The Role of Classroom Assistants in Finnish Schools
Alongside every class teacher, many Finnish primary classrooms include a koulunkäynnin ohjaaja, a trained assistant who helps pupils manage daily learning and school life. Understanding this role explains a lot about how Finland delivers individual attention without relying on smaller class sizes alone.
- Officially called koulunkäynnin ohjaaja (or koulunkäyntiavustaja), the role works alongside, not instead of, the qualified class teacher, who keeps responsibility for planning and teaching.
- Assistants can work as a group assistant for a whole class, in a small group, or as a personal assistant for one pupil with significant support needs.
- Most complete a vocational qualification in education and guidance, a different training route from the university-level studies a class teacher completes.
- Assistants are one resource schools draw on within Finland's tiered support system, most often for pupils receiving intensified or individual support.
- The role exists to keep pupils learning in the mainstream classroom wherever possible, in line with Finland's approach to inclusion.
Who is the koulunkäynnin ohjaaja?
The koulunkäynnin ohjaaja, sometimes translated as school assistant, classroom assistant or school attendance counsellor, is a member of the school staff who guides and supports pupils in day-to-day learning and school routines, working under the direction of the class teacher or a special education teacher.
This is a distinct role from a teacher. An assistant does not plan lessons, does not hold pedagogical responsibility for a class, and is not required to hold a teaching qualification. Instead, the role is practical and relational: helping pupils follow instructions, stay on task, manage transitions, and take part in classroom life alongside their peers.
What assistants actually do, day to day
The exact mix of tasks varies by school and by the pupils an assistant is supporting, but common duties in a Finnish primary school include the following.
- Supporting a whole class as a group assistant, for example helping pupils get organised, understand instructions, or work in small groups during a lesson
- Working with a small group of pupils who need extra practice or repetition of what the teacher has taught
- Acting as a personal assistant to one pupil with more significant support needs, including help with mobility, self-care, communication or behaviour
- Supervising recess, school meals and transitions between activities
- Supporting morning and afternoon club activities outside core lesson time
Where assistants fit in the tiers of support
Assistants are not a support tier in themselves. Decisions about what a pupil needs are made by the class teacher, often together with a special education teacher and other specialists, within Finland's graduated support system. An assistant's time is then one of the practical measures a school can put in place, alongside things like remedial teaching or adapted materials.
In August 2025, Finland reformed this system, replacing the three named tiers (general, intensified and special support) with a model built around group-specific and student-specific support measures, aimed at getting help to pupils earlier and more consistently within the ordinary classroom. Assistants remain a core part of how schools deliver that support in practice, whether they are working alongside a teacher in a co-taught lesson or supporting one pupil individually.
Training, supervision and professional boundaries
Classroom assistants typically study through Finland's vocational education route rather than university, completing a qualification in education and guidance that covers child development, supporting learning and working with pupils who need extra help. This is a shorter and more practically focused path than the master's-level studies required of class and subject teachers.
Because the class teacher retains pedagogical responsibility, assistants work under ongoing teacher direction and, for pupils with special support decisions, alongside a qualified special education teacher. This division of labour lets a small, highly trained teaching staff extend individual attention to more pupils without asking every adult in the room to hold a teaching qualification.
Frequently asked questions
Is a classroom assistant the same as a special education teacher?
No. A special education teacher (erityisopettaja) is a fully qualified teacher with specialist training who can plan and deliver teaching independently. A classroom assistant supports pupils under a teacher's direction and does not hold a teaching qualification.
Does every Finnish classroom have an assistant?
No. Assistant hours are allocated according to need, based on the number and profile of pupils requiring extra support in a given class or school, rather than provided as a fixed feature of every classroom.
How does this compare with a teaching assistant or paraprofessional elsewhere?
The day-to-day work is broadly similar to a teaching assistant in the UK or a paraprofessional in the US: supporting a teacher, working with small groups or individual pupils, and helping with routines. The main difference is how the role is trained for and how tightly it is woven into Finland's tiered support planning.
Can an assistant work with the same pupil for several years?
This depends on the school and the pupil's needs. A personal assistant supporting a pupil with ongoing significant needs may continue with that pupil across school years, while group and small-group assistants are more often allocated by class or by need each year.
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 →