Finnish Education Worldwide

Finnish Education in Mongolia

Finland's presence in Mongolia began with early childhood education. HEI Schools opened its first partner operated kindergarten in Ulaanbaatar in September 2024, focused on the youngest learners rather than the full K-5 range.

In brief

HEI Schools, a Finland based early education company, opened its first partner operated kindergarten in Mongolia, HEI Schools Ulaanbaatar River Garden, in September 2024.
The Mongolian rollout was led by Lejon LLC, a local trading and import company that first discovered the HEI Schools concept in 2019, with the pandemic delaying the opening for several years.
HEI Schools' model centres on early childhood and kindergarten age children, following Finland's own emphasis on play before formal schooling, rather than covering the full K-5 primary range.
Enrolment for the Ulaanbaatar kindergarten opened in August 2024, ahead of the school's launch the following month.

Finland's first kindergarten in Ulaanbaatar

HEI Schools Ulaanbaatar River Garden opened in September 2024 as Mongolia's first partner operated HEI Schools kindergarten, bringing a Finland designed early childhood model to the capital. The project was led locally by Lejon LLC, which first discovered the HEI Schools concept in 2019 and finalised a partnership soon after, though the pandemic pushed the actual opening back by several years.

How the HEI Schools model works

HEI Schools licenses its brand, space design, curriculum and ongoing support to local partners rather than owning and running schools directly itself. This licensed model, described in more detail in OPPI vs HEI Schools and other Finnish curriculum providers, is how Finnish early years pedagogy has reached over 35 countries, including Mongolia.

Extending Finnish pedagogy into primary grades

Mongolia's Finnish education footprint currently sits at kindergarten level. Extending the same underlying ideas, play based learning, formative feedback and reduced early exam pressure, into the primary K-5 years would follow a separate route, typically through a K-5 focused affiliation model rather than an early years kindergarten brand.

Frequently asked questions

When did the first Finnish early education kindergarten open in Mongolia?

HEI Schools Ulaanbaatar River Garden opened in September 2024, led locally by Lejon LLC.

Does HEI Schools in Mongolia cover primary school ages?

No, the Mongolian rollout is an early childhood and kindergarten model, not a K-5 primary programme.

Is HEI Schools the same as OPPI?

No. Both draw on Finnish pedagogy but operate differently, HEI Schools licenses a kindergarten brand and space concept, while OPPI affiliates with existing K-5 schools to bring in Finnish teaching methods.

Bring Finnish pedagogy to your school

OPPI affiliates a selective cohort of schools each year for its K-5 Finnish-pedagogy programme, backed by Education Finland. Tell us about your school and our team will reach out.

Backed by Education Finland. Over 20 schools have already affiliated, including DPS, Radcliffe and Sanctus. Places in each cohort are limited.

Apply to the affiliation cohort →