Lyseonpuiston lukio is the oldest and the largest upper secondary school in Finnish Lapland; it is situated in the center of the city of Rovaniemi . The school offers teaching in Finnish for the national upper secondary school programme and in English for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
The world-wide programme is administered by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Strong emphasis is placed on the ideals of international understanding and responsible world citizenship. The IB students are encouraged to become critical and compassionate thinkers. In each IB school the IB coordinator, together with the IB faculty of teachers, is responsible for the fulfilment of the requirements.
Lyseonpuiston lukio is an independent, authorized International Baccalaureate (later IB) school since 2004. Lyseonpuiston lukio IBDP (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme) comprises three years: preparatory year (pre-IB), IB1 year and IB2 year. During the pre-year, students take courses designed to prepare them for the two-year IB Diploma Programme. The working language in the courses is English.
IB2 students take part in the IB examinations, which, if successfully completed, make them eligible for the award of the IB Diploma. This Diploma is recognized by institutions of higher education all over the world. In Finland, the IB Diploma is regarded as equivalent to the Finnish Matriculation Examination.
One of the key skills for the IB students is to organize their working time effectively and maintain the necessary self-discipline. The students are required to participate actively and regularly in the daily work of the study groups. IB students are required to do a lot of independent work with strict deadlines. Several assignments by the students are sent to be assessed by external moderators around the world.