Finland’s first new Catholic school, the Helsinki Catholic School, is set to open in August 2026, following the national curriculum with Catholic values and welcoming students of all beliefs, marking a significant development for the growing Catholic community in the nation.
While there are no existing Catholic schools, Finland provides Catholic religious education in public schools when requested by parents in a municipality request it, alongside other faiths like Lutheranism and Orthodoxy. Catholic parishes also provide catechesis and sacramental preparation (like First Communion).
Note: the word ”first” in some announcements online is not to be understood historically but only in the sense that there is no other catholic school in Finland at the moment. There were a few (but very small) catholic schools already a hundred years ago, and a famous one, the English School was founded in 1945, and remained Catholic until 1995.
The curriculum will follow the Finnish national curriculum, but incorporates Catholic values and a distinct Catholic curriculum for moral/cultural education. Admission is open to all children, regardless of faith, with participation in religious activities being voluntary. The aim is to provide a faith-based education within Finland’s secular system, starting with preschool and grades 1-3.
This new school addresses the needs of a growing Catholic population and fills a gap in faith-based education, as Finland’s strong public system traditionally emphasizes secular education.