Audit by an audit operator

To be validated as a Finnish International School, a school needs to be audited by an operator fulfilling the audit criteria. At the moment, audits are carried out by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC).



International schools following the Finnish education model may contact the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) and request an audit if the school’s academic plan has been approved by the Finnish National Agency for Education.  (See section Letter of Assessment). The curriculum of these schools is based on the Finnish National core curriculum (2014), which is locally adapted and approved. 

The FINEEC Audit Process is a for-fee-service. The price varies depending on the school. For further information, kindly contact: kirjaamo(at)karvi.fi 

Diagram showing the steps of the validation procedd: academic plan, implementation fo 1 to 2 years drawing up a local curriculum, audir lasting 6 to 8 months and finally a possible re-audit.

After passing the audit, the education provider will receive an audit certificate and FINEEC’s quality label. The education provider will also be entered into the Audit Register, which is maintained on FINEEC’s website. The quality label is valid for four (4) calendar years, starting from the decision of the Audit Committee.

What the validation process is not

The Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI), the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) or the Ministry of Education do NOT accredit schools abroad. Thus, the validation process documents and deliverables linked to it cannot be used for official school licensing as such, but the school provider needs to adhere to local guidelines, laws, stipulations and criteria for obtaining a school license. 

There is currently no National Matriculation Examination (final examination at the end of K12 in Finland by the Finnish Matriculation Examination Board) available in English in Finland or abroad, although the new Finnish government programme indicates that this will be reviewed during the period 2023-2027. The school provider has to make sure that the school provides their students eligibility for further studies by adhering to the local requirements. (whether it is just e.g. primary school or full K12).  

Some Education Finland members have built together with a Finnish Research University a Final Examination Model that is not linked to the Matriculation Examination Board. Should you be interested in this model, kindly contact us. 

Alternative Audit Providers

The audit can also be provided by an organization other than FINEEC. In such cases, the following requirements must be met:

  • Must be grounded in Finnish academic research conducted by a Finnish university with a dedicated faculty of education, whether it is part of the faculty itself or a separate research center or similar institution.
  • must have a documented process akin to that of FINEEC and offer the audit process to Education Finland members and their affiliates.

Interested audit parties must submit an application to be included in this list. Information on the application process is available upon request. 

Audit by FINEEC
The purpose of FINEEC’s audits is to verify that the operation of the schools and the organisation of education are in line with the Finnish school characteristics and the schools meet the criteria set for the audit.
More information on the FINEEC website