Homeschooling rates increase in Finland amid concerns over bullying and well-being

Eliel Käkönen, a 16-year-old, admits to feeling a bit anxious about starting high school. He believes he will adjust after a few weeks or months, thinking, “It can’t be that difficult.” Käkönen, who has been homeschooled for most of his basic education since switching to home school in fifth grade due to bullying, initially intended the arrangement to be temporary. “It was a cry for help, but it didn’t yield the desired results,” says his father, Rami Käkönen.

Eliel’s parents quickly noticed that he thrived academically at home without the distractions of a traditional classroom, turning a temporary solution into a long-term change. According to Statistics Finland, the number of homeschoolers has risen in recent years. In 2023, there were 860 homeschooled children compared to 561,000 students in basic education.

Minna Harmanen from the Finnish National Agency for Education notes that the increase in homeschooling was particularly sharp during the pandemic, driven by various concerns regarding children’s well-being, including health issues and bullying.

While homeschooling requires no government approval, coordination with local municipalities is necessary. The Finnish educational authority emphasizes the importance of school communities, illustrating that they provide social interactions and professional oversight that homeschoolers may lack.

Eliel feels he missed out on nothing during his homeschooling years, despite some loneliness. The freedom to study at his own pace was crucial to him. With his parents being entrepreneurs, they organized a flexible schedule, allowing for travel and vacations while studying. While the effectiveness of oversight for homeschooled students varies, municipalities typically designate a supervising teacher who meets with students a few times a year to assess their progress.