Permission for upper secondary education denied to Finnish School on Costa del Sol
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Finland’s Ministry of Education has refused to authorise the establishment of a Finnish upper secondary school in connection with the Finnish School in Fuengirola on Spain’s Costa del Sol.
The Escuela Finlandesa had hoped to launch its upper secondary school in August this year.
The ministry said that the building used by the school is too small and impractical for upper secondary school education. The ministry also found that the number of pupils would be too small for such a project to be viable.
Minister of Education Tuula Haatainen (SDP) wrote in a statement on the matter that the ministry does not feel that there are sufficient reasons to expand the present kind of upper secondary school education outside the borders of Finland.
Ministry official Heikki Blom noted that the money for such a school would have to come out of state funds. There is concern at the Ministry of Education that granting authorisation for one school would lead to more such applications from other places.
He also suggested that it might be considered unfair if permission were given for the establishment of a Finnish upper secondary school in a foreign country in which the number of pupils is below the minimum required for such establishments in Finland.
Blom said that in foreign countries with large Finnish communities it is more important to set up comprehensive schools than upper secondary schools; he pointed out that upper secondary education is available to Finnish pupils abroad through telecommuting.
The decision came as a disappointment to the Costa del Sol Finnish School. Head teacher Juha Helvelahti said that a meeting would be held on Monday next week to discuss the future.
The school plans to continue its telecommuting arrangement with Helsinki’s Töölö Upper Secondary School.
The Costa del Sol Finnish School has 140 pupils at the comprehensive school level, and about 30 who are taking upper secondary school courses.
"The Swedish and Norwegian schools have fewer pupils, but they also have an upper secondary school. We have also set up enough new facilities for a start", Helvelahti points out.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 14.1.2005 - TODAY |
 Permission for upper secondary education denied to Finnish School on Costa del Sol |
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