Preschool education
Preschool children, i.e. 6-year-olds, participate in free preschool education organised by the municipality. In Vaasa, preschool education is organised at daycare centres.
Children receive preschool education for four hours a day.
Preschool education in Finland is based upon the principles of the preschool curriculum approved by the National Board of Education. This curriculum forms the foundation upon which the City of Vaasa has created its common teaching plan for the whole municipality. The City of Vaasa’s preschool plan, in turn, forms the base upon which an individual preschool curriculum is built at each daycare centre.
Preschool education is planned and focuses on long-term teaching and education. The goal of the teaching is to support the child’s growth and development during the year before school age. Other aims are to support the child’s learning skills and to help them experience the joy of learning.
Participation in preschool education is compulsory. It is the responsibility of the child’s guardian to ensure that the child participates in preschool education or in other activities through which the targets of the preschool education are met before compulsory education begins.
Home address determines pre-primary education placement
Children are placed in pre-primary education based on their home address, within the boundaries of the basic education district. This means that parents or guardians cannot choose a pre-primary education placement at a specific daycare centre or within a particular area.
The only exceptions to placement in the nearest pre-primary education unit are Swedish language immersion, English-language early childhood education, and Steiner kindergarten.
Registration for preschool education
Preschool education for the children born in 2019 begins 18th August 2025.
Registrations for preschool education organised by the City of Vaasa will take place on 9 January 2025 8 a.m. – 31 January 2025 5 p.m.
Registration is primarily done electronically via the City of Vaasa’s Early Childhood Education Online Services.
Notice! Enrolment for preschool education in Vaasan kristillinen koulu is made directly to the school. For further infomation, please contact the Rector Henrik Vähäkangas, henrik.vahakangas(at)vaasankristillinenkoulu.fi, tel. 050 910 9453.
You must register your children, even if they are already in early childhood education and the place of early childhood education does not change.
When registering online, please select one of the options for a pre-school placement.
- If you select the nearest pre-primary education unit in accordance with the School Path, you cannot select a specific unit.
- Note! Please do not select the option ‘all units’ (kaikki toimintayksiköt) in the application, as this option is only visible for technical reasons.
- Finnish-language pre-primary education for children who require evening, night, and weekend care is provided at the Punahilkka daycare centre.
- Evening, night, and weekend care for Swedish-speaking children is provided at the Punahilkka daycare centre, while pre-primary education is provided at the local pre-primary education unit based on their home address.
If a child needs preschool education (4 hours a day) as well as early childhood education, the electronic enrolment form must meet the requirement for early childhood education in addition to preschool education.
A written decision on a child’s enrollment for preschool education will be posted to the child’s guardians in March at the latest. The preschool place must be accepted in writing by the date specified in the decision.
Options for Preschool education
Placement in the nearest pre-primary education unit based on the School Path and the child’s home address
- Children are placed in pre-primary education based on their home address, within the boundaries of the basic education district.
- Select this option if your child is NOT attending a language immersion programme, English Playschool or Steiner daycare centre Tiitiäinen.
Pre-primary education as part of the Swedish language immersion programme.
- Select this option if your child is currently participating in the language immersion programme at the Huvikumpu or Satamapuisto daycare centres. You can also opt for placement in the nearest pre-primary education unit in accordance with the School Path.
Steiner kindergarten Tiitiäinen
- Select this option if your child is currently attending Steiner Kindergarten Tiitiäinen. You can also opt for placement in the nearest pre-primary education unit in accordance with the School Path.
- Places may be available.
Vaasa English Playschool
- Select this option if your child is currently attending Vaasa English Playschool. You can also opt for placement in the nearest pre-primary education unit in accordance with the School Path.
When registering online, please select one of the options above for a pre-school placement.
Registration for pre-primary education at Vaasan kristillinen koulu (Vaasa Christian School) is done directly through the school.
- For more information: www.vakri.fi or Principal Henrik Vähäkangas, henrik.vahakangas@vaasankristillinenkoulu.fi, tel. 050 910 9453.
Secondary application round for preschool education
Registration is primarily done electronically Application times are announced directly on the city’s website, through newspaper advertisements (in Vaasa-lehti) and via Wilma.
A secondary application for pre-primary education placements will take place in April 2025. At that time, guardians can apply for any available pre-primary education placements.
- Example: Based on the home address, a pre-primary education placement has been assigned to the child at Teeriniemi daycare centre. During the secondary application in April, the child’s guardians may apply for a pre-primary education placement at Purola daycare centre, provided there are available places at Purola.
Guardians may apply for only one new pre-primary education placement for their child.
If there are more applicants for secondary pre-primary education placements than available places, the selection will be made by drawing lots. No other reasons will affect the selection.
- Example: There are five applicants for just one available place at Vikinga Förskola. The available place will be assigned by drawing lots among the applicants.
Decisions regarding secondary pre-primary education placements will be communicated to parents by the end of April.
Early childhood education in addition to preschool education
If a child needs preschool education (4 hours a day) as well as early childhood education, the electronic enrolment form must meet the requirement for early childhood education in addition to preschool education.
In such cases, early childhood education and preschool education are organised in the same daycare facility.
Work and holiday times in preschool education
Preschool education follows the holiday periods observed in basic comprehensive education, excluding any working days on Saturdays.
The preschool term 2024–2025 begins 16.8.2024 and ends 30.5.2025.
- Autumn holiday 14.–18.10.2024
- Independence Day 6.12.2024
- Christmas holiday 23.12.2024–6.1.2025
- Winter holiday 24.–28.2.2025
- Easter 18.–21.4.2025
- May Day 1.5.2025
- Ascension Day 29.5.2025
The preschool term 2025–2026 begins 18.8.2025 and ends 29.5.2026.
Holidays 2025–2026:
- Autumn holiday 13.–17.10.2025
- Christmas holiday 22.12.2025–2.1.2026
- Winter holiday 23.2.–27.2.2026
- Easter 3.4.–6.4.2026
- May Day 1.5.2026
- Ascension Day 14.5.2026
