Record-high number of applications for after-school activities, all applicants in grades 1 and 2 to get a place

After-school activities in basic education are guided leisure activities organised after the school day for 1st- and 2nd-graders and pupils requiring special-needs support. The activities include playing and spending time with friends, outdoor activities and exercise, as well as small excursions to the surrounding area. Each group’s needs and wishes are considered when planning the activities.

According to Outi Salo, Head of Basic Education, the number of applications for after-school activities reached a record of 9,300 this year. There will be a total of 11,090 1st- and 2nd-graders next autumn.

“It is wonderful to see so many young pupils participating in our after-school activities. Guided and meaningful activities in a safe environment after the school day support the child’s well-being and help family life run smoothly,” she says.

After-school activities will start on the first school day of the school year in August and continue until the end of the school year.

Place offered to all 1st- and 2nd-graders who applied during application period

After-school activities are organised at approximately 250 locations around the city, both at schools and in locations near schools, such as playgrounds and parish facilities. The organisers will specify the activities in more detail based on their own strengths and practical limitations.

Helsinki will offer a place in after-school activities to 1st- and 2nd-graders who applied during the application period. If no place is available at your chosen location, your child will be offered a place in another location in your area. If there are more applicants to a location than the number of places in the location, priority is given to 1st-graders and pupils requiring special-needs support.

If necessary, a draw will be used to choose between applications of equal priority. The time the application was submitted within the application period does not affect the allocation of places.

You can apply for a reduction of monthly fee based on your income

The monthly fee for after-school activities is either 100 or 120 euros, depending on whether your child participates in the activities until 16.00 or 17.00. The invoicing period will begin in August. You can apply for a fee reduction based on your income, in which case you will pay half of the standard monthly fee, or an exemption of the fee, in which case you do not need to pay the fee at all.

The earliest you can apply for the reduction is when your child has started the after-school activities in August. You need to provide your- up-to-date income information for the application. The income limits and additional information are available on the website hel.fi/afternooncharges.

Although the application period for after-school activities for schoolchildren for the school year 2023–2024 has ended, you can still apply. Applications received after the application period will be processed starting in August. We cannot guarantee a place if you apply outside the application period. More information: hel.fi/afterschoolactivities.

More information:

Leena Palve-Kaunisto

Service Director

leena.palve@hel.fi

09 310 86809