Challenges of primary education to be discussed at the Education Working Group’s annual meeting in Helsinki

The start of school represents a major challenge for both children and parents, as it involves the literacy of children and the acquisition of basic knowledge. For minorities, the question is even more crucial, as this is the time when the teaching of the minority language will transition from being informal and oral within the family environment to being structured and written. The 6th Annual Meeting of FUEN’s Education Working Group will focus on these challenges as the participants discuss the topic of primary education on 8-11 April 2024 in Helsinki/Helsingfors, Finland.

The representatives of FUEN member organisations will have the opportunity to learn more about the education system of the minority communities on site by exchange with representatives of the Finnish education system and experts from the Swedish minority in Finland, addressing the issues related to learning and teaching Swedish in Finland. A visit to the school institution Mattlidens skola in Espoo planned in the program. Even more, the participants will join the education conference “The future of Swedish education 2024”. Internal working sessions will also be held to discuss the current status of the Education Working Group as well as to present and discuss future projects.

More than 20 people from 15 countries and 15 minorities are expected to take part in the annual meeting. FUEN Vice Presidents Gösta Toft and Daniel Alfreider, who is the speaker of the working group, as well as Secretary General Éva Pénzes will represent FUEN at the event.

This year’s topic, primary education, is the continuation to last year's annual meeting in Hermannstadt/Sibiu (Romania), where the topic of discussion was the transition from kindergarten to primary school.