Thursday’s papers: Foreign students’ future, ‘happiest country’ criticism, and birthday recordkeeping | Yle News

A widely read Helsingin Sanomat article explored how the government’s decision to introduce tuition fees for non-EU secondary school students starting in August 2026 has cast an uncertain future on rural schools. Many of these small schools have seen an influx of foreign students in recent times.

The article featured Salla High School in Lapland, where 54 of the 78 enrolled students are from abroad, many from Russia, China, and Myanmar. In nearby municipalities, such as Posio, half the students are foreign, and in Savukoski, the proportions are two-thirds.

Some of the students interviewed in the article arrived through Finest Future, a program founded in 2020 by ex-mobile gaming businessman Peter Vesterbacka. The initiative, which has aimed to bring 15,000 secondary education students to Finland by 2028, has faced criticism over the years.

Foreign students at Salla High School told HS that if the government’s plan to introduce tuition fees for secondary education is implemented, many Asian students would choose other countries, favouring English-language programs in places like the United States or Singapore.

Salla school officials told HS that they doubt whether they will be able to attract enough applicants if the plan goes through.

According to HS, foreign students have attended Salla High School since 2007, initially from Russia, due to active marketing in the region.

Critics argue that the foreign student model is costly for Finnish taxpayers, as per-student expenses at small high schools exceed the average costs in Finnish high schools.

“It’s short-sighted savings if shrinking age groups leave us without a workforce,” said Salla High School principal Leena Hautajärvi, who pointed out that these students haven’t burdened early childhood education or basic schooling.

The principal said she has stayed in touch with former foreign students and estimates that the majority have remained in Finland to work.

The latest episode of the All Points North podcast looked into the surging number of children in Finland being diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to the episode on this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Are the kids alright? Finland’s ADHD generation

Not so happy country?

Iltalehti reported on a scathing Daily Mail article that mocks Finland’s “happiest country” title while highlighting the nation’s challenges, including above-average suicide rates and alcohol consumption compared to European norms.

The media outlet visited various districts in Helsinki, even capturing images of individuals being escorted to a police car for drug-related offences at ‘Amphetamine Square’ outside Sörnäinen Metro Station.

“Kontula has generally been considered one of the most notorious suburbs in East Helsinki due to violence, gangs and drug dealing,” the Daily Mail wrote.

The article also featured comments from Finnish residents who expressed doubt about Finland’s happiness ranking.

Heikki Hursti, longtime director of food bank Hurstin Ruoka-apu, told IL that there are many positive aspects in Finland, despite the fact that the number of the underprivileged has increased and the government continues to cut support.

“We don’t have terrorism or its threat, and we have good healthcare and education. In these areas, things are great, but then there’s the other side.”

Are you on record?

A popular Ilta-Sanomat article revealed an interesting legal requirement in Finland that hinges on an person’s date of birth. If you were born on the 18th or 28th of any month, your patient records must be kept permanently in healthcare institutions in Finland.

Marita Vallenius from the National Archives of Finland explains that permanently archived documents are never destroyed. In future, these documents may play an important role in research and recording history.

For those born on other days, patient records are kept only up to 12 years after their death.

This storage method not only applies to healthcare but also to other authorities such as employment services, the tax office, pension institutions, and the Criminal Sanctions Agency. Social services also record information for those born on the 8th, in addition to the 18th and 28th.

The birthday sampling method, used since the 1970s, ensures a representative sample for long-term monitoring, particularly in medical research. Vallenius said the National Archives selects documents based on cost-effectiveness, though the reasons for choosing those specific dates are unclear.

The Archives Act is currently being updated, and Vallenius suggested that changes to the birthday sampling method may come as soon as 2025. In the digital age, there are plans to preserve data more broadly and under a new framework.

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