Preschool education is provided for children in the year preceding their compulsory education. The preschool day is 4 hours during the regular school year.
In Helsinki pre school education is provided free of charge in public daycare centres and in some schools.
All preschool groups follow the same curriculum.
Pre-primary education is binding. This means that the child must participate in a year-long activity of preschool education or other forms of compulsory targets for preschool education the year preceding their compulsory education. Children of preschool age are still entitled to daycare.
In Helsinki the Department of Early Education and Care is responsible for the preschool education provided in Finnish and the Education Department is responsible for the preschool education provided in Swedish.