Inclusive Society Institute (ISI) explores Finland’s multilingual education model: 1–5 December 2025

The Inclusive Society Institute’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Daryl Swanepoel, undertook a study visit to Finland from 1 to 5 December 2025 to explore the country’s internationally renowned multilingual education system. Finland, where both Finnish and Swedish enjoy equal constitutional status as official languages, offers an instructive model of mother-tongue education, dual-language rights and cultural preservation.

The purpose of the visit was to examine whether aspects of the Finnish model could offer insights for South Africa, especially regarding the design and governance of co-located schools. In Finland, it is not uncommon for more than one autonomous school, each with its own language of instruction, identity and management, to operate within a single shared facility. This arrangement allows for efficiency without eroding linguistic autonomy, an issue of major relevance for South Africa as debates continue about the future of bilingual and multilingual schools.

In South Africa, many bilingual schools merge multiple languages of instruction into one institutional structure. While this model aims to promote inclusivity, it raises important questions: What impact does merged-language schooling have on children’s cognitive development? And what are the long-term implications for the preservation, nurturing and development of languages such as isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Setswana and Afrikaans, particularly in a context where anglicisation has been steadily increasing?

These were among the questions guiding the Institute’s engagement in Finland.

During the visit, Mr Swanepoel met with a range of experts from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, Folktinget (the Swedish Assembly of Finland), representatives from the Ministry of Justice, and several academics from the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Education. The discussions provided deep insights into the governance structures, pedagogical philosophies and linguistic rights frameworks that underpin Finland’s success in sustaining two vibrant national languages.

A key part of the programme included an onsite visit to Mattlidens Skola in the City of Espoo, a unique education complex where three independent schools operate within one shared facility. This visit offered practical exposure to the daily functioning of a co-located model, how space is shared, how school identities are maintained, and how learners experience both autonomy and interaction within a common environment.

The study tour forms part of the Inclusive Society Institute’s ongoing work on education reform, social cohesion and the promotion of multilingualism in South Africa. As the Institute continues its research, the Finnish experience will serve as a valuable reference point for policy reflection and potential innovation within the South African schooling landscape.