Frequently asked questions about pre-primary education

Report the pupil's absence directly by telephone to the child’s pre-primary education group. 

Pre-primary education is compulsory. This means that, according to the Basic Education Act (Section 26a), a child must, in the year preceding the beginning of compulsory schooling, participate in one year of pre-primary education or other activities that meet the objectives of pre-primary education.  

As a rule, the aim is for the child to be present by 9.00 a.m. when pre-primary education starts. The guardian must, without delay, notify the pre-primary education group of any illness-related or other absence. 

Absences for reasons other than illness must be verbally agreed with the pre-primary education teacher if the absence is to last between one and five (1–5) preschool days. Absences of more than five pre-primary education days must be applied for in writing from the pre-primary education unit manager using the form below.

Temporary exemption from pre-school

In Tampere, pre-primary education topics are practised by doing things together and interacting with adults and peers: playing, experimenting, exploring, working in pairs and groups, and discussing. 

Book-free pre-primary education is a growing model where the planning of activities is guided by the children's interests and the objectives of the child's pre-primary curriculum. 

However, a pre-primary exercise book may be used in pre-primary education. There are also other activities in between the written exercises: games, songs and digital activities related to the content and learning units being taught. 

Through diverse operating methods and study materials, we ensure that we take into account different ways of learning. Written exercises form only one way of teaching things, along with other methods. No single material or activity in pre-primary education is sufficient to cover the work done during the whole school year. 

That's great if your child can already read and count. They are therefore interested in learning new things, which is a prerequisite for learning new things later on. However, each child progresses at their own pace along their growth and learning path.

Pre-primary education must be sufficiently challenging and appropriate for the child. There are no subjects in pre-primary education, but teaching takes place in learning units, which are designed around the children's interests as an important starting point.

Pre-primary education promotes children's broad competence in the following areas:

• thinking and learning 
• cultural competence, interaction and expression 
• self-care and everyday skills 
• multiliteracy 
• information and communications technology 
• participation and contribution 

During the preprimary autumn, discussion is held with the child's guardian about how best to support the child's growth, development and learning condition

The main responsibility for implementing pre-primary education lies with teachers who have generally trained as classroom teachers or early childhood education teachers.

The teacher guides learning, concrete experimentation, exploration, active participation and other knowledge acquisition and problem-solving through interaction with adults and the children's peers. A pre-primary book or other written exercises may serve as a support to learning in pre-primary education.

There is no actual homework in pre-primary education, but there may be some exercises that children do together with their guardians. A popular example is the Star of the Week interview, where the pre-primary pupil answers questions together with a parent and returns the answers to the pre-primary group. The aim of these exercises is often to strengthen cooperation between pre-primary education and the home, and to promote the grouping of pre-primary pupils.

You can get additional information about how your pre-primary group operates from your pre-primary education staff.

The pre-primary learning atmosphere offers children opportunities to play, to do other things and to rest. The focus is on teacher-child and child-child interaction, different activities and learning tasks. 

Play in its different forms is strongly present in pre-primary education, as children perceive the world through play. Play develops thinking, language and imagination, is linked to a child's health and well-being, and supports the development of social and emotional skills. 

Through play, children receive positive learning experiences and get inspired to learn new things. Through play, children learn much information and many skills and their broad range of competence develops. 

Children can bring their own toys to pre-primary education within the framework of instructions issued by the staff. Find out more about this from your child pre-primary group. 

As children approach school age, their need for a daytime nap often decreases. However, it is important to give children a rest during the day to lay the foundations for their physical and mental development and to reduce the stress they experience. 

Children who are unable to settle down in the middle of the day or who have long pre-primary school days are in particular need of rest. Lack of sleep makes it difficult to concentrate and learn new things. 

In pre-primary education, children are offered the opportunity to rest. The form of rest depends on the kind of environment in which the pre-primary education is being organised. Depending on the situation, the break for rest may be a quiet reading moment, quiet play or a daytime nap.  

This is agreed together with the pre-primary education staff. 

A 5–6-year-old child needs 10–12 hours of sleep every day. The amount of daily naps is not age-related but, for older children, special emphasis should be placed on individual needs. 

Discussion may already be held with a pre-primary-aged child about the importance of rest and sleep. Usually, when starting pre-primary education, a child's need for sleep increases as the activities and environment become more challenging. Children can easily overcome their daily challenges if they get enough rest. 

Tampere's pre-primary education system does not, in principle, encourage pre-primary-aged children to go alone, as this involves many safety risks. In addition,opportunities for important daily conversation with the child’s guardian are reduced if the child travels alone to school or home. 

However, a child in pre-primary education and supplementary club activities has the possibility to both come to and leave pre-primary education or a pre-primary education club at an agreed time with the permission of their guardian. 

To give such permission, you must fill in the relevant form together with the staff. The form assesses, among other things, the child's ability to go alone and the safety of the journey.

If a guardian chooses to allow their pre-primary-aged child to go alone to school, the responsibility for the child’s safe travel rests solely with the guardians. The guardian should carefully teach the route to the child before giving permission and go over safety issues with the child. 

You can obtain further information about this matter from your child's pre-primary group. 

Pre-primary education largely observes the same times for activity and holiday as normal schools. 

Early childhood education and pre-primary education hours and holidays