There are different syllabus types in the subject Mother Tongue and Literature. The choice of syllabus is decided by the guardian.

A student can study the Finnish as a Second Language and Literature curriculum (S2) if their mother tongue is not Finnish or they have a multilingual background. The choice of curriculum is always based on the student's needs, which are assessed by the teachers teaching the student.

When determining the need for a curriculum, the following issues are taken into account:

  • the student's Finnish language skills have deficiencies in one of the areas of language proficiency (speaking, reading, listening comprehension, writing, structure and vocabulary)
  • the student's Finnish language skills are not yet sufficient for equal participation in school
  • The student's Finnish language skills are not yet sufficient to study the Finnish language and literature curriculum.

The S2 curriculum can be taught either in its own S2 lessons or separately in Finnish language and literature lessons. The objectives and content of the S2 curriculum can be the same as the Finnish language and literature curriculum. Studying the S2 curriculum does not increase the number of hours in the student's timetable.

In S2 education, even students in the same class can have very different levels of Finnish language skills. The student studies according to the S2 curriculum until the student's skills are sufficient to study the Finnish language and literature curriculum.

The curriculum assumes that the student has received preparatory education for basic education or has equivalent linguistic skills.