Finland’s school camp trips are a familiar part of basic education, but the fundraising used to pay for them is raising questions about parental pressure and equal opportunities among pupils.
Although basic education in Finland is free, multi-day class trips known as leirikoulu remain an expense that often requires families and pupils to find additional money. Many classes organise fundraising activities, including bake sales and product sales, to help cover the costs of these trips.
For many pupils, a school camp is one of the highlights of their school years. It offers an opportunity to spend time with classmates outside the classroom, take part in shared activities and build friendships. However, the work involved in raising money can create challenges for families with different financial circumstances, schedules and resources.
The Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) allows fundraising for school camp trips, but its guidance makes clear that participation must be entirely voluntary. Schools providing basic education cannot require parents to pay for these trips, and a child’s opportunity to participate must not depend on whether their family has contributed to fundraising.
The rules are intended to protect the principle that pupils should have equal access to education, regardless of their family’s financial situation. Fundraising may help a class organise a trip, but it must not become a condition for a child to take part.
In practice, however, the voluntary nature of fundraising does not necessarily mean every family experiences it in the same way. Some parents may feel pressure to contribute because they want their child to fit in with classmates or worry that not participating could affect how their family is perceived. Others welcome fundraising as a practical way to reduce the amount each household needs to pay.
Families also have different amounts of time, money and energy available. Parents balancing work, childcare and other responsibilities may find it difficult to take part in sales or organise fundraising activities. Others may be unable or unwilling to contribute for personal reasons.
These differences raise questions about how schools and class groups can organise camp trips without placing unfair expectations on families. Even when no formal payment is required, fundraising can become a source of tension if parents feel that participation is expected rather than optional.
The Finnish National Agency for Education’s guidance provides an important distinction: fundraising is permitted, but it must remain voluntary, and pupils cannot be excluded from a school camp because their parents have not participated. Keeping that principle in practice is essential to ensuring that a shared school experience does not become a source of financial or social disadvantage.
