Safeguarding international schools in Finland: country guide

Schools in Finland work under the Ministry of Education and Culture and the National Agency for Education (OPH). Schools follow the Basic Education Act (628/1998) or the Upper Secondary Schools Act.

Section 29 of the Basic Education Act gives every pupil the right to a safe school setting. Schools must also keep a plan to stop violence, bullying and harm.

Global schools in Helsinki, Espoo and Tampere often teach the IB or hold CIS, NEASC or COBIS backing. Those rules sit next to Finnish law and never replace legal reporting duties.

Section 25 of the Child Welfare Act (417/2007) puts a strict legal duty on school leaders, teachers and staff. They must act if a child's care or home setting calls for a welfare check.

They must send a child welfare notice, called a lastensuojeluilmoitus, at once to social services. Since 2023, wellbeing services counties (hyvinvointialue) and Helsinki City run those teams.

The duty to report overrides secrecy rules. Staff do not need proof first, and they must not run their own inquiry.

• Worry that a child needs help due to home care or their own actions.
• Signs of physical, mental or sexual abuse, or severe neglect.
• Danger at home from family violence or parent drug use.
• Section 25(3) adds a second duty: staff must tell the police at once if they suspect sex abuse or serious harm.

In Finland, the legal duty under Section 25 binds every adult named in the law. Teachers, heads, nurses and staff cannot pass the duty on and walk away.

In practice, your DSL or head often helps write and send the welfare notice, and calls the police if a crime is feared. Keep this route fast so nothing waits an extra day.

If school leaders choose not to send a notice that a teacher thinks is needed, the teacher must still send it. Compare this rule in mandatory reporting laws for international schools.

If a child is in danger now, call 112. Finland uses 112 as the one emergency line for police, ambulance, fire and crisis help.

Tell your DSL and head the same day. The school then logs the step and sends any needed follow-up notice to the county team.

• 112: police, medical help and crisis duty across Finland.
• 116 111: MLL Helpline, free and private in Finnish and Swedish.
• County crisis duty (sosiaali- ja kriisipäivystys): urgent child welfare help out of hours.
• Local county team or Helsinki social services: for child welfare notices.
• Your DSL and head: tell them the same day so all logs stay complete.

Under Act 504/2002, a school hiring staff for over three months in a year must see a police extract first. That happens before anyone signs a work contract.

The hire orders the extract for work with children, called a rikosrekisteriote, from the Legal Register Centre. It shows grave violent, sexual and drug crimes.

The Finnish extract checks records in Finland and some EU checks. Add police checks from each past home country too, as shown in safer recruitment for international schools.

The EU GDPR applies in Finland next to the Finnish Data Protection Act (1050/2018). The Data Protection Ombudsman watches over privacy law.

When a school sends a welfare notice or a Section 25(3) police report, Section 25 sets aside normal secrecy rules. You do not need parent consent to share needed facts with social teams or police.

Note a strict rule on hiring extracts: Act 504/2002 lets you note only that you saw the extract and its date. Do not copy or store the extract itself, and hand it back right away.

This guide shares general facts checked on 10 November 2026 and is not legal advice. Check how these laws fit your school with a Finnish lawyer, then take these steps in your first term.

• Save the report link and crisis phone line for each county where your pupils live.
• Name a Finnish or Swedish speaker on the team to talk with county teams and police.
• Put both Section 25 duties in your policy: county notices and urgent police notices.
• Check your SCR so each hire showed a valid extract, with only the date logged and no copies kept.
• Link your child safety policy with the Section 29 school plan against bullying and harm.
• Post 112 and MLL 116 111 on school boards and pupil web pages.