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Support and consultation within pre-primary education

Children participating in pre-primary education are covered under the Basic Education Act’s provisions for support for growth and learning. The act stipulates a child has the right to receive adequate support as soon as the need for it emerges. 

The three levels of support for a child’s growth and learning are titled general, intensified, and special support.  A child’s support must be provided in a flexible fashion with long-term planning and a capacity for change as the need changes. Support will be rendered for as long as is necessary at the appropriate level and form. Both a special needs early childhood education teacher and a school’s broad-based special needs teacher work with pre-primary education. 

Basic Education Act

The principles of providing support 

In Tampere, nearly all pre-primary education groups work in school premises, and cooperate with both early childhood education and care and basic education services to organize support measures. Support for growth and learning as well as pupil welfare services are part of the upbringing and educational work undertaken by pre-primary education. The support will be provided for the child primarily in their own pre-primary education group. The broad-based special needs education teacher for basic education also works with the pre-primary education group(s). 

When assessing the need for support, the first measure is to take stock of the methods, teaching arrangements, and learning environments used by staff and gauge whether they are appropriate for the child. Based on this assessment, they evaluate whether changes to these factors might better support the appropriate pedagogic solutions. 

In collaboration with the child, the guardians, and the educators, a learning plan, or, if a decision for special support exists, a personal teaching organization plan (HOJKS) will be drawn up for the child. 

If the child makes use of other early childhood education and care services besides pre-primary education, pre-primary education and other early childhood education personnel will collaborate in issues related to support for the child’s growth and learning. it is vital that as much information as possible on the child’s need for support and the support they have received in preschool is communicated to basic education proper.  

Special needs teachers for early childhood education   

A special needs teacher for early childhood education (Finnish abbreviation VEO) assists other pre-primary education personnel in observing and identifying supportive measures appropriate for each child as well as each child’s need for support. The special needs teacher for early childhood education provides special education and consults both other pre-primary education personnel as well as the child’s parents. They also serve as the point of contact in organizing additional support and related measures. The special needs teacher for early childhood education works as part of a broader cooperative network in pre-primary education.  

You can find the contact information for special needs teachers in early childhood education where the daycare centre’s contact information is provided. 

Updated 4.1.2023