Preschool education

The legislation on learning and school support will be renewed in both pre-school and basic education, as well as upper secondary education.

The legislative change and the related updated preschool curriculum will enter into force on 1 August 2025. The Finnish National Board of Education published the basics of the new preschool curriculum in February 2025, and the local preschool curriculum of the city of Riihimäki will be updated in this regard by autumn 2025.

According to the new law, the three-tier support (general, enhanced and special support) will be abolished. The three-tier support will be replaced by group-specific forms of support and child-specific support measures.

The purpose of the law is to emphasize early and preventive support. The support emphasizes teaching given to the child's own teaching group. The aim of the change is to strengthen a preschool operating culture that enables development, learning, inclusion and attachment to the community, supports high-quality preschool education, and prevents the emergence of support needs.

More information about the changes to the law and the preschool curriculum can be found here. From the Finnish National Board of Education website.

Early childhood education in the city of Riihimäki organizes preschool education in the following units:

• Herajoki school
• Junailijankatu daycare center
• Lasitehdas school
• Patastenmäki Jukola school
• Peltosaari school
• Piikinmäki daycare center
• Northern School
• Uramo school
• Uramo daycare center

Guardians are responsible for their child's participation in preschool education or other activities that meet the goals of preschool education, one year before the start of compulsory education. The head of early childhood education allocates preschool education places to all children of preschool age. The preschool education place must be confirmed in accordance with the instructions included in the decision.

Those moving to the locality during their term can contact early childhood education service guidance for applying for preschool education.

It is possible for a child to apply for early childhood education that supplements preschool education, which is paid and takes place in the same premises as preschool education. Supplementary early childhood education can be attended daily from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Supplementary early childhood education is also organised during school holidays. Children in pre-school education can participate in supplementary early childhood education during the operating period (1.8 August - 31.7 July).

If you have any questions about the application process or accepting a place, please contact the early childhood education service guidance.

The city of Riihimäki forms one school district, on the basis of which the pre-school place is assigned and the enrollment of students in basic education takes place. Student enrollment is done separately for pre-school education, for grades 1–5 and 6–9.

Criteria for assigning a preschool place and enrolling students in basic education in the city of Riihimäki from 11 March 2024, Education and Welfare Board § 33/6.3.2024.

Read more about the policies from the basic education page

The guardian must inform the preschool group of the reason for their child's absence. For absences other than due to illness, the guardian must request permission well in advance.

In preschool education, the preschool teacher grants a child permission to be absent from preschool education for a maximum of five days. The decision on granting an exemption from preschool education for more than five days is made by the head of the early childhood education unit.

You can apply for an exemption from preschool education using the form found on the city's website or apply for an exemption in Daisy. When applying for an exemption, it is important to state the reason for the absence and describe how the child's preschool education will be provided during the exemption.

If a guardian applies for exemption through Daisy, the application is recorded on the guardian's behalf on a paper form and a copy of the decision on exemption from preschool education is delivered to the guardians.

The absences of preschool students are actively monitored in the preschool group, and if there are a lot of absences, the matter is discussed with the guardians. Absence forms are archived in the unit for the entire preschool year.