Finnish pedagogy vs Australia's Early Years Learning Framework
Australia's national early years framework and Finnish early childhood pedagogy were built independently, yet they lean on remarkably similar ideas about how young children grow.
- Australia's Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), subtitled Belonging, Being and Becoming, covers children from birth to five
- It is built around three core concepts and a set of principles, practices and learning outcomes, refreshed as version 2.0 in 2022
- Finnish early childhood education shares the same relationship centred, play based philosophy for the under sevens age group
- Both frameworks avoid a fixed national timetable, leaving individual settings to design their own programme within shared principles
What the EYLF sets out
The EYLF is the nationally approved learning framework used across Australian early childhood settings for children from birth to five. Its central idea, captured in the subtitle Belonging, Being and Becoming, treats a child's sense of belonging to family and community, their experience of the present moment, and their ongoing development, as equally important. Rather than prescribing lessons, it sets out principles, practices and broad learning outcomes that individual services translate into their own daily programme.
Common ground with Finnish early years pedagogy
Finland's early childhood curriculum (varhaiskasvatussuunnitelma) rests on a similar foundation: strong, secure relationships with educators, learning through play, and respect for each child's own pace and interests, rather than a syllabus of discrete skills to be ticked off. Both systems formally delay subject based instruction, and both were designed with academic research on child development as the starting point rather than international test rankings.
The clearest difference is structural rather than philosophical. Australian early childhood education and care sits across a mixed market of long day care, family day care and preschool providers regulated under a single national framework, while Finnish early years provision is predominantly municipal, integrated with universal, subsidised access, and staffed by a growing share of degree qualified teachers.
What this means for schools and families
A Finnish curriculum early years programme and a strong EYLF aligned Australian service are pursuing very similar developmental goals through very similar means. The comparison is most useful for school owners weighing which national reference point, EYLF or the Finnish core curriculum, will be more recognisable to their intended parent community and regulators.
Frequently asked questions
Does the EYLF apply across all of Australia?
Yes, it is the nationally approved learning framework used in early childhood education and care services across all Australian states and territories.
How old are children when formal schooling starts in Australia versus Finland?
Australian children typically begin primary school around age five to six depending on the state, while Finnish children begin compulsory school at age seven.
Is Finnish pedagogy compatible with an EYLF registered setting?
The underlying philosophies are closely aligned, so a Finnish curriculum early years programme can generally sit comfortably alongside EYLF expectations, though local registration and compliance requirements still apply.
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.
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