Research shows that addressing values and attitudes within the school community can help prevent bullying and violence. The Me arvokkaat! lesson package encourages pupils to reflect on values and norms together in an atmosphere of mutual respect. This helps pupils understand that everyone can contribute to creating a shared and safe school culture.
Me arvokkaat! consists of four ready-to-use lessons with lesson plans. During the lessons, pupils explore their own and shared values through teacher-facilitated dialogue and interactive exercises. They also consider how values are reflected in everyday choices and interactions and in building a safe school community.
The lesson package is aligned with the Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic Education. The material has been developed particularly for grades 4–9 but can also be adapted for other grade levels.
The lesson material, developed through multidisciplinary collaboration in the Tampere City Region, has been piloted in Lempäälä, Tampere and the Tampere University Teacher Training School. Feedback from pupils in the pilot classes was positive.
Anna Piirainen, a wellbeing instructor in Lempäälä, has been involved in developing and piloting the material. She says it is important to give young people space to reflect on their own thoughts and values.
– Young people do not need ready-made, perfect answers. They need space to reflect on their own thoughts. We have encouraged them to stop and consider their own values rather than simply following their friends. We encourage them to choose what is right, not what is easiest. When young people recognise their own values, it is easier for them to stand up for others, Piirainen says.
Tiina Piispanen, Project Manager of the Kohti turvallista koulua project, says that similar material is also being planned for pre-primary education.
– The need for this emerged while we were developing the lesson package for young people. The material for pre-primary education will be published in early 2027, Piispanen says.
The Me arvokkaat! lesson material will be published in Finnish on 1 October and in Swedish on 2 November on the Tampereen seudun Osake website. The material can be downloaded and used free of charge.
Material page (in Finnish)
Kohti turvallista koulua is a joint development project of the Tampere City Region. Its aim is to prevent bullying and violence and to strengthen safety in everyday school life by developing more consistent practices, professional competence and practical materials.
The project is coordinated by Tampereen seudun Osake and funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education, the municipalities of the Tampere City Region, private education providers in the region and the Tampere University Teacher Training School. The project began in August 2025 and will continue until July 2027.
Tampereen seudun Osake is a professional development service for the education, youth work, and guidance sectors in the municipalities of the Tampere City Region.
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Updated material download link on 1 October 2026 at 12:10
