Helsinki adopts rule requiring faces visible in schools and daycare centers

Helsinki’s city council voted to implement a safety instruction that obliges pupils, teachers and daycare personnel to keep their faces fully visible at all times in educational institutions. The directive, which covers scarves, masks, niqabs, burqas and even command-style helmets, stems from initiatives by the Finns Party group demanding a ban on head coverings and a National Coalition Party proposal targeting specific religious garments.

Rather than imposing a blanket prohibition, the city added a requirement for recognizability, stating that visible faces are essential for interaction and child hand-over procedures. The guideline will be applied across schools, kindergartens and other early-learning settings immediately after the council’s deliberation. Education sector chief Satu Järvenkallas highlighted that face visibility supports pedagogical needs, while council members voiced differing views on the policy’s scope and potential impact on minority groups.