An increasing number of Finnish municipalities is stepping up to provide "breakfast club" activities for young primary school students whose parents need to get an early start to work, but can’t leave their youngsters at home alone.
According to the National Agency for Education, a survey conducted in 2013 showed that just one in five municipalities organised morning early morning programmes for school children. The situation has changed dramatically since them.
"According to a survey last year, 170 or fully half of municipalities in Finland offered a breakfast club. More than 260 offered after-school programmes," said Education counsellor Arja-Sisko Holappa of the National Agency for Education.
Good reason for families to stay in small municipalities
The programme, which starts at 7:00 am, is an important boost for families living in the small, 3,000-resident municipality of Padasjoki in southern Finland. Most of the adults travel elsewhere for work and parents face long commutes. That means youngsters in first and second grade end up spending long periods at home alone.
One such parent is Heli Virtanen, who works in the neighbouring municipality of Asikkala.
"My husband leaves for work before six and I go to work for eight," Virtanen explained.
The family even considered moving to be closer to work, but the local breakfast club came to the rescue.
"Our daughter Elina already had a place reserved at an after-school programme in Asikkala. This is really important for us," Virtanen added.
Like their Padasjoki peers, officials in other municipalities have begun to realise that helping families with their daily lives reflects positively on their image. According to the Education Agency’s Holappa, local leaders are beginning to understand the value of investing in services for children.
"These are important issues for families with children and they can be critical factors when families think about moving," she pointed out.
She added that decades ago local governments did not pay as much attention to such matters.
"Childhood is even more valued. Nowadays we take better care of children than children in the 1970s and 1980s for example," she remarked.
Breakfast club a voluntary programme
The Padasjoki breakfast programme began as a pilot and local officials will decide whether or not to continue it in January. Fewer children than the stipulated minimum signed up for the programme, but the municipality was able to start the trial by shifting resources internally.
"This has not generated any additional costs, rather we are taking advantage of existing resources," said club director Tiina Aarto.
"I believe that they will continue the programme when the Padasjoki city council considers the matter in January," Aarto continued.
Offering early morning and after school activities is voluntary for municipalities. However the Education Agency recommends that local leaders at least map out their resident’s requirements.
In Helsinki primary schools also began offering early morning clubs for students during the autumn term this year. The city has set aside half-a-million euros this year to provide the free service for families.
