Pre-primary and comprehensive school education: 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: Pre-primary and comprehensive school education
Quality report
Data description (SIMS 3.1)
The statistics have been discontinued. The statistics on comprehensive schools contain data by individual school on numbers of pupils in comprehensive schools, special schools at the basic level of education, and in schools at the basic and upper secondary general levels of education. The data on the current autumn describe the situation on 20 September and those on completions of education the previous school year.
Sector coverage (SIMS 3.3)
Statistical unit (SIMS 3.5)
Statistical population (SIMS 3.6)
Reference area (SIMS 3.7)
Time coverage (SIMS 3.8)
Base period (SIMS 3.9)
Unit of measure (SIMS 4)
Reference period (SIMS 5)
Classifications (SIMS 3.2)
Concepts and definitions (SIMS 3.4)
Additional education
In the statistics on comprehensive school education and special education and in the statistics on adult education of educational institutions, additional education in comprehensive school refers to the optional additional class (10th class) of one year's duration available for young people having completed the syllabus of comprehensive school education. Pupils in additional education also include special support receiving pupils that are in extended compulsory education.
Completers of comprehensive school
In the statistics on comprehensive school education and on entrance to education completers of comprehensive education refer to pupils who have satisfactorily completed the full comprehensive school syllabus and received a school-leaving certificate from comprehensive school. The full comprehensive school syllabus can be completed in comprehensive schools, upper secondary general schools and 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.
Intensified support
In the statistics on special education in comprehensive schools and in the statistics on pre-primary and comprehensive school education, intensified support refers to support to pupils on which a learning plan for intensified support has been drawn up. Intensified support is provided to pupils who need for their learning or school attendance regular support or simultaneously several forms of support (e.g. remedial teaching, part-time special education, school assistant or interpretation services) The support arranged for the pupil is recorded in the learning plan that is drawn up based on pedagogical assessment in co-operation with the pupil and his or her guardian.
Pre-primary education
In the statistics on comprehensive school education and special education, pre-primary education refers to the education of pupils enrolled as pre-primary school pupils in comprehensive schools. Pre-primary education is education intended for children aged six who will be starting comprehensive education in the following year. In addition to pre-primary classes of comprehensive schools, pre-primary education is also provided in children's day care centres. Attendance of pre-primary education is voluntary. Pre-primary pupils also include special support receiving pupils that are in extended compulsory education.
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.
Qualification/Degree
In the statistics on comprehensive school education, a school-leaving certificate from comprehensive school can be regarded as a qualification from comprehensive school. A school-leaving certificate from comprehensive school can be obtained from comprehensive schools, upper secondary general schools or folk high schools.
School-leaving certificate from comprehensive school
In the statistics on comprehensive school education, a school-leaving certificate refers to a certificate issued to a pupil who has satisfactorily completed the full comprehensive school syllabus. A school-leaving certificate from comprehensive school can be received from a comprehensive school, upper secondary general school or folk high school. School-leaving certificates issued by educational institutes other than comprehensives schools are not included in the number of school-leaving certificates in the statistics on comprehensive school education.
Special education
In the statistics on special education in comprehensive schools and in the statistics on pre-primary and comprehensive school education, special education refers to teaching arranged from 1995 to 2010 for those accepted and transferred to special education and starting from 2011 that arranged for pupils receiving special support because of disability, illness, delayed development, emotional disturbance or some other comparable special reason. Part-time special education is also special education that pupils can have besides other teaching if they have difficulties in learning or school attendance. In the statistics on special education in vocational education, special education refers (since 1999) to teaching that is organised because of disability, illness, de-layed development or some other reason for students requiring special teaching or student services. The law on vocational education obliges that an individual plan concerning the arrangement of teaching must be drawn up for the student.
Special support
In the statistics on special education in comprehensive schools and in the statistics on pre-primary and comprehensive school education, special support refers to support to pupils on which a written decision has been made concerning provision of special support. Special support is provided to pupils for whom the attainment of the objectives of growth, development and learning is not sufficiently realised with other supporting measures. Special support is arranged either in the scope of general or extended compulsory education and it is formed of special education and other support. Before the decision on special support, the pupil and his or her guardian are heard and a pedagogical survey is made, including an assessment of the need for special support. The decision is checked at least after the second grade and before the transition to the seventh grade. An individual plan on the arrangement of teaching is made for special support pupils. Support to learning and school attendance can be divided into general, intensified and special support. If general support is not enough, intensified support is provided. If intensified support is not enough, special support is provided. Comprehensive school pupils accepted and transferred to special education in previous years (1995-2010) are considered equal to special support pupils.
Subject student
In the statistics on adult education of educational institutions a subject student refers to a student who studies a specific subject belonging to the syllabus, but not the full syllabus, of comprehensive school or upper secondary general school education.
Syllabus
Scope and content of studies included in education or teaching. Comment: In comprehensive and general upper secondary education, it can also refer to the subject syllabus.
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)
Data sharing (SIMS 6.2)
Source data (SIMS 18.1)
Data validation (SIMS 18.4)
Data compilation (SIMS 18.5)
User needs (SIMS 12.1)
Overall accuracy (SIMS 13.1)
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:
Quality assessment (SIMS 11.2)
Timeliness (SIMS 14.1)
Comparability - geographical (SIMS 15.1)
Comparability - over time (SIMS 15.2)
Coherence – cross domain (SIMS 15.3)
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)
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.
Further information: The terms of use for statistical data
Frequency of dissemination (SIMS 9)
News release (SIMS 10.1)
Online database (SIMS 10.3)
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 (eur-lex.europa.eu) and the Finnish Data Protection Act (Finlex.fi) 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 (Finlex.fi).
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
Confidentiality - data treatment (SIMS 7.2)