture's action plan for Strengthening the basic skills and language of instruction of pupils with a migrant background (2022–2026). According to FINEEC's evaluations, the Finnish education system is currently not always able to guarantee that learners with a migrant background are provided with the capabilities needed to pursue further studies and employment. The action plan has included a wide range of evaluations, studies and development projects aimed at tackling this challenge. The action plan has been implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Finnish National Agency for Education and FINEEC. The final report will detail the results of the action plan and the work of the experts in the Ministry's steering group. The final report will be published in autumn 2026.
The aim of the action plan has been to develop concrete solutions for:
- supporting the learning of pupils who have recently moved to Finland
- strengthening the basic skills and language proficiency of foreign-language learners
- improving capabilities to pursue further studies.
The report covers the school path of pupils with a migrant background comprehensively, from instruction preparing for primary and lower secondary education to applying for upper secondary education. Particular attention has been paid to pupils who have arrived in Finland late in terms of their primary and lower secondary education (pupils in grades 7–9 who have attended school in Finland for 1–4 years).
The final report aims to:
- provide a national situational picture of the capacity of school to support the learning of pupils with a migrant background
- support education providers and education policy-making
- provide tools for pedagogical planning at the local level
The report will include:
- a synthesis of the action plan material
- development recommendations for education providers and education policy-making
- good practices from project activities
Key data
- Evaluation of the state and effectiveness of preparatory education and instruction in the pupil’s own mother tongue (Finnish Education Evaluation Centre)
- Evaluation of the current state of Finnish/Swedish as a second language instruction (Owal Group Oy) (page in Finnish)
- 13 projects to develop support for the integration of pupils in preparatory education (special government grant from the Finnish National Agency for Education)
- 60 projects that have received special government grants to strengthen the language of instruction and basic skills and support the transitions of primary and lower secondary education pupils with a migrant background (special government grant from the Finnish National Agency for Education) (page in Finnish)
- Education paths of immigrant students who arrived in Finland late – Enhancement-led evaluation in the action plan supporting the capabilities for attending school of students with an immigrant background (Finnish Education Evaluation Centre)
- VOITTO research project to develop the integration of and support for pupils transitioning from preparatory instruction to primary and lower secondary education (University of Jyväskylä and Tampere University) (page in Finnish)
- Development recommendations from the experts in the steering group appointed by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
One of FINEEC’s strategic goals for the 2024–2027 evaluation plan period is to foster social, ecological and economic sustainable development. The information and development recommendations provided in the final report will promote education, equality, non-discrimination and wellbeing in accordance with sustainability principles.
More information about evaluation
Tanja Laimi
