Challenging decisions

You can file a claim for rectification by sending a free-form letter or by submitting an electronic form.  However, by using the electronic form, you can ensure that all of the required information is included. A link to the electronic form is provided at the bottom of this page.

The claim for rectification must include the following information:

• which aspects of the decision you are challenging and why
• name and contact information of the party filing the claim for rectification (postal address, email, telephone number) 
• a copy or image of the decision with the appeal instructions. 

You can also attach other documents that support the claim to the claim for rectification.

If you do not wish to use the electronic form, please state in your claim for rectification if you agree to receiving documents by email instead of regular post.

Submitting a claim for rectification

If you are submitting a claim for rectification via the electronic form, please first select whether the decision concerns Swedish-language education or early childhood education and care. All matters related to Swedish-language education or early childhood education and care are redirected to the Regional State Administrative Agency for Western and Inland Finland. Otherwise, you must select the Regional State Administrative Agency where you wish to direct your claim for rectification. The correct Regional State Administrative Agency can be found in the instructions for appeal appended to the decision.

If you wish to submit a free-form claim for rectification, please send it and any supporting documents by post or email to the registry of the Regional State Administrative Agency mentioned in the instructions for appeal appended to the decision. You will receive a confirmation of receipt from the registry if you send the claim for rectification by email. If the matter concerns Swedish-language activities, please send the claim for rectification to the registry of the Regional State Administrative Agency for Western and Inland Finland.

Registry services

Check the list of municipalities to find the Regional State Administrative Agency in your region.

In matters related to pupils and students, claims for rectification must be submitted within 14 days of receiving the decision. In matters related to special care and early childhood education and care, the appeal period is 30 days. Claims for rectification must reach their destination by the deadline, before the end of office hours on the day in question. The Regional State Administrative Agency is not allowed to process claims for rectification that have missed the deadline.

Processing the claim for rectification is free of charge. Please note that if you file a complaint to the Administrative Court regarding a decision made by the Regional State Administrative Agency, the processing of your complaint may be subject to a fee.

If your claim concerns an assigned local school or pre-primary educational facility, please remember that you can apply to have your child placed in a school or pre-primary educational facility other than the one designated by the municipality. Please also note that, as a rule, the child is entitled to a place if the school or pre-primary educational facility still has room. The municipality or other education provider will be able to instruct you on how to submit an application for secondary admission. You can submit an application for secondary admission even if the related claim for rectification is still being processed by the Regional State Administrative Agency. If your child is assigned the student place that you applied for, you can cancel your claim for rectification by notifying the Regional State Administrative Agency in writing.

If you wish to cancel your claim, you can also use the form for supplementing a pending case or responding to a message from the Regional State Administrative Agency (“Vireillä olevan asian täydentäminen tai aluehallintoviraston yhteydenottoon vastaaminen”). In addition to cancelling a claim, the form can be used to send any questions or supplementary materials regarding your case. A link to the form is provided on the page "Sähköiset lomakkeet" (in Finnish).

1. We review the request for a revised decision and ask you for additional information if necessary. If you have not already given your consent to the electronic notification of documents, we ask you to do so at this stage. 
2. We request a statement and clarification from the authority that made the decision. In this context, we will send all the documents you have submitted to us to the authority that made the decision. 
3. In general, you will be notified of the statement and reports provided by the authority. If you wish, you can comment on them. We can provide a decision even if you do not reply. 
4. Once your case has been resolved, we deliver the decision to both you and the authority that made the original decision. Instructions for appeal are attached to the decision. 

The processing of a request for a revised decision typically takes 2-3 months. Depending on the case, processing may take longer.

You can appeal against a decision concerning:

• enhanced or special support 
• support services for children (interpretation and assistance services and aids).
   

In pre-primary and basic education, you can appeal a decision on:

• school admission (including local school, secondary option school, flexible basic education)
• the right to education in religion and ethics
• special support
• special education arrangements
• extended compulsory education
• starting basic education a year earlier or later
• repeating a year
• final assessment 
• progress in studies (grade-independent studies)
• support services required for participation in teaching (interpretation and assistant services, other teaching services, special aids) when the pupil is in the scope of special support.

In general upper secondary education, you can appeal a decision concerning:

• student admission
• additional time for completing the studies
• loss of student place
• accreditation of completed studies
• special study arrangements
• the right to education in religion and ethics
• progress in studies
• final assessment
• the right to participate in the matriculation examination or a test included in the examination.

In respect of vocational education and training, you can ask us to review decisions relating to

• the period during which preparatory education must be completed,
• student admission,
• specials needs,
• adaptation of assessment criteria,
• deviations from competence requirements or learning outcomes,
• drug testing obligations,
• the right to suspend studies, and
• whether or not a student should be deemed to have dropped out.

In basic education in the arts, you can appeal a decision on: 

• student fees 
• student admission.

In special care, you can appeal a decision concerning:

• receiving special care services
• approving an individual special care programme.

What is a special care programme?  

A special care programme must be drawn up for everyone whose development or mental activity has been hindered or interrupted due to an illness or injury that is congenital or that occurred during their formative years. Certain services can be granted to the person as special care. In that case, the services provided based on other legislation have not been sufficient or suitable. The need for services is based on intellectual disability and a need for special care.

The services arranged as special care in accordance with the Act on Special Care for People with Intellectual Disabilities must be based on a special care programme.

The special care programme is a decision that shows:

• the services granted as special care
• the way in which special care is implemented
• when the special care programme will be revised.

This means that it summarises all services the client receives as special care. Because the decision can be appealed, a claim for rectification can be filed on the decision. 

Based on the special care programme, the municipality makes the decision to implement services for the client as special care. A claim for rectification on these decisions can also be filed with the Regional State Administrative Agency.

You can find more information in the Handbook on Disability Services by the National Institute for Health and Welfare, for example.

You can appeal a decision on compulsory education concerning:

• the assessment provided in connection with the certificate of participation in education 
• period required for completing education for severely disabled people 
• student admission 
• the student being deemed to have discontinued studies. 

You can appeal a decision concerning

• dropping out of compulsory education 
• a study place indicated by the municipality of residence in preparatory education for degree education or preparatory education for work and independent living.

In respect of preparatory education for degree education, you can ask us to review decisions relating to:

• student admission
• granting additional time for completing studies
• right to suspend studies
• whether or not a student should be deemed to have dropped out
• specials needs 
• support services required for participation in teaching when the student is in the scope of special support and the preparatory education is provided by a comprehensive education provider. Support services refer to interpretation and assistant services, other teaching services and special aids.