Finnish School, Suomi-koulu, in Chennai
Chennai’s Finnish community has organized and started Suomi (Finland) School for school-age children. In the past year, several Finnish companies have started operation in Chennai area and the number of Finnish families with children have increased. The Finnish children’s need for keeping up Finnish language and the further development of it is important as well as the opportunity to have social interaction among other Finnish children. At the moment, the school has three study groups based on age levels. Total number of students is nine, and the amount is increasing. The first class was held on the 12th of April at the American International School. The Finnish School meets once a week for two hours.
The teacher is Mrs. Merja Salomaa and she is responsible for the education and teaching of the children. Merja Salomaa has a Master’s Degree in Education and a Teacher Certification from the University of Turku, Finland. First in years 1988-1995, she worked in Finland as a teacher. Since 1995, she has continued working abroad as a teacher in Finnish schools as well as in international schools. Participating to the Conferences for Finnish-School Teachers organized in Helsinki, has been a great opportunity for her professional development. The past positive experiences with students and their parents have inspired Merja to continue her important work with Finnish children living abroad.
Contact person: Mervi Olkinuora ([email protected]), tel +91 99 4027 1630.