Education Committee

The Education and Training Board is reviewing the update of the early childhood education service voucher regulation handbook, which is a joint guideline for private early childhood education service providers in the Tampere city region municipalities. The regulation handbook is proposed to be updated to comply with the new early childhood education service voucher law that came into force at the beginning of 2026. The main change concerns the service voucher increase paid based on the child's support, whose definition is proposed to be made more flexible - the increase coefficient could be 0.5-3 regardless of the child's support level. Service providers have given positive feedback on the update and praised the regulation handbook as a clear comprehensive framework.

The committee is presented with a decision on an agreement with Tampere Region Vocational College Tredu regarding a special Startti-TUVA program, which is aimed at young people from Lempäälä subject to compulsory education who need more than usual support in transitioning to upper secondary studies. The program combines TUVA education content, workshop activities and strong guidance in daily life and life management in a small group of maximum eight students. The agreement would be valid from 1.8.2026–31.7.2028 and would cost the municipality approximately 5,000 euros per month plus value-added tax. The activity supports the municipality's statutory responsibility for compulsory education guidance and prevents young people from being excluded from education.

Official decisions from the period March 12 – April 15, 2026 are presented to the committee for information. According to the proposal, the committee would note the decisions for information and would not take them up for separate consideration. This is a routine procedure where the committee receives information about what decisions education sector officials have made within their authority. The decision list has been delivered to committee members in advance for review.

The meeting proposes to approve the agenda and the order of business in accordance with the administrative regulations. The committee may, if necessary, decide by majority vote to also address matters not mentioned in the meeting invitation. This is a standard procedural matter that enables the proper progression of the meeting.

The Education Director presents several current affairs to the board for acknowledgment. The matters to be discussed include, among others, a situational overview of morning and afternoon activities for the school year 2026-2027, implementation data on education sector finances from March, and the placement situation in early childhood education. The board will participate in a municipality-wide parent evening organized on the same evening, during which a break will be taken from the meeting. Additionally, matters concerning the renovation of Hakkari school and regional adult basic education will be addressed.

The committee will review the determination of teaching resources for Lempäälän lukio for the academic year 2026-2027. 159 people applied to the upper secondary school as their first choice for 140 starting places, and the total number of students will increase to approximately 450. The proposal suggests approving teaching resources of 499 courses, which remains the same as the previous year, and a personnel appropriation of 2,285,300 euros. The principal of the upper secondary school will attend the meeting to discuss current matters concerning the school.

The Education and Training Committee is proposed to increase the value of service vouchers for private early childhood education from 1.8.2026 due to index adjustment and cost increases. The service voucher value for children over 3 years old would increase from the current 986 euros to 1015 euros per month, and for children under 3 years old correspondingly from 1538 euros to 1604 euros per month. The increases are based on a 2.96 percent index adjustment and an increase in the coefficient for children under 3 years old to compensate for cost increases. The annual cost impact of the change for the municipality is estimated at approximately 109,000 euros.