According to the Finnish Act on Early Childhood Education and Care, every child has the right to receive education and care that is systematic and goal-oriented. 

To achieve this, an individual learning plan is created for every child together with the child and their guardians. These plans include goals that are set together and promote the systematic care and education provided for the child. Download Kindiedays E-book: What is Finnish ECEC?

How is the child's individual plan created?

A child’s teacher is responsible for creating and evaluating the child’s individual learning plan. This process involves several steps. In addition to discussing the writing process, making the plan consists of assessing and observing the child’s strengths, needs, and views, as well as evaluating the child’s previous plan. All staff members working with the children participate in the process, with creation, observation, documentation, and evaluation conducted collaboratively across multiple professions.

The plan is based on the child’s strengths and interests, as well as on their best interest and needs. The pedagogical goals, measures, and any support measures, along with their implementation, are recorded in the plan. The linguistic and cultural background, along with the skills of a child who speaks a foreign language or is bilingual, are considered when creating their individual plan. The child’s cultural and religious background will also be considered when making the plan.

This is how the City of Helsinki plans the child's individual learning.

In Finland’s national core curriculum for early childhood education and care (ECEC), a central aim is to nurture transversal competencies—capabilities that children develop across contexts, not just in isolated subject areas. These competencies bridge knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes, guiding children to apply what they learn in varied situations.

As we at Kindiedays aim to bring Finnish-inspired practices into preschools globally, understanding transversal competencies gives us a powerful framework for holistic child development. Below, let’s explore what these competencies are, how Finland integrates them in early education, and how preschools using Kindiedays can embed them into practice.

Transversal competencies

What Are Transversal Competencies?

In Finland’s ECEC, transversal competencies are six interconnected areas that children develop across everyday play and guided activities—not as separate “subjects,” but woven through everything they do:

Part 3/3

Here we continue with Part 3 of our series of blog posts from Ranjan Goyal, one of the leading experts in the field of preschool education. In this blog, we create an action plan for launching our new preschool, which we outlined in our previous posts. How to set up a preschool and Business plan for a Premium Preschool.

If you are starting to work on your new premium preschool in October 2025 and want to open doors in April 2026 (the start of the academic year in many parts of India), you’ll have six months to set everything up. That’s a very realistic timeline if you do some tasks in parallel.

6-Month Roadmap to Launch a Premium Preschool

October 2025 – Planning & Foundation

Goals: Set vision, secure location, and align curriculum partner.

Part 2 of 3

Here we continue with Part 2 of our series of blog posts from Ranjan Goyal, one of the leading experts in the field of preschool education. In this blog, we create a business plan for our new preschool. You can find Part 1 HERE.

1. Executive Summary

India’s preschool market is growing rapidly, driven by young urban parents seeking high-quality early childhood education aligned with global standards. The National Education Policy (NEP 2020) emphasizes play-based, child-centered learning, opening opportunities for premium preschools to differentiate themselves through superior pedagogy, improved teacher quality, and strong parent engagement.

Our preschool aims to establish itself as a boutique, premium preschool offering international best practices adapted to the needs of Indian families. It will cater to mid- to high-income parents in metropolitan or Tier 1 cities, charging an annual fee of ₹1.5 –₹ 4.0 lakhs.

The preschool will be positioned around three pillars:

1. Holistic Education – Blending play-based pedagogy from Finland/Montessori/Reggio Emilia with NEP 2020 compliance.
2. Teacher Excellence – Continuous professional development to ensure nurturing and skilled educators.
3. Parent Engagement – Transparent, technology-driven updates showcasing children’s progress and building parent trust. 

2. Market Analysis

2.1 Industry Overview

• India’s preschool sector is valued at ₹30,000+ crore, growing at ~18% CAGR.
• Urban working parents prioritize safe, premium preschools offering international pedagogy.
• Parents demand academic readiness, as well as holistic skills such as creativity, confidence, and social-emotional development.

2.2 Target Market

Part 1 of 3

This time, we are delighted to publish a guest post from Ranjan Goyal, one of the leading experts in the field of preschool education. As the CEO, Ranjan has set up several preschool chains in India. He is now an independent consultant helping preschools match new needs and opportunities, and here shares his advice.

Guest Post from Ranjan Goyal

Ranjan and the Ambassador of Finland to India, Kimmo Lähdevirta.

"I am planning to set up my own premium preschool in India. What advice can you give me?"

This is the most frequently asked question I receive, and it typically leads to an engaging discussion. Setting up a premium preschool in India can be highly profitable, but it is crucial to strike a balance between educational quality, business sustainability, and meeting parent expectations. Let me give you an idea of what to be careful about: