Enrolling in pre-primary education
Children must participate in one year of pre-primary education before starting their compulsory education. Registration for pre-primary education is electronic. The School Committee notifies the parent or guardian of the pupil’s local school, in which he or she must then be enrolled. If the child needs day care in addition to pre-primary education, this can be applied for electronically.
Enrolling in basic education
The School Committee notifies the parent or guardian of the future first-grader’s local school in which he or she must then be enrolled. The process is the same for those applying for the language school. Pupils with disabilities who begin school in special education should be enrolled in the Tornionseutu school.
During April and May before their first year, new pupils have the opportunity to visit their future school.
Applying for the language school
The shared language school of the city of Tornio and Haparanda municipality is a comprehensive school in Haparanda that organizes one first-grade class of 20 native Finnish speakers from Tornio and 20 native Swedish speakers from Haparanda.
Tornio residents who want their child to receive a bilingual basic education should apply for admission to the language school in writing, with the form available in the Education Services office or the City of Tornio website. Admission may also be applied for via a free-form application sent to the City of Tornio Education Committee at the address Sivistyslautakunta, Kaupungintalo, Suensaarenkatu 4, 95400 Tornio. The pupil must also be enrolled in the local school designated by the School Committee. The language school organizes a yearly information session on its teaching, which is held in the school facilities at the address Packhusgatan 19, Haparanda.
Pupils for the language school are selected by drawing lots among the applicants if necessary, distinguishing between boys and girls according to the ratio of applicants. Pupils must have the capability to cope with the requirements of the language school. The selection process includes an evaluation of the pupils’ capabilities. Pupils must be able to keep track of instruction provided in the language used in class. Possible vacancies in the second or higher grades are open to applications by all children in Tornio whose native language is Finnish.