The Kihniö Municipality Audit Board states in its 2024 evaluation report that the operations have essentially been in line with the set objectives.

Regarding the children and youth welfare plan, the inspection board has found that the assessment required by the children and youth welfare plan has not been carried out in the manner intended by the children and youth welfare plan.

The Audit Board has asked the Education and Welfare Board a question:

What measures have the municipal government and the Education and Welfare Board planned to take to implement the assessment required by the welfare plan?

The Education and Welfare Board's response:

The resources of the Director of Welfare have not been sufficient to organize meetings of the Children and Family Affairs Division. The job descriptions of the Educational Services will be reviewed so that the tasks are reorganized. The aim is to get a substantive expert to lead the Children and Family Affairs Division. The Director of Welfare will continue to serve as the rapporteur and secretary of the Educational and Welfare Board, the Council for the Elderly and Disabled, and the Hyte working group.

According to the profit unit-specific realization report as of June 30, 2025, the realization percentage of income for all educational activities is 50,7. The realization percentage of expenses is 48,0.

The operating margin on June 30, 2025 was 47,5.

Attached to the agenda is the interim report on educational activities for the period 01.01. - 30.06.2025 (Appendix 1).

Dear recipient,

We are approaching you regarding the school transportation reforms, as it has caused concern among parents of our transported students about the well-being of their children.

The long walks caused by the reforms, in our opinion, cause many potential dangers on school trips and place an unreasonable burden on many students. Unpaved and unlit side roads are a clear safety risk for children walking.

In addition, with the new transport routes, many children's taxi journeys will be extended to almost an hour, which is a really long time, and distances did not cause this in the past. Due to the longer school journeys, many children have to get up even before six in the morning to catch the bus to school. Due to the new school bus arrangements, waiting hours have also had to be increased to up to three hours a week, which unnecessarily burdens schoolchildren and reduces free time.

We note that the arrangement places some of the students who are transported in a very unequal position, and therefore they do not have the same conditions for a pleasant school experience as other students who are not affected by the reform or who do not significantly affect their school journey or the number of waiting hours.

A decrease in school enjoyment and sleep, or reduced free time in the evenings, is likely to have a negative impact on students' academic performance and perceived quality of life.

In other words, long, sometimes dangerous and difficult walks in winter, long taxi rides, early morning wake-ups and increased waiting hours significantly weaken the resources of some children in Kihniö and make it difficult for them and their families to function smoothly in their everyday lives.

We, as parents of students, are very concerned about this issue and appeal for equality among students. We are asking for the necessary changes to the school transportation reforms so that the well-being of no student is jeopardized and everyone has an equal starting point for schooling.

We request that the matter be considered by the municipal education and welfare board as soon as possible, so that the situation of the children who are most affected by the reforms can be moderated.

We believe that it is possible to find new, better solutions and still manage to make savings in school transportation. A good starting point for re-planning routes could be last year's transportation practices, as transportation went well at that time.

Also attached is an appendix regarding the dangerousness of the Niskos road.

Early childhood education provided by the municipality is governed by the Early Childhood Education Act (540/2018). According to the Early Childhood Education Act, a child participating in early childhood education has the right to receive general, enhanced or special support required for his or her individual development, learning and well-being as part of the basic early childhood education activities without delay after the need for support has become apparent. The support provided to the child may include pedagogical, structural and therapeutic measures required by the child. If the child's need for support so requires, the child has the right to receive consultation and teaching provided by a special early childhood education teacher, as well as interpretation and assistance services and aids required for participation in early childhood education.

The explanatory memorandum to the amendment to the law on support (HE 148/2021) specifies that the early childhood education provider is responsible for the support measures and aids that a child needs to participate in early childhood education. Such support measures include arrangements related to the practical organization of activities, movement and other physical activities, such as wheelchair strips and handrails.

Assistive devices can be related to a child's communication, vision, hearing, mobility or other physical needs, for example. Such aids include toys needed to support a child's learning and development, and tools that support communication and interaction, such as IT applications that support communication, games or audio books.

Support services are support aimed at an individual child or an entire group.

The early childhood education provider (Kihniö Municipality) is responsible for the support services and aids that the child needs to participate in early childhood education. The services that the child needs in their everyday life are, according to the current interpretation, the responsibility of social and health care, for example on the basis of disability services or insurance.

The revised Basic Education Act prohibits students from using mobile devices during lessons. Phones may be used for learning, for health reasons, or as a learning aid with the teacher's permission. The law will enter into force on 1 August 2025. Education providers must update their own rules of procedure in accordance with the amendment to the law.

According to the municipal administrative regulations (§ 29), the education and welfare board must approve the school's rules of procedure. The rules of procedure were updated at the planning meeting on August 4, 2025 and reviewed with the students on August 5, 2025.

Rules of procedure in Appendix 2.

The duties of the Director of Education were combined with the duties of the principal on 01.08.2017. At that time, it was determined that the successful management of the combined position is better if a deputy has been selected for the principal, who is responsible for the school's operations under the principal in his or her absence. At its meeting in 4/2021, the Education Board selected Elina Joensuu for the position. Joensuu resigned from her position and at its meeting in 6/2025, the Education and Wellbeing Board granted her resignation.

Kihniö Comprehensive School has developed a bullying intervention model for 2024. The model was developed as a working group on the Veso day on February 6, 2024, and the entire staff participated. The model was reviewed with the school staff on the planning day on August 4, 2025.

A workplace well-being survey was conducted for employees of the municipality of Kihniö in 2024, which was followed up with regard to education in the spring of 2025. Based on the results, it was necessary to take measures to promote workplace well-being.

The purpose of the survey was to collect information about concrete ways that staff feel promote their own coping and well-being at work. The main focus was on exercise, nutrition and recovery, but other methods were also surveyed. The goal is to put into practice those methods that staff find to be effective.

The survey had two sections, the first of which surveyed well-being at work in terms of exercise, nutrition and recovery, and the second allowed for suggestions for other methods.

The survey was prepared by sports advisor Emilia Piilola and wellness director Vilja Lankinen.

The survey was launched on August 5, 2025 and the response period was until August 17, 2025.

In connection with the survey, respondents had the opportunity to fill out the exercise counselor's initial assessment form, which allows the exercise counselor to assess the respondent's situation in terms of exercise, nutrition, sleep, and recovery. After completing the survey, the exercise counselor will contact the respondent and discuss how they can be of help. The answers will only be visible to the exercise counselor.

Decisions of the Director of Welfare for the period 06.06.-20.08.2025

Rector's office-holder decisions for the period 06.06.-20.08.2025

Let's arrange the next meeting time.