The honor of schools in Janakkala is good teaching and every student’s experiences of success. The schools in Janakkala promote a sense of community and create a joyful learning atmosphere collectively. The local focuses of comprehensive education are good teaching, the digitalization of teaching, physical activity, and media education.

Janakkala comprehensive education curriculum/ePerusteet (in Finnish)

Curriculum for preparatory education for comprehensive education (in Finnish)

Good teaching

In elementary schools, the so-called Janakkala hours increase the number of math and English lessons. By adding these subjects, we respond to the pedagogical needs of the time: we improve students’ opportunities for individual progression and achieving skill levels.

Digitalization of teaching

Digitalization integrates information technology into teaching and learning. The main idea is to cultivate citizens who possess the necessary IT skills to function in society, work, and private life. Information and communication technology brings more individuality, gamification, interaction, and immediate, personal feedback into learning situations. The use of information technology is pedagogically justified, and its purposes include motivating and improving learning outcomes.

The aim is to build learning environments in every school where technological devices are widely available. Usability requires that each school has a functioning network, technical devices, sufficient technical support, and electronic learning materials.

ICT strategy 2021-2025 (in Finnish)

Physical activity

A complementary perspective to the local learning concept is physical activity. Exercise promotes the health and wellbeing of children and youth in many ways. Research results and experiences have shown that it positively affects learning and cognitive activities, such as memory and self-regulation. The goal is one hour of physical activity per day for each student. This can mean, for example, incorporating physical activity into lessons, having activity moments during breaks, or offering sports clubs.

At Turenki Coeducational School, the emphasized teaching is physical education. Students are selected for the sports class each year through suitability tests. Each school offers at least one sports club.

All schools are registered in Schools on the Move program and are committed to increasing the amount of physical activity during school days.

Media education

Media education is part of developing multiliteracies, which is part of the objectives of all subjects. In media education, media is both a tool for learning and a subject for learning media skills. Media culture is a central environment for activity and learning for children and youth, which is part of enjoyment, learning, and social interaction. The aim of media education is to provide students with an understanding of media culture as well as the skills and abilities to use media for obtaining information, social interaction, and self-expression.

The learning environment for media education in Janakkala includes the community-oriented Tervakoski Community House cinema. Its activities involve cultural services, youth workshops, youth services, basic education, and upper secondary education.

At Tervakoski Coeducational School, no new students will be selected for the media education class starting from August 1, 2024, due to low interest. Existing media education classes will continue until the end of basic education.

Attachments

Class allocation for grades 1-6 (in Finnish)

Class allocation for grades 7-9 (in Finnish)

Assessment handbook (in Finnish)

Janakkala’s functional equality plan for comprehensive education (in Finnish)