📋 Tender Overview
The transition to learner -based data collection is explored in free education
Ministry of Education and Culture
Date of publication
26.9.2025 9.30
TYPE:
NEWS
The Ministry of Education and Culture is launching a report on the conditions to be met in order to move from retirement data collection to up-to-date learner-specific data collection in free education.
There are a significant number of trainings in free education institutions with about one million learners each year. Learners are of all ages ranging from babies to seniors. However, there is little knowledge of education at national level and not collecting information about learners in the same way as in other forms of education.
The information on free education is largely based on post -data collection, which results in the information available from fragments, different sources, old (not up -to -date) and does not meet the needs of today's development and decision -making.
The lack of learner -based knowledge also means, for example, that free education does not collect data that could be combined with other registration, allowing researchers to investigate the effects of free education, compare information with other forms of education, and, through this, to demonstrate the effectiveness of free education in the Finnish education system.
From these points of view, the Ministry has decided to find out the opportunities for developing free education data collection. The study will be prepared by Dr. Paula Alanen, a doctor of education, and will be completed by March 31, 2026. The study consists of a literature review, interviews and comparison of Nordic data collection models.
The preparation and procurement of the study is based on the Publication of the Digitalisation of Free Education, published on 28.3.2025 (Publications of the Ministry of Education and Culture: 2025: 10), which concretizes Finnish digital compass, education and education digitalisation 2027 and other major digital documents.
The activities of free education institutions are guided by the Law on Free Education (632/1998) and are supported by public funds. There are 289 educational institutions, of which the civic colleges that meet the local and regional education needs the largest group at 173 colleges. Civic colleges are generally municipal actors. Other free education institutions (folk high schools, summer universities, study centers and sports training centers) are, as a rule, maintained by registered communities or foundations in close cooperation with civil society and organizations. The educational network is geographically comprehensive.
Further information: Expert Petra Heikkinen, tel. +358 29 533 0068
TRAINING
Education
TRAINING
STATEMENT
Free education
