Imatra is participating in the two-year preschool experiment

The city of Imatra is participating in the experiment of two-year preschool education. In the experiment, preschool education starts at the age of 5 and lasts for two years.

The experiment will start in the fall of 2021 and it applies to two age groups. In practice, therefore, all children from Imatra born in 2016 and 2017 start preschool at the age of 5.

The planning of the experiment will be started at Imatra immediately.

- We will inform you about the practical arrangements later in the spring, head of early childhood education services Minna Leinonen says.

Pre-school education is free of charge and is organized for about four hours a day. Those children who need early childhood education in addition to preschool education will continue to receive it in the normal way.

Currently, free preschool education starts at the age of 6 and lasts for one year. Pre-school education is organized in Imatra in Vuoksenniska, Mansikkala and Koske school centers.

The goal is to increase equality and quality

The purpose of the two-year preschool experiment is to strengthen educational equality and develop the quality and effectiveness of preschool education.

- At the same time, the continuums between early childhood education and preschool and primary education are explored and important information is obtained about the effects of preschool education on children's development and learning conditions, social skills and the formation of a healthy self-esteem, Leinonen says.

The municipalities participating in the experiment were selected by random sampling. The additional costs arising from the arrangement, for example the reduction in the amount of early childhood education fees and administrative costs, will be reimbursed to the participating cities as special grants.

The preschool experiment is administered by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

For more information:

Minna Leinonen, head of early childhood education services, to go. leinoneimatra.fi (minna[dot]leinonen[at]imatra[dot]fi),
020 617 3515