Municipalities are responsible for arranging pre-primary education, as regulated by law. Since pre-primary education is mandatory, during the year that precedes the start of their compulsory education, children must participate in year-long pre-primary education or other activities that fulfil the goals of pre-primary education. Pre-primary education is free-of-charge for its participants. The caretaker must see to it that their child participates in pre-primary education or other activities that fulfil the goals of pre-primary education.
If the goals of basic education can’t be met in nine years due to a child’s disability or illness, compulsory education starts during the year when the child turns six years old, and this education will last for 11 years. When extended compulsory education is applicable to a child, he/she must participate in pre-primary education during the starting year of his/her compulsory education. When extended compulsory education is applicable to a child, he/she has the right to receive pre-primary education during the year when he/she turns five years old.
The National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care, validated by The Finnish National Agency for Education, steers the content design of pre-primary education and is used as the basis for preparing local curricula. The goals set for pre-primary education are governed by The National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care of The Finnish National Agency for Education.
Pyhäjärvi offers pre-primary education in primary schools. In the Emolahti and Rannankylä Schools, pre-primary education groups are attached to classes 1 and 2. In the Ikonen and Ruotanen Schools, pre-primary education has its own groups.
Transportation
A child participating in pre-primary education is entitled to free transportation or a sufficient allowance for transporting or escorting him/her when the distance to be travelled is over five kilometres or if the trip is too hard, taxing or dangerous for the child.
Pyhäjärvi arranges transportation within basic and pre-primary education in accordance with § 32 of the Basic Education Act. Also, the city of Pyhäjärvi arranges transportation for those pupils participating in pre-primary and basic education from classes 1–3 whose school trip is over 3–5km long.
