The programme offers young people from international families the opportunity to complete both upper secondary studies and the Finnish matriculation examination entirely in English. Students are required to study Finnish as a second language and take the Finnish as a Second Language and Literature exam in the matriculation examination.
Mari Aalto, Director of Upper Secondary Education, is pleased that the City of Tampere has received permission to provide fully English-language upper secondary education.
-The English Study Programme responds to the growing demand for English-language upper secondary education in the Tampere region, says Aalto.
Until now, English-language education in Tampere has been provided by the IB programme at Tampereen lyseon lukio and by certain programmes at Tampere Vocational College Tredu.
The English Study Programme is intended for young people whose language skills are insufficient for upper secondary studies in Finnish or Swedish. A student is considered to have insufficient language skills if they have completed basic education studies in Finland for no more than three years.
In addition, applicants who are not citizens of an EU or EEA country must hold a residence permit based on grounds other than studies.
The English Study Programme is not intended for Finnish-speaking youth who wish to study in English to improve their language skills or gain international experience. If a student has studied in a Finnish comprehensive school for more than three years, they are not eligible for English-language upper secondary education under the Upper Secondary School Act as updated in winter 2025.
Pyynikin lukio Upper Secondary School also offers a bilingual study line in which studies are conducted in both Finnish and English. The bilingual line leads to the Finnish Matriculation Examination. The main language of instruction is Finnish, and English is used as a supporting language. This line is called the Bilingual Study Programme (BSP).
The new, fully English-language line is called the English Study Programme (ESP).
