Pyynikin lukio will introduce a new program: the ESP, or English Study Programme, will start in August
The news about the new program was warmly welcomed at Pyynikki Upper Secondary School. “It’s important to me that our school’s educational offering reflects the direction of societal development and current needs. Finland and Tampere need skilled people from all over the world, and their children and young people deserve excellent educational services. I’m very happy that Pyynikin lukio upper secondary school can meet this demand,” says Principal Ville Vuorisalmi.
The fact that Pyynikin lukio received permission to launch the new ESP program was the result of a long and thorough preparation process. Among the teachers, the main responsibility for this process was carried by Neea-Sofia Filpus, the preparatory coordinator for the English-language program. She sees ESP as a great opportunity to stand out from other schools with a unique program: “This program brings more internationality to our school and strongly supports Tampere’s internationalization efforts.” Filpus also wants to thank everyone involved in preparing the application for the Ministry of Education and Culture: “The application process included people from Tampere’s upper secondary administration, Pyynikki’s own administration, and teachers—thank you to each of you for your contribution!”
Filpus explains that her work as preparatory coordinator is far from over: “Right now, we’re starting to think about practical implementation, such as contacting textbook publishers. We’re also exploring opportunities for historic collaboration with other cities that have also received permission to launch an English-language upper secondary program.” When the language of instruction changes to English, teaching materials must also support learning in English. Filpus notes that many publishers still produce certain subject materials only in Finnish, but fortunately there are exceptions. For example, there is quite a lot of English-language material available for math and science subjects.
The ESP program has also influenced teacher recruitment. “We have hired—and will continue to hire—motivated and language-skilled staff. All staff have received training in language-aware teaching. We’ve developed our school into an even safer space for students of all kinds and backgrounds,” says Principal Vuorisalmi. English proficiency has already been an important factor in teacher selection for several years, as new teachers are very likely to teach either in the bilingual BSP program or the English-language ESP program.
Guidance counselors communicate extensively with both students and guardians, and starting next August, communication in the ESP program will also switch from Finnish to English. Guidance counselor Heidi Rantanen believes language is at the heart of everything: “In the future, school communication will need to be even more actively bilingual: all notices sent to students and families must also be translated into English. International students will certainly need more guidance and support in their studies,” Rantanen says, adding: “I think it’s great that our school is getting this new international program. It’s important to attract international talent to Pirkanmaa. The possibility to attend upper secondary school in English is a critical factor for many families when deciding to move.”
The Pyynikin lukio upper secondary school community is eagerly looking forward to the launch of the new ESP program in August.
