There are two established systems of guidance and counselling that complement each other in their operation and goals: student counselling provided by the school system, and the vocational guidance and career planning as well as the educational and vocational information services run by the labour
administration. Education and labour authorities have the main responsibility for the organisation
of guidance and counselling services in the public sector. Also the bodies maintaining educational institutions, usually municipalities, share this responsibility to provide guidance and counselling at
schools.

The division of tasks between these two systems is clear. Educational institutions have the main responsibility for counselling of pupils and students, and the careers services of employment
offices are primarily intended for those outside the education and training system. However, all guidance and counselling services provided by employment offices are available for students, too,
when needed.

The goal of the guidance and counselling services is to help individuals make choices concerning their education, training and career planning at different stages of their lives. In Finland all citizens have a chance of receiving guidance and counselling whether they are students, at work, unemployed or
outside the labour market.

Educational and Vocational Guidance in Finland

Preview Info - Finnish Guidance System (2003).pdf - 487.73 Kb

This brochure introduces the educational and vocational guidance and counselling and career planning services available in Finland. It gives an overview of the organisation and goals of guidance services provided by public education and labour authorities, and presents the main actors in the field: clients, ooperation networks and professionals. The Finnish education system is also described.

Equity in Education, thematic review, Finland country note

Preview Info - Finland Equity in Educaiton, thematic review.pdf - 353.61 Kb

Equity in Education, thematic review, Finland Country note,Norton Grubb (Rapporteur),Hanna Marit Jahr, Josef Neumüller, Simon Field, Review visit: 11-21 April 2005, also available on line at: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/49/40/36376641.pdf Equity in education has been a concern of almost all countries, whether developed, transitional, or in the process of developing. Inequality in education — whether inequality is measured by differences in measures of learning like test scores, measures of educational attainment like years completed, or more abstract conceptions like opportunity — is partly an issue of equity, or its close synonym fairness. Countries differ in the extent to which they value fairness and equity, to be sure, but more than most countries Finland seems to consider equality of both status and opportunity important.

Map of the Finnish guidance and counselling system