“We’re not against any family” – Professionals build trust between schools and immigrant parents
Diversity is part of everyday life at Malminkartano Primary School. To support immigrant families, the principal adds an English summary to messages sent through Wilma.
Seblewongel Tariku
Sercan Alkan
Published 30.10.2025 at 11:11
At Malminkartano Primary School in Helsinki, more than half of the pupils come from immigrant families. In some classes, the figure rises as high as 80 percent.
Diversity enriches the school community, but it also brings practical challenges, says teacher Emilia Aro. One of the biggest hurdles is the language barrier.
Children who arrive at the age of ten or older often struggle with subjects such as history and civics. Teachers, meanwhile, spend a great deal of time addressing issues that stem from communication gaps.
Even break times can be tense, as small misunderstandings between students sometimes escalate into conflicts.
“Sometimes children think others are laughing at them,” Aro says, “when it’s really just a lack of shared language.”
The language barrier extends beyond the classroom to parents as well.
“Some parents don’t attend parent-teacher evenings because they feel their Finnish isn’t strong enough,” Aro says.
Teachers, she adds, genuinely want dialogue with families and are glad when parents make the effort to communicate. Aro encourages them to reach out.
“If you have a question or need to contact the class teacher,” she tells parents, “you can call, or bring along a friend or neighbor who speaks Finnish or English.”
Unfamiliar ways of learning and communicating
Many immigrant parents find it difficult to navigate the Finnish school system, and the challenges can begin with the means of communication.
One example is Wilma, the national online platform used for homework, attendance, and teacher messages. Much of the dialogue between schools and parents takes place through Wilma.
“If parents don’t realize how important it is and fail to log in, they can easily miss key messages and lose track of their child’s progress,” Aro says. “The children may come to school without the right books or miss activities.”
Wilma operates mainly in Finnish and Swedish, with only some bulletins available in other languages. Teachers encourage parents to keep up with messages even if their language skills are limited. AI translation tools can help, and it’s always fine to ask for assistance from an interpreter, friend, or neighbor.
The learning methods used in Finland may also differ from what many parents are familiar with. According to Aro, it’s crucial for parents to understand the Finnish approach to learning. She encourages them to visit classrooms and observe lessons, which can be an eye-opener.
“Learning in Finland isn’t about memorizing facts by heart,” she explains. “It’s not just a teacher telling you something for a test. Students build on prior knowledge and discover things for themselves. It’s a constructive, participatory way of learning.”
Misunderstanding child welfare
One of the most sensitive topics is child welfare. According to Aro, some immigrant parents feel anxious or even upset when they learn that a teacher has contacted social workers.
“They sometimes see it as blame or a sign of mistrust,” she says. “But that’s a misunderstanding.”
Under Finland’s Child Welfare Act (Lastensuojelulaki), teachers are legally required to report any concern about a child’s safety — not just proven harm.
“If a child comes to school in dirty clothes, appears hungry, or says they’ve been hurt, teachers are obliged by law to act,” Aro explains. “It doesn’t mean we’re against the family.”
In most cases, schools first discuss the issue with the parents or a social worker. But in serious situations — such as suspected neglect or abuse — a report can be made directly to child welfare without notifying the parents.
The same process applies to all children, not just those from immigrant backgrounds. When a report is filed, social services simply check how the family is doing and whether any support is needed.
“Our job is not to investigate families,” Aro says, “but to make sure that help is available for the child when needed. We want all parents to understand that we’re on this journey together. We are not against any family or cultural background.”
Aro emphasizes the importance of shared responsibility between schools and families. “From the school’s side, we must ensure clear communication,” she says. “But parents also need to engage and cooperate.”
A multilingual bridge
Taif Noori also identifies child welfare as a source of fear and confusion among immigrant families. He works as a multilingual guidance counselor for Arabic-speaking students at Kannelmäki Comprehensive School — another institution with a high share of students from immigrant backgrounds.
According to Noori, the problems often stem from cultural misunderstandings. Many parents come from societies where schools rarely intervene in a child’s well-being. As a result, when teachers contact child welfare, parents may interpret it as punishment rather than support.
“But once parents understand that the goal is to help families, not break them apart, they begin to trust the system,” Noori says.
His role is to bridge both linguistic and cultural gaps between home and school. In practice, that means helping parents understand the Finnish school culture and encouraging them to take part in it.
“Many parents simply don’t come when the school invites them,” he says. “But they should — without dialogue, we can’t solve problems together.”
Parents also don’t always realize that children may behave very differently at school than at home, Noori explains.
“Parents might think a teacher is being unfair when their child is disciplined,” he says, “but it’s part of the learning process. We are very strict about discrimination in our schools.”
Active parental support, he adds, can have a profound impact on a child’s success. Families can contribute to learning in small but meaningful ways.
“Reading together, using educational apps, or playing Finnish games can make a big difference,” Noori says. He recommends Ekapeli, an app that helps parents and children learn Finnish together through fun, interactive play.