Finnish Education in Shanghai
China has been one of the most active importers of Finnish education expertise anywhere in the world, from teacher training to whole-school partnerships. Shanghai, as China's most international city, is a natural place to ask what a genuine K-5 Finnish-curriculum option would look like.
- Finland's national Education Finland programme has targeted around 1 billion euros in education export turnover by 2030, with China as a major market for teacher training.
- Around 60 Finnish companies and institutions already deliver in-service teacher training to Chinese educators, according to Education Finland reporting.
- HEI Schools, a Finnish early years brand, opened its first China kindergarten in Baotou in 2017 and has since added a learning centre in Guangzhou, with further expansion across the country.
- Chinese kindergartens have already adopted elements of Finnish early childhood pedagogy, and sister-school partnerships between Chinese and Finnish schools run regular teacher exchanges.
Why Shanghai is a natural fit for Finnish pedagogy
Shanghai's schools are already known internationally for strong maths and science results, so the case for Finnish pedagogy here is not about weak outcomes. It is about balance: China's own education reforms have explicitly cited Finland as a reference point for reducing exam pressure while keeping standards high.
For ambitious Shanghai families and school owners, Finnish pedagogy offers a way to keep academic rigour while adding phenomenon-based learning, student wellbeing, and more student agency in the primary years.
What Finnish education already looks like in China
Finland's presence in China runs deeper than most countries: government-backed teacher training programmes, sister-school exchanges, and early years brands like HEI Schools have been active for close to a decade. Shanghai itself has been named in expansion plans for Finnish-linked education brands, alongside confirmed sites in Baotou and Guangzhou.
This existing groundwork means a Shanghai school considering Finnish affiliation is not starting cold. Local familiarity with Finnish teaching methods, at least at the early years level, is already reasonably high compared with many other markets.
What a K-5 Finnish curriculum school offers Shanghai families
A full K-5 Finnish curriculum programme goes further than early years pedagogy alone. It carries Finland's approach through primary school: later formal academics, continuous assessment instead of high-stakes exams, and integrated, project-based units that connect subjects rather than teaching them in isolation.
For school owners, affiliation through a provider such as OPPI means training existing teachers and adapting the Finnish framework to a Shanghai context, rather than replacing a school's identity outright.
Frequently asked questions
Is Finnish education already established in Shanghai?
Finnish-linked early years brands are established in China more broadly, with confirmed sites in cities like Baotou and Guangzhou, and Shanghai has been discussed as an expansion target. A full K-5 Finnish national curriculum school in Shanghai itself is still an emerging opportunity rather than an established fixture.
How does Finnish pedagogy compare with Shanghai's own strong maths results?
Finland does not claim to outperform Shanghai on standardised maths results. The comparison is about approach: Finnish pedagogy layers wellbeing, play in the early years, and integrated projects around strong subject teaching, rather than optimising primarily for test performance.
Can a Shanghai school affiliate to the Finnish curriculum?
Yes, through a structured process that includes teacher training and a phased curriculum rollout. See how school affiliation works for the typical steps.
Related reading
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 →