[Unofficial translation into English]
ACT NO. 766/2004
AMENDING THE ACT ON UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL
Adopted in Helsinki on 13 August 2004
In accordance with the decision of the Parliament,
amendment of paragraph 18 of the Act on Upper Secondary School
(gymnasielagen) of 21 August 1998 (629/1998), as it is in act
478/2002, and
addition of paragraphs 18a and 18b, shall be as follows:
4th chapter
Evaluation and Matriculation Examination (studentexamen)
18. Matriculation examination
Upper secondary education (gymnasieutbildningen) finishes with a matriculation
examination. The purpose of the examination is to discover whether pupils
have assimilated the knowledge and skills required by the curriculum for
the upper secondary school and whether they have reached an adequate level
of maturity in line with the goals of the upper secondary school. The
examination consists of tests in the mother tongue and literature, in
the second national language, in a foreign language, in mathematics and
in general studies.
The matriculation examination comprises at least four tests. The candidates
must take a test in mother tongue and literature and, according to their
choice, three tests out of a group consisting of the test in the second
national language, the test in a foreign language, the test in mathematics
and the test in general studies. In addition to these, the candidates
may take one or several extra tests.
Further regulations concerning the participation in the matriculation
examination, the tests and their repetition, their marking and their realization
in general shall be promulgated through a ministerial decree.
The matriculation examination provides the general qualification to continue
studies at university.
18 a. The right of other students to take the matriculation
examination
Students other than students having passed the upper secondary school
curriculum may take the matriculation examination and its tests, provided
that they have passed
1) the upper secondary school curriculum or an equivalent at a foreign
upper secondary school,
2) a vocational studies qualification (yrkesexamen) comprising at least
2 ½ years of studies,
3) an examination or study which is shorter than the examination referred
to in the two points above, provided that the examination or study is
based on a basic education of at least 2 years or that it corresponds
to the previous curriculum, as well as the extra courses that are stipulated
by the committee mentioned in paragraph 18 b.
A student taking an examination mentioned in the 1st clause of paragraph
2 may take the matriculation examination while he or she is still in the
process of completing the education that leads to the examination mentioned
in the 1st clause of paragraph 2. A student may take the examination at
the earliest once he or she has completed a study of one and a half years.
18 b. The Matriculation Examination Committee (studentexamensnämnden)
The Ministry of Education shall appoint for a period of 3 years a Matriculation
Examination Committee with the task of conducting, arranging and carrying
out the matriculation examination. Further regulations concerning the
Committee and its tasks shall be promulgated through a ministerial decree.
The Matriculation Examination Committee shall inform on the instructions
concerning the content of the tests and how they shall be arranged and
marked.
----
This act shall come into force on 1 September 2004.
This act shall be applied to a matriculation examination
which finishes at the earliest with the first session in 2005, regardless
of when the first test of the examination has been carried out.
These regulations, which shall be valid when this act
comes into force, shall apply to the matriculation examination once the
second session of 2004 is completed.
The Matriculation Examination Committee appointed for
the period 2004-2006 shall continue for the whole term of office.
RP 47/2004
KuUB 7/2004
RSv 68/2004
Helsinki, 13 August 2004
The President of the Republic
TARJA HALONEN
The Minister of Education
Tuula Haatainen
|
