Education and Welfare Committee 2025-2029
Minutes, 2.9.20266/2026
02.09.2026 17.00 - 19.32
Kihniö youth farm
Yes, checked and found to be in accordance with the meeting's procedure.
03.09.2026
Kihniö youth farm
04.09.2026
Jenni Vehmasto
Office secretary
The legality and quorum of the meeting are established. The participants in the meeting are noted.
The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously.
Two minutes reviewers will be elected. In accordance with the agreed practice, the reviewers will be Sirpa Kaikkonen and Silja Oksanen. The minutes will be reviewed on September 3, 2026 and will be available for viewing on September 4, 2026 on the municipal information network.
Mikko Nevanperä was elected as the second minutes inspector to replace Silja Oksanen.
The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously.
TEAviisari is a comparative information system for health promotion in municipalities, welfare areas and schools maintained by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. It describes how actively municipalities and other organizations promote the health and well-being of their residents.
THL collects information on health promotion activities from comprehensive schools in cooperation with the Finnish National Board of Education. The data is collected from schools in the autumn, every two years in odd-numbered years. The previous data collection was in the autumn of 2025 and the results of the data collection were published in TEAViisari on 12 May 2026.
The results can be found on the THL website and will be presented at the meeting.
The Education and Welfare Board notes the results of the basic education TEAvisari as brought to its attention.
The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously.
A research group from the Faculty of Education of the University of Helsinki is requesting a research permit from the municipality of Kihniö to conduct a study related to the autumn All sixes into the forest -event date. The sixth grade of Kihniö Comprehensive School has registered for the event, and the school principal has given his consent for the research permit application to proceed to the teaching organizer.
The aim of the research is to produce information about the pedagogical possibilities of natural environments and the factors that support or hinder teaching and learning in forests. The research is being carried out by a research group at the Faculty of Education, University of Helsinki.
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The research focuses on the development of teaching and produces new information. The research does not incur any costs for the municipality, and it does not interfere with the organization of teaching. The research is carried out in accordance with data protection legislation, and the participation of students is based on the consent of their guardians.
Appendix 1: cover letter
Supporting material: research plan, privacy policy, research bulletins, consent forms
The Education and Welfare Board decides to grant a research permit to the research group of the Faculty of Education of the University of Helsinki in accordance with the application.
The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously.
Walter Wickstrom
The Audit Board has stated that a large number of appropriate activities have been implemented under the auspices of the Education and Welfare Board with various project funding.
Overall, the Audit Committee has considered that the operations have been in substantial terms in line with the set objectives. The Audit Committee considers it important that the Children and Family Affairs Division is able to operate in the manner intended by the decisions made.
The Audit Committee asks the Education and Welfare Committee a question:
What measures have been taken and are planned to be taken to ensure that the positive effects of the measures implemented with project funding are permanent?
The Education and Welfare Board is responsible to the Audit Board:
The most important measure for the continuation of the positive effects of the projects is to demonstrate their effectiveness. The effects of municipal educational projects are assessed using both quantitative and qualitative indicators. Key assessment methods include surveys, performance indicators and project-specific objectives. Some of the indicators are directly linked to the indicators of the TEAViisar, which enables the production of nationally comparable information. Through the TEAViisar, the projects also have economic effects, because the indicators affect the evaluation of the municipality's welfare work and, thereby, the allocation of resources.
The primary benefit of the projects is qualitative, and they are planned in such a way that the activities can be established as part of the municipality's permanent service production, if possible. However, establishment requires decisions by elected officials on the continuation of funding. For example, school youth work and sports counseling are activities that have arisen through projects and whose continuation depends on budget decisions.
It is important to note that a significant part of the project activities actually cover services that are close to statutory obligations or support their implementation. For example, outreach youth work is a statutory task, but its expanded implementation and effectiveness are often dependent on project funding. In addition, in the municipality, part of the salary costs of the instructors are covered through projects, which highlights the importance of projects in maintaining the service level.
If project funding is not received, the elected officials must decide when preparing the budget whether to include sufficient appropriations in the financial framework for educational activities so that the current level of non-statutory services can be maintained without projects.
The effects of projects are often visible with a delay and may not be visible during the current budget year. Therefore, it is important to consider the effects in the longer term when making decisions. For example, investing in outreach youth work can prevent the exclusion of young people, which will reduce the municipality's fines and other costs in the coming years.
The Education and Welfare Board sends the attached response to the municipal government.
The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously.
Municipal government, municipal council
According to the profit unit-specific realization report as of June 30, 2025, the realization percentage of income for all educational activities is 49,3. The realization percentage of expenses is 48,9.
The operating margin on June 30, 2025 was 48,8.
Attached to the agenda is the interim report on educational activities for the period 01.01. - 30.06.2026 (Appendix 2).
The Education and Wellbeing Board notes that the interim budget report for the period 01.01. - 30.06.2026 (Appendix 2) has been brought to its attention and will bring it to the attention of the municipal government and further to the attention of the municipal council.
The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously.
Municipal government, municipal council
The municipality must have consistent and clear procedures for cooperation with local associations and organizations. The guidelines support the municipality's strategic goals and ensure equal treatment for all actors.
Appendix 3: Guidelines for organizational cooperation
The Education and Welfare Board approves the guidelines for cooperation with organizations in accordance with Appendix 3 and sends it to the municipal government for approval.
The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously.
Municipal board
It is necessary to establish a working group in the education sector, tasked with preparing future solutions for Kihniö comprehensive school in a situation where the number of children is predicted to decline. The task of the working group is to produce a comprehensive report on the school's operating conditions, financial impacts, personnel needs, occupancy rate of facilities and possible structural alternatives. In addition, the working group must assess how the quality of education services can be secured despite the decreasing student base.
Representatives from Kihniö Comprehensive School will be appointed to the working group, and it may use external experts as needed. The working group will report regularly to the Education Board on the progress of the work and present alternatives and their impact assessments by the deadline. The establishment of the working group enables proactive and controlled decision-making so that the operation of Kihniö Comprehensive School can be secured in a changing demographic situation.
The Education and Welfare Committee will discuss the composition of the working group at its meeting.
The Education and Welfare Board decides:
sets up a working group to consider the future of the comprehensive school.
to elect Kirsi Jytilä and Marketta Malin from the Education and Welfare Board, Tarja Männikkö-Tarsia from the Education Administration, Anne Kannonlahti and Karoliina Mäkipää from the Teachers, Hanna Annala from the Supervisors, and Juho Koivisto from the Financial Administration to the working group for the academic year 2026-2027. The convener and responsible person is the principal, Tarja Männikkö-Tarsia. The principal will prepare a memorandum of the meetings.
It was decided to include a representative from the board, educational administration, teachers, counselors, and financial administration in the working group.
The first draft of the plan will be presented at the last board meeting of 2026. The board will assess the need for the continuation of the working group at the end of the academic year.
The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously.
Those elected to the working group
Decisions of the Director of Welfare for the period 11.06.-02.09.2026
The Education and Welfare Board notes the decisions of the office bearers as brought to its attention and does not exercise its right of withdrawal.
The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously.
The Education and Welfare Committee holds discussions on current issues.
The Education and Welfare Board marks the notification and other matters as brought to its attention.
The board's proposal to further restrict the use of phones was not implemented at the comprehensive school.
Discussed language-related phenomena occurring among students
Hazard notice and shelter-in-place order
Library online payment system
The Director of Welfare has resigned. The last day of office is 27 September 2026.
The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously.
The Youth Council has expressed the hope that school youth work will continue.
The Education and Welfare Board approves the application for a filling permit in accordance with the appendix and submits it to the municipal government for approval.
The motion for a resolution was adopted unanimously.
Municipal board