Kulkuri in English

Kulkuri is a School of Distance Education (SDE) for Finnish expatriate children and youth all over the world.

  • The main subject is the Finnish language and literature. There are courses in Finnish as mother language or second language.
  • Students can choose to study one subject, several subjects or all of the compulsory subjects in the Finnish National Curriculum through Kulkuri SDE.
  • Students must have a Finnish-speaking instructor at home (usually one of the parents).
  • Course fees, see Hinnasto.

When living abroad as a Finn, the Finnish language is always in the minority – yet in an major role for a Finnish family. The best way to keep the language skills up is to study in Kulkuri School of Distance Education through an online course. In an online course students form groups according to their year level and study together with their peers who also live abroad.

If the destination area has no suitable local school and there are no international schools available, a student can do all compulsory studies within the Finnish National Curriculum through Kulkuri.

Supplementing local studies

Often a Finnish expatriate student goes to a local or international school, and can supplement those studies by attending Kulkuri School of Distance Education and learning there about Finland and its culture. The most important and the most popular subject is the Finnish language and literature.

If there is enough time and motivation, other recommended subjects are Swedish, History and Social Studies, as well as Environmental Studies. The main factor in choosing the study subjects is the student’s personal motivation and interest. There is no point in studying full-time at two separate schools.

Given the circumstances, Kulkuri SDE can provide students with courses for all compulsory school subjects in the Finnish National Curriculum in order to gain a compatible degree.

Kulkuri SDE History

Kulkuri is a part of The Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation (Kvs), which is the oldest educational organization in Finland. Kulkuri, formerly known as Expatriate Children’s Compulsory School, has been operating since 1975, and has a solid history of providing quality education for Finnish expatriate students in all parts of the world. Today, Kulkuri SDE has a vast and active co-operational network in Finland and internationally through which knowledge and experiences about online teaching and ICT in education is being exchanged.

Mission Statement

Kulkuri School of Distance Education maintains and develops the Finnish language skills for Finnish expatriate children and youth as well as strengthens their cultural identity. At Kulkuri we offer our students modern, high-quality and professional teaching in various compulsory school subjects in the Finnish National Curriculum.

Students can choose from a variety of subjects, either correspondence or online, according to their needs and preferences. Students can also choose to do all of the compulsory subjects and graduate with a compatible degree.

At our school we invest in professional staff, the developing of our teaching methods and practices, as well as creating and maintaining a learning environment with the latest technology and skills. A continual development process and evaluation ensures high quality teaching and practices.

Kulkuri is the best friend for the expatriate Finnish students!