Subject choices of students: documentation of statistics
The documentation of the statistics describes how the statistics were compiled and what methods were used in the compilation. The data help interpret the figures of the statistics and evaluate their reliability and comparability. The quality report is based on the EU's SIMS model. The documentation also contains change releases describing changes in the statistics and possible specifying methodological descriptions.
If you are looking for statistical figures for these statistics, go to the statistics page: Subject choices of students
Quality report
Data description (SIMS 3.1)
The statistics on subject choices of students contain data on the subject choices in comprehensive school and upper secondary education. The data are mainly obtained from the KOSKI database and they are produced annually.
Sector coverage (SIMS 3.3)
The statistics on subject choices cover data on the subject choices of pupils in comprehensive schools, those who have completed their studies in upper secondary general school education and, as of 2018, also on the subject choices of students in upper secondary general school or vocational education.
In terms of 2018, the cross-sectional data cover all students in initial vocational education, because the Act on Vocational Education and Training (531/2017), which entered into force at the beginning of 2018, no longer provides for the separation of education into education aimed at young people (curriculum-based initial vocational education) and education aimed at adults (preparatory vocational education). The number of students in the cross-sectional data is not comparable with the number of students in previous years, because, before 2018, the cross-sectional data (of 20 September) only covered students in curriculum-based vocational education aimed at young people.
As of the academic year 2020/2021, the material selection data has been produced on the basis of the Koski data resource of the Finnish National Board of Education. The data are based on the studies completed by the end of the school year by students in basic education. The language selection data for basic education for adults are based on the language studies completed by those who have completed basic education for adults during the statistical year.
As of 2024, data will be published on the study of religion and worldview studies in grades 1 to 9 in comprehensive education and in the preparatory instruction and lower secondary education for adults.
Statistical unit (SIMS 3.5)
The statistical unit is students and their subject choices.
Statistical population (SIMS 3.6)
The population of the statistics is the subject choices of pupils in comprehensive education and general upper secondary or vocational education as well as the subject choices of those who have completed general upper secondary education until 2017.
Reference area (SIMS 3.7)
The reference area for the statistics is the whole country (Finland).
Time coverage (SIMS 3.8)
The data have been released on the website of Statistics Finland as of 2004.
Unit of measure (SIMS 4)
The data of the statistics on subject choices are released as the numbers and percentages of students’ language choices.
Reference period (SIMS 5)
The reference period of statistics is a calendar year. The data on the subject choices in comprehensive school education describe the subject choices of comprehensive school pupils on 20 September and the subject choices in upper secondary general school education made during the previous term by those who have completed their studies in upper secondary general school education. The subject choices of students in upper secondary general school or vocational education are from 20 September.
Classifications (SIMS 3.2)
The following classifications are used in the statistics on subject choices:
- region
- language
- National level of education 2016
- gender
Concepts and definitions (SIMS 3.4)
Completers of full upper secondary general school syllabus
In the statistics on upper secondary general education a completer of full upper secondary general school curriculum refers to a student who has completed satisfactorily the national syllabi contained in upper secondary general school curriculum and received for it a school-leaving certificate from upper secondary general school. Full upper secondary general school syllabus can be completed in upper secondary general schools or folk high schools.
Comprehensive school
In the statistics on pre-primary and comprehensive school education, subject choices of students, special education, and students and qualifications of educational institutions comprehensive schools refer to educational institutions providing basic, general knowledge teaching to an entire age cohort (basic comprehensive school education, compulsory education school). All children of the compulsory school age of 7 to 16 must complete the comprehensive school. Completion of the comprehensive school takes nine years. Educational institutions of the following types classify as comprehensive schools: Comprehensive schools Comprehensive school level special schools Comprehensive and upper secondary level schools The full comprehensive school syllabus or subject studied within it can also be completed in upper secondary general schools and folk high schools but the basic teaching they provide is aimed at students over the compulsory school age (basic education of adults). These educational institutions and their students are not usually included in the statistics describing comprehensive schools.
Education
An organised activity, the aim of which is to produce competence based on teaching. Comment: Education can be divided into education and training leading to a qualification or degree and non-qualification studies.
Educational institution
An educational institution refers to an administrative unit with a principal or other head, which has teachers and other personnel in its service (role of employers), and which is liable to keep books and compile other documentation, in which students are registered, whose activities are regulated by a legal act or decree, which follows a national curriculum, and which is financed and controlled by a public authority. An educational institution does not refer to a school building or facility. A new educational institution is established, an educational institution is abolished or merged with another educational institution at the decision of the organiser of education (maintainer of the educational institution) or a public authority. Statistics Finland has assigned an individualised educational institution ID to each educational institution. Educational institutions are classified according to a classification of types of educational institutions.
Grade
In the statistics on comprehensive school education, subject choices of students and special education, comprehensive school education is divided into nine grades from one to nine. In addition to these, pre-primary education of pupils of pre-primary education registered in comprehensive schools and additional education (10th class) of comprehensive school education are included in comprehensive school education. Statistics on pupils are compiled by grade. If pupils cannot be allocated to a certain grade, e.g. in special education, they are included in the statistics of the grade that corresponds their age.
Pupil
In the statistics on comprehensive school education, on subject choices of students and on special education, comprehensive school pupils refer to all pupils registered at comprehensive schools: pupils of pre-primary education, pupils of grades 1 to 9 and pupils of additional education (10th class). Data on the number of comprehensive school pupils describe the situation on 20 September.
School-leaving certificate from upper secondary general school
In the statistics on upper secondary general education and on subject choices of students, a school-leaving certificate from upper secondary general school refers to a certificate issued to a student who has completed satisfactorily the full upper secondary general school syllabusiculum. A school-leaving certificate from upper secondary general school can be issued by an upper secondary general school or a folk high school.
Subject choices
In the statistics on subject choices the point of departure for language choice is the student's choice. Language choices are reported according to the length of studies in a language. A1 language is a common (compulsory) language started in grades 1 to 6. A2 language is an optional language started in grades 1 to 6. B1 language is a common (compulsory) language started in grades 7 to 9. B2 language is an optional language started in grades 7 to 9 (at least six courses in upper secondary general school). B3 language is an optional language started in upper secondary general school (at least six courses). "Optional language, less than six courses" is a language started in upper secondary general school and studied for fewer than six courses.
Institutional mandate (SIMS 6)
The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics.
Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.
Further information: Statistical legislation
Legal acts and other agreements (SIMS 6.1)
The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act (280/2004). The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, data protection legislation and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999) are applied to processing of data when producing statistics.
Data in the statistics are used in the reporting of data to Eurostat as required by the EU Regulation (Commission Regulation (EU) No 912/2013 implementing Regulation (EC) No 452/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the production and development of statistics on education and lifelong learning as regards statistics on education and training systems).
Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.
Further information: Statistical legislation
Data sharing (SIMS 6.2)
Data of the statistics are made available to the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education in accordance with the H9098-OKM-OPH information service agreement.
Data of the statistics are reported to UNESCO, the OECD and Eurostat in the UOE education statistics survey and in the related separate surveys.
Source data (SIMS 18.1)
As of 2020, data on language studies will be available from the national KOSKI data resource.
The data on the study of religion and worldview subjects are based on the pupil-related data reported by the tuition/education organisers, which Statistics Finland has collected through online forms via the Internet.
The data represent total data.
Frequency of data collection (SIMS 18.2)
The data for the statistics are collected annually.
Data collection (SIMS 18.3)
As of 2020, the statistics are based on administrative data, produced from the Koski data resource of the Finnish National Agency for Education, and from 2024 onwards, on data collection from the study of religion and worldview subjects. The data on the study of religion and worldview subjects in the statistics have been collected using an electronic form.
Data validation (SIMS 18.4)
During the processing of the data, the high quality of the data is ensured through various statistical verification programs, data requests addressed to data providers as well as by comparing the data with previous comparable statistics and other data sources.
Data compilation (SIMS 18.5)
The data on subject choices in upper secondary education have partly been estimated (see Model assumption error for more details) if data on completed language studies are not available from the KOSKI database for all students. The KOSKI database contains data on language studies completed during the school year (not on students' language selections), so completion data are not available for all students in all school years.
User needs (SIMS 12.1)
The data is used, among other things, in the planning, research and evaluation of education.
In accordance with the information service agreement between the Finnish National Board of Education and the Ministry of Education, data from the statistics are provided for the use of the education administration. The education administration publishes data based on the data in its own statistics service Vipunen.
User satisfaction (SIMS 12.2)
The contents of information service agreement materials are negotiated annually with the education administration.
Overall accuracy (SIMS 13.1)
The data represent total data. The deficiencies and errors in the data reported by the data providers may have a negative impact on the quality of the statistics.
The data on subject choices in upper secondary education are based on studies completed by students during the school year. The population of students comprises the students registered on 20 September with whom completion data were combined. The data on subject choices in upper secondary education have partly been estimated (see the footnotes of the StatFin tables for more details) if data on completed language studies are not available from the KOSKI database for all students. The KOSKI database contains data on language studies completed during the school year (not on students' language selections), so completion data are not available for all students in all school years.
Processing error (SIMS 13.3.4)
Possible errors in statistical disclosure include incorrect figures in the texts, figures or tables of the disclosures or the use of incorrect concepts. Unlike revisions of data, error situations are unexpected deviations from normal statistical production.
Model assumption error (SIMS 13.3.5)
The shares of estimated students of English and Swedish among all students in the field of education in the year in question. In parentheses, the statistical reference year and the ability of the model to predict data on language studies correctly:
General upper secondary education:
English 3.1% (2020, 98.0%), 4.4% (2021, 94.5%), 4.0 % (2022, 99.1% ), 3.3 % (2023, 98.8 %), 4,3 % (2024, 98,8 %).
Swedish 3.2% (2020, 98.5%), 10.0% (2021, 97.8%), 12 % (2022, 97.5%), 11,8 % (2023, 97,5 %), 3,7 % (2024, 97,9 %).
Initial vocational education:
English 23.8% (2020, 73.7%), 31.7% (2021, 64.9%), 31.7% (2022, 73.9%), 30.7% (2023, 77.3 %), 34,5% (2024, 82,3 %).
Swedish 22.6% (2020, 89%), 30.3% (2021, 77.8%), 30.3% (2022, 75.7%), 23.5% (2023, 81.6 %), 30,2 % (2024, 87,9 %).
Quality assurance (SIMS 11.1)
Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The European Statistics Code of Practice forms the basis for the common quality system of the European Statistical System.
The Code of Practice is based on 16 principles that concern statistical authorities' independence, accountability and the quality of the processes and data to be published.
The principles are in line with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics approved by the United Nations Statistics Commission and are supplementary to them. The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice.
Further information: European Statistics Code of Practice | Statistics Finland and Recommendations of the Advisory Board of Official Statistics of Finland | Statistics Finland
Quality assessment (SIMS 11.2)
During the processing of the data, the high quality of the data is ensured through various statistical verification programs, data requests addressed to data providers as well as by comparing the data with previous comparable statistics and other data sources. The deficiencies and errors in the data reported by the data providers nevertheless have a negative impact on the quality of the statistics.
Timeliness (SIMS 14.1)
The data are completed approximately nine months after the reference period (the subject choices of pupils in comprehensive school), while the subject choices of those who have completed upper secondary general school education are released with a delay of approximately seven months.
Punctuality (SIMS 14.2)
There are no delays between the release calendar and the actual release date.
Comparability - geographical (SIMS 15.1)
The statistics are internationally comparable and cover the whole of Finland.
Comparability - over time (SIMS 15.2)
Statistics Finland has compiled the statistics on the subject choices of students since 1994. The comparability between years is affected by changes in the education system, classifications and the compiling of statistics. As of the statistical year 2011, the subject choices of students in comprehensive education have included the subject choices of both pupils in comprehensive schools and the subject choices of students in the basic education of educational institutions other than comprehensive schools (such as upper secondary schools for adults and folk high schools). The language choices of students in basic education provided elsewhere than in comprehensive schools are released in the database tables of these statistics.
In terms of 2018, the cross-sectional data cover all students in initial vocational education, because the Act on Vocational Education and Training (531/2017), which entered into force at the beginning of 2018, no longer provides for the separation of education into education aimed at young people (curriculum-based initial vocational education) and education aimed at adults (preparatory vocational education). The number of students in the cross-sectional data is not comparable with the number of students in previous years, because, before 2018, the cross-sectional data (of 20 September) only covered students in curriculum-based vocational education aimed at young people.
Coherence – cross domain (SIMS 15.3)
The statistical data are coherent between different years.
Coherence - internal (SIMS 15.4)
The statistics are based on the same data sources and have been compiled in accordance with the same principles as the other statistics of Statistics Finland describing education. These statistics can be used in parallel, provided that the specific characteristics of the statistics are taken into account.
Release calendar (SIMS 8.1)
Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The release times of statistics are given in advance in the release calendar available in the web service. The data become public after they have been updated in the web service.
Further information: Publication principles for statistics at Statistics Finland
Release calendar access (SIMS 8.2)
Future publications of the statistics can be found on the page of the statistics at: Future publications of the statistics
User access (SIMS 8.3)
The data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may be processed at Statistics Finland and information on them may be given before release only by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics concerned in their own work before the data are published.
Further information: Publication principles for statistics
Unless otherwise specifically stated in connection with the product, data or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer and copyright owner of the data. The terms of use for statistical data.
Frequency of dissemination (SIMS 9)
The statistics on the subject choices of students are released twice a year, in October and December, on the website of Statistics Finland.
News release (SIMS 10.1)
The release is published twice a year on the home page of the statistics .
Online database (SIMS 10.3)
The database tables of the statistics can be found in the StatFin database.
Micro-data access (SIMS 10.4)
The statistics on subject choices contain personal data from 2020 onwards. Data on subject choices from basic education and secondary education are available for research use through Statistics Finland's Research Service.
It is possible to make special surveys of the data subject to pay for the order through Statistics Finland's data service.
Confidentiality - policy (SIMS 7.1)
The data protection of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed. The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. Alongside the Statistics Act, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and the Finnish Data Protection Act are applied to the processing of personal data. Provisions on the confidentiality of data collected for statistical purposes are laid down in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.
The data are processed only by persons who need the data in their work. The use of data is restricted by usage rights. All persons employed by Statistics Finland have signed a pledge of secrecy, where they have obliged to keep secret the data prescribed as confidential by virtue of the Statistics Act or the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.
Further information: Data protection | Statistics Finland (stat.fi)
Confidentiality - data treatment (SIMS 7.2)
The processing of data complies with the Statistics Act and Statistics Finland's data protection and data security guidelines. The objective of statistical data protection is to prevent the direct or indirect identification of information about an individual from published information.
The subject choices of students statistics do not contain personal data until 2020. The data for the subject choice has been produced starting from the data for the academic year 2020/2021 from the Koski data repository maintained by the Finnish National Board of Education, where the data is personal based.