Education in Raahe

Raahe provides municipal day-care centres, family day care (perhepäivähoito) and family day care in a group (ryhmäperhepäivähoito). In addition, there are private day care centres and private family day care providers.

Raahe has implemented an electronic application form for day care. Parents can log in the service with their online banking credentials. The electronic application form is available on the Town of Raahe website, under the section Early education (varhaiskasvatus). If you do not have online banking credentials, you can print out the application form and send it to the Town of Raahe's early education services (varhaiskasvatuspalvelut).

A fixed monthly fee is charged for day care.

Town of Raahe / Early education services
Brain Center
Rantakatu 5 D, 92100 Raahe

Further information on day care for immigrant children:
Acting Head of Early Education
Tel. 044 439 3794

Read more: Day care.

The Town of Raahe offers free pre-school education (esiopetus) to all six-year-old children. Pre-school teachers have a pedagogical training background. Pre-school education is provided for four hours a day, totalling around 700 hours a year. The education follows a pre-school education plan approved by the Town of Raahe.

Pre-school education is free of charge. If the child also needs municipal day care in addition to pre-school education, the monthly day-care fee is determined on the basis of the parents' income and the average number of day-care days required per month. The pre-school education of children who also need day care is typically arranged in day care centres.

Raahe has implemented an electronic application form for pre-school education. Parents can log into the service with their online banking credentials. If you do not have online banking credentials, you can fill in and save the application form on your own computer and send it as an e-mail attachment to: varhaiskasvatus(at)raahe.fi

Further information, the electronic application form and the savable attachment are available on the Town of Raahe website, under the section Pre-school education (esiopetus).

Further information:

Pre-school education in connection with day care centres:
Email: varhaiskasvatus(at)raahe.fi
Brain Center
Rantakatu 5 D, P.O. Box 62, 92101 Raahe
Acting Head of Early Education
Tel. 044 439 3794

Pre-school education in connection with basic education:
Email: opetustoimi(at)raahe.fi
Brain Center
Rantakatu 5 D, 92100 Raahe
Acting Head of Local Education Department
Tel. 040 135 6787

Read more: Pre-school education.

In Finland, all children who have reached the age of seven are subject to compulsory education, in other words, they must complete comprehensive school (peruskoulu). Compulsory education ends when the child reaches the age of 17. Parents are responsible for ensuring that their child goes to school. Primary school (alakoulu) includes grades one to six while secondary school (yläkoulu) includes grades seven to nine.

Children whose Finnish language skills are not yet good enough to attend comprehensive school normally receive instruction preparing them for basic education. The purpose of this is to provide the student with skills in Finnish which enable him or her to transfer to an ordinary comprehensive school class. Preparatory instruction normally takes around one school year.

In Raahe, preparatory instruction for basic education is provided by Koivuluoto School. The school also provides Finnish as a second language education.

Further information:

Koivuluoto School
Kummatinkatu 5, 92100 Raahe
Principal, tel. 044 439 3384
School Counsellor, tel. 044 439 3470

Children must be enrolled into comprehensive school at the beginning of the year. Further information on enrolment and the schools' contact details are available on the Raahe Town website. If you have any questions regarding basic education, you can also contact the municipal educational administration (opetustoimi). The education department will also provides information on preparatory instruction for basic education offered to immigrants.

Education department's contact information:

Town of Raahe, Education Department
Brain Center
Rantakatu 5 D, 92100 Raahe
Email: opetustoimi(at)raahe.fi
Head of Local Education Department, tel. 040 135 6818

Read more: Basic education.

Immigrant students receive native language education in their own school. Contact the school principal/head teacher for further information.

Vocational education and training are provided by the educational institutions of the Raahe Joint Municipality Authority for Education (Raahen koulutuskuntayhtymä) and Raahe Business College (Raahen Porvari- ja Kauppakoulu). The Raahe Joint Municipality Authority for Education consists of Raahe Vocational Institute (Raahen ammattiopisto), Lybecker Institute of Crafts and Design (Lybeckerin käsi- ja taideteollisuusopisto) and Ruukki Agricultural Institute (Ruukin maaseutuopisto), which is located in Siikajoki.

At the Raahe Vocational Institute, students can study for qualifications in the electrical, metal, car, building service technology, construction, restaurant, laboratory and beautician sectors. Raahe Vocational Institute also offers preparatory education for immigrants and those who are still uncertain about their future studies.

The Lybecker Institute of Crafts and Design is Finland's oldest Finnish-language institution in the sector. Lybecker offers courses in crafts and design, audio-visual communication, visual expression, upholstery and interior design.

All educational institutions of the Raahe Joint Municipality Authority for Education offer the possibility to complete degrees both as education for young people and adults, in the form of education at an educational institution or as an apprenticeship. Adults are also offered vocational and special vocational courses in areas such as cleaning services, construction, property services, metal, natural resources, transport, IT, business, and the social, health and sports sectors. Raahen osaamiskeskus Oy also operates as part of the Raahe Joint Municipality Authority for Education, it organises employment education and other working life-oriented supplementary education, for example.

Raahe Business College (Raahen Porvari- ja Kauppakoulu) offers college-level courses in business studies. These courses consist of wide-ranging and practical education leading to the Vocational Qualification in Business and Administration (liiketalouden perustutkinto or merkonomi), Vocational Qualification in Information and Communications Technology (tieto- ja viestintätekniikan perustutkinto or datanomi) and a range of vocational competence-based qualifications (näyttötutkinto) for young people and adults.

For more information, see the website of the Town of Raahe's education department (opetustoimi).

Read more: Vocational education and training.

Students are admitted to Raahe Upper Secondary School on the basis of their previous school record.

The language of tuition is Finnish.

Upper secondary schools also provide Finnish as a second language education for immigrants. This takes place either in separate groups, or immigrant students participate in the same courses in the mother tongue language and literature as native Finns, but they are assessed in accordance with the Finnish as a second language syllabus and receive remedial or additional teaching.

The purpose of 'Finnish as a second language' education is to enable immigrants to complete their upper secondary school in accordance with their individual capabilities and to achieve skills in Finnish which enable them to study all upper secondary school subjects in full.

You can enquire about preparatory education for upper secondary school from the Town of Raahe's education department (opetustoimi). You will find the contact information of Raahe Upper Secondary School on its website.

Read more: Upper secondary school.

Etsivä nuorisotyö Satelliitti (Outreach youth work Satellite) seeks out and helps young people of 15–29 years of age, who are not in work or studying.

Etsivä nuorisotyö Satelliitti
Tel. Pyhäjoki: 040 830 3092
Tel. Vihanti: 040 135 6919

Satelliitti provides group coaching and rehabilitative work for young people aged 17–29 years.
Tel. 044 439 3461

Satelliitti offers rehabilitative work in practical duties in municipal workplaces for young people aged 17–29 years.
Tel. 040 135 6948

Email: satelliitti(at)raahe.fi

The Raahe regional office of the Summer University of Northern Ostrobothnia provides education services for various age groups. Most courses are open university courses which are open to all. People who have passed these courses can apply for studies leading to a degree through the joint application system or by completing the required number of open university courses with individual departments.

The Raahe regional office of the Summer University of Northern Ostrobothnia also offers courses in further education, some of which are tailored. University courses for senior citizens and fee-based public events are also arranged.

For further information on the Raahe regional office and its services see the website of the Summer University.

Raahe regional office of the Summer University of Northern Ostrobothnia, visiting address:
Merikatu 2, 92100 Raahe
Opening hours: Tuesday–Thursday at 9 am–3 pm, otherwise as agreed
Telephone: 044 021 0122 or 040 548 0558
Email: kesayo(at)raahe.fi

The educational units of Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oulu UAS) are located in Oulu and Oulainen, around 70 kilometres from Raahe. Oulu UAS educates professionals for demanding roles in the private and public sectors, providing them with the skills required to fulfil the needs of and to develop working life. In particular, Oulu UAS has a long tradition in providing technology sector courses in Raahe and is widely known as a local provider of educational services. In addition to degree courses, Oulu UAS provides open university of applied sciences courses, continuing education and pedagogical studies for teachers. A range of teaching methods are used. For further information on Oulu University of Applied Sciences, see the institution's website.

The nearest university is in Oulu. The University of Oulu offers a wide range of study options. Its undergraduate and postgraduate courses and masters programmes provide students with degrees that are highly regarded in working life. In addition, the university offers many opportunities for updating skills for example through its open university courses, continuing education and its interdisciplinary teaching programmes. For further information on Oulu University, see the institution's website.

Read more: Universities of applied sciences, Universities.

Raahe Music Institute is an art school owned by the Town of Raahe which provides teaching in music and the related art forms. See the website of the Music Institute for further details.

Music Institute's office:
Asemakatu 2, 92100 Raahe
Mon-Fri 9 am–12 noon and 1 pm–4 pm
Tel. 044 439 3420
Email: raahen.musiikkiopisto(at)raahe.fi

Raahe College (Raahe-opisto) is an adult education centre, owned by the Town of Raahe, which provides general education. The centre has operations in the town of Raahe and the municipality of Pyhäjoki. Further information is available on the website of Raahe College.

Raahe College's visiting address:
Merikatu 1, 92100 Raahe
Tel. 040 135 6779 or 040 135 6780
Email: raaheopisto(at)raahe.fi

Read more: Studying as a hobby.