Do site do respectivo Ministério da Educação, uma declaração algo centralista, com laivos mesmo algo esquerdistas:

In Finland, the basic right to education and culture is recorded in the Constitution. Public authorities must secure equal opportunities for every resident in Finland to get education also after compulsory schooling and to develop themselves, irrespective of their financial standing. Legislation provides for compulsory schooling and the right to free pre-primary and basic education. Most other qualifying education is also free for the students, including postgraduate education in universities.

Parliament passes legislation concerning education and research and determines the basic lines of education and science policy. The Government and the Ministry of Education, as part of it, are responsible for preparing and implementing education and science policy. The Ministry of Education is responsible for education financed from the state budget. The Government adopts a development plan for education and research every four years.

E fica aqui o documento estratégico para a educação finlandesa para o período de 2003 a 2008.