Swedish-language immersion

The aim of the language immersion programme is that a child who doesn’t know Swedish learns the language in daycare and at school. The programme is designed so that at the beginning of the child’s learning path the teachers and educators almost exclusively speak Swedish to the child. Later on, more Finnish is used in both teaching and learning. By staying in the immersion class for the entire duration of their basic education, the child will develop strong skills in both Finnish and Swedish.

Learn more about Helsinki’s Swedish-language immersion programme on our website: Early childhood education in Swedish: Swedish-language immersion

The best time to start language immersion is the year the child turns four. They can also do it later, but no later than by the beginning of their pre-primary education. In other words, the Swedish-language immersion programme is intended for children who have started the language immersion path in daycare or in pre-primary education. These pupils will have a place in a language immersion school on that same path. As a first-grader’s guardian, you can accept a language immersion school place for your child using the Asti online service(Link leads to external service). In other situations, please contact the principal of your chosen Swedish-language immersion school to inquire after free places.

The seven Swedish-language immersion paths available in Helsinki are listed in the image below.