Ireland updated the Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme page and 2026/2027 guidance for post-primary schools. The scheme removes the cost to families of schoolbooks, including eBooks, and core classroom resources for students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme.
Ireland updated the Primary Schoolbooks Scheme page and 2026/2027 guidance for primary and special schools. The guidance supports implementation of the existing free schoolbooks scheme for the next school year.
Ireland announced a new national Transitions Support Service for students in special schools. The service is backed by €1.35 million in Budget 2026 and is to roll out to all special schools from September 2026 after a pilot programme.
Circular 0049/2026 set out arrangements for allocating Special Needs Assistant support to mainstream classes in primary and post-primary schools for the 2026/27 school year. The circular confirmed that NCSE initial allocations would be published through the school portal and that SNA posts would continue to be allocated on a needs basis.
Ireland issued Circular 0032/2026 setting out the role, responsibilities and duties of Special Needs Assistants in recognised primary, post-primary and special schools. The circular supersedes earlier Department circular letters 30/2014 and 71/2011.
The Finnish National Agency for Education introduced digital certificates for the National Certificates of Language Proficiency, known as YKI tests. The change follows an amendment to the government decree on national language proficiency certificates.
Finland confirmed a temporary legislative pilot that will give eligible young people a study voucher for open higher education. The pilot is designed to help applicants who completed upper secondary education but did not receive or accept a higher education study place.
The Ministry of Education and Culture opened a consultation on new national guidelines for entrepreneurship education and financial literacy. The draft is intended to guide schools and education providers across all levels of education.
The Finnish Government proposed a comprehensive reform of legislation on basic education in the arts. The reform would replace the current dual-syllabus structure with one national syllabus and revise the state funding criteria.
Finland confirmed the implementation timetable for the higher education one study-right rule. From the 2027 intake cycle, accepting a new degree-leading study right will normally end the student’s existing same-level or lower-level degree study rights.