Finnish international school opens in Kaohsiung

Taipei, Sept. 1 (CNA) The Kaohsiung Finland International School (KSFIS), an English-language instruction international school, held its opening ceremony at Kaohsiung City Qianjin Elementary School on Tuesday.

The school offers education from kindergarten through high school and accepts only students who hold foreign passports, according to the school's profile.

Annual tuition is NT$500,000 (US$15,775) for elementary school, NT$600,000 for middle school and NT$700,000 for high school, according to the KSFIS.

The school opened with more than 20 students from countries including the United States, Australia and Japan, ranging from first through seventh grade, according to local media.

Lauri Raunio, head of the Finland Trade Center in Taiwan, said more Finnish people were working in Taiwan, and that Finland is known for its approach to happy education, which places less emphasis on evaluation and more on learning experiences.

Raunio said several locations were considered before Kaohsiung was selected. He said the city was chosen partly because it is transforming from a heavy-industry center into a high-tech hub, attracting more foreigners who choose to live in Kaohsiung.

The school was also established with assistance from the Kaohsiung City Education Bureau. The city government said that as the semiconductor, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing industries are developing, the demand for international talent and diverse educational options is also growing.

The establishment of the school in Kaohsiung will promote educational exchanges between Taiwan and Finland and provide more educational choices for international families, the government said.

KSFIS is located in an independent academic building within the Qianjin Elementary School campus.

Liu Ching-wen (劉靜文), deputy director of the Kaohsiung City Education Bureau, said Qianjin Elementary School provided space on its campus for KSFIS and is sharing resources and facilities with the Finnish school.

KSFIS said it will provide student-centered, full-English international education from kindergarten through high school, incorporating Finnish educational approaches such as phenomenon-based learning and inquiry-based learning, as well as the educational philosophy of the International Baccalaureate (IB).

The school has entered the application as an IB candidate school and aims to obtain IB authorization in 2027. Once authorized, its students will have an internationally recognized credential that can help them apply to universities abroad.