Status of school closures in Finland during the pandemic
Early childhood education: Open.
Primary school: Open.
Secondary school: Closed from March–August 2020. Adjusted operations from September 2020–July 2021.
Higher education: Closed from March–August 2020. Adjusted operations from September 2020–July 2021 (Norlén, Gassen, & Randall, 2022).
During the pandemic years, universities were periodically closed, and students were mainly taught online. Most student events were cancelled or postponed, affecting the motivation and wellbeing of many students. Online education was also widely used in secondary school and higher education during the second and third wave of the pandemic. In spring 2020, even primary school in Finland switched to online education for almost two months.
At the same time most public facilities – such as youth centres, shopping centres, libraries, restaurants, and other meeting places favoured by youth were closed. Leisure activities were transferred online if possible. The government prohibited gatherings of more than ten people. From March to April 2020, the region of Uusimaa in Southern Finland, which includes the capital, was isolated from the rest of Finland and travel to and from the region was severely restricted (Helfer, Aapola-Kari, & Trane, 2023).