The national pilot will end in spring 2024, with the continuation to be decided in the ongoing government negotiations.
In Lahti, a total of five hundred children are now finishing off an exceptional spring in May.
Ten kindergartens are taking part in a national pilot scheme where pre-school lasts for two years.
The Vuorenmäki pre-school in Orimattila and the Sinilähte kindergarten in Heinola are also participating in the pilot, which will end in spring 2024.
The first experiences of the two-year preschool in Päijät-Hämee have been very positive.
– The traditional school year goes by quickly, and especially if the child has support needs, there is time to identify them and organize support for a longer period.
At Sinilähti daycare center in Heinola, we are on the same lines.
– Friendship and interaction skills can also be practiced earlier, and families can be treated more equally.
A total of 10,000 children born in 2016 or 2017 are covered by the two-year preschool experiment throughout Finland.
Background measurements by the Ministry of Education and Culture have shown that children are already at a very different starting point in early childhood education.
In the current government negotiations, it will be decided whether the two-year preschool will be continued as an experiment or whether it will be expanded to the whole country.