Co-educational school

Pomarkku Cooperative School
Lukiontie 5
29630 Pomarkku

There are several traditional celebrations in basic education, such as Christmas, Spring and Independence Day. These joint celebrations are the end of the school year celebrations and other joint events intended for all students in accordance with Section 852, Paragraph 1998 of the Basic Education Decree (3/5) (EOAK/2186/2018). These celebrations are not religious events, and no alternative events are arranged for them. The education organizers and schools decide in more detail about the celebrations and their content.

Joint celebrations may also include some elements referring to religion. According to the view of the Constitutional Law Committee of the Parliament, such celebration traditions are part of the Finnish cultural tradition (GUIDE 7 (12) 19.9.2022 OPH-3903-2022). According to the committee's report, due to the singing of a single hymn that may be included in the celebration, the celebration cannot be considered an occasion for practicing religion in the name of religious tolerance. According to the Constitutional Law Committee, traditional school celebrations may also include other similar traditions that are of religious origin in themselves. (Report of the PL Committee 10/2002 vp. and 2/2014 vp. and 16/2021 vp.)

The aim of teaching and education is to support students' growth in respect for diversity and responsibility, cooperation and action that promotes respect and trust between groups of people, nations, ideologies, religions and cultures (Government Decree on the National Objectives of Education and the Distribution of Hours in Basic Education referred to in the Basic Education Act, Section 2, Subsection 2, 422/2012). These goals should also be the starting point for the preservation and development of the Finnish festive heritage related to education.

The education providers may decide whether religious events and ceremonies, such as church services, religious opening ceremonies or other activities with religious content, are organised in connection with basic education. Religious events and ceremonies include the practice of religion. According to Section 11(2) of the Constitution, freedom of religion and conscience includes the right to profess and practice religion, the right to express one’s convictions and the right to belong or not to belong to a religious community. No one is obliged to participate in the practice of religion contrary to one’s conscience.

Based on the latter, a student cannot be obliged to participate in a church service, religious opening or other religious event or ceremony. The freedom not to participate in a religious event or ceremony is independent of membership in a religious community. Accordingly, those belonging to a particular religious community cannot be obliged to participate in religious events and ceremonies organized by the relevant religious community or the education provider itself.

The student's guardian shall notify whether the student will participate in religious events and services or in alternative activities. The guardian may give notification for all religious events for the time being or, if he or she wishes, may notify on a case-by-case basis. The guardian may change his or her notification. The form of the notification shall be decided by the education provider. After notification, the preschool and primary education provider shall ensure that the student's participation in religious events or services or in alternative activities is carried out in accordance with the guardian's notification.

In his decision EOAK/1609/2019, the Deputy Ombudsman of the Parliament drew attention to the fact that although international human rights treaties and the Freedom of Religion Act guarantee guardians the right to ensure an upbringing in accordance with their own religious beliefs, this does not mean that the child's own freedom of religion and conscience, independent of the parents, can be completely ignored. Fundamental and human rights regulations also guarantee children freedom of religion, which must be taken into account in accordance with the child's age and level of development.

If the guardian does not make a declaration, the school will hear the student's opinion and act accordingly. A minor student who has reached the age of fifteen and his or her guardian or other legal representative each have the right to speak separately. If the views of the student and his or her guardian regarding participation in a religious event or an alternative program differ, the school will decide, taking into account the student's best interests, which view to act on.

Religious events and services are organized separately from other activities. The content of school opening days is limited so that they are not religious events. Visits to religious communities are carried out using the same principles.

On the proposal of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Government issued a decree (15.6.2006/475) on 2006 June 998 on particularly harmful and dangerous work for young workers. The purpose of the decree is to clarify the Act (1993/738) on Young Workers and the Act on Occupational Safety (2002/XNUMX). In basic education, the aforementioned decree and laws apply in particular to the teaching of technical work and practical work in physics and chemistry. According to the decree, pupils from the seventh grade onwards may, under the guidance and direct supervision of a teacher, perform dangerous work if it is necessary for the implementation of the teaching and can be done safely. However, the condition for performing the work is that the protective equipment and work tools are suitable for the worker and safe to use. The pupil's guardian must also be notified in advance of the dangerous work in question and the reasons for it.

Information about teaching technical work

The primary purpose of teaching technical work is to form occupational safety, safe working methods and, above all, a safe, thoughtful working attitude in students. According to the curriculum, we strive to use machines whenever possible, necessary and safe. At our school, we consider it particularly important to give each student sufficient basic skills and the right attitudes towards working with machines.

Each machine is used under the supervision of a teacher; during the use of the most dangerous machines, the teacher stands in the immediate vicinity of the working student, “on standby.” Machines are always worked with in the school in accordance with all given regulations and occupational safety instructions.

A particular danger caused by mechanical hazards may exist when working with, for example, the following machines and equipment: circular saws, circular saws, band saws, planers, chainsaws, milling machines, sheet metal cutters and other similar cutters powered by mechanical power, pillar and bench drills, angle grinders, metal lathes, gas welding and gas cutting equipment, compressed air or similar nailers. (Ministry of the Environment, Transport and Tourism Decree 128/2002 of 14.2.2002 February 2002 on the list of examples of hazardous work http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/alkup/20020128/XNUMX)

There may be a specific chemical hazard at work when exposure to harmful amounts of a substance or preparation classified as hazardous according to the list in the Chemicals Act (744/1989), or a so-called carcinogenic substance (Decree 716/2000), e.g. lead and its compounds or asbestos. The use of these substances is avoided in school teaching.

Information about harmful/dangerous substances used in chemistry and physics work

In chemistry/physics laboratory work carried out according to the curriculum, harmful/dangerous substances are also used. Before the actual laboratory work, the substances to be used and their properties are discussed in class – the occupational safety instructions and occupational safety regulations, including the necessary protective clothing/equipment, are carefully reviewed. All substances used are diluted by the teacher in accordance with the instructions given to schools. Special attention is paid to occupational safety in physics and chemistry classes.

Co-educational school

Pomarkku Cooperative School in a nutshell

Start of the 2026-2027 school year at Pomarkku Co-educational School

Teachers and other staff

Subject division

Curriculum

Religious events and traditional celebrations

Work that may cause danger