Tampere mandates daily movement in schools from August 2026

According to the City of Tampere, the city's education committee approved updates to Tampere's basic education curriculum on 16 June, and the revisions take effect across basic education on 1 August 2026.

The changes follow the city's May decision to boost mother tongue lessons to two weekly hours from 1 August 2026 and implement requirements from the Basic Education Act and the Finnish National Agency for Education. They place new emphasis on promoting active lifestyles in schools.

The local curriculum says movement that supports wellbeing and learning must be embedded in the school day. This can be done through functional teaching methods, active recesses and varied learning environments. The update also establishes the Permission to Move and Permission to Pursue Hobbies programs and calls for broad cooperation with outside partners.

The city will apply a new regulation on additional instruction for preparatory education. Extra teaching will target pupils who need strong support in the language of instruction, focusing on Finnish, language studies and mathematics. Pupils will remain in their basic education teaching groups and receive individual pupil plans.

Deputy Mayor Anne-Mari Jussila said the emphasis on an active lifestyle is important because movement supports children’s psychological, social and physical wellbeing and encourages more varied, regular activity that benefits learning. The curriculum was revised across several chapters and prepared in consultation with regional municipalities, pupils, guardians and school staff. Upper secondary institutions, early childhood education, the youth council and the Pirkanmaa wellbeing services county were also consulted.