Basic education, compulsory for children between 6/7 and 15/16 years of age, is almost exclusively provided by comprehensive schools (Finnish: peruskoulu Swedish: grundskola). Basic education is integrated within a single structure comprising primary and lower secondary level education. Basic education lasts nine years and is preceded by one year pre-primary education (see Chapter 4). Basic education is followed by general and vocational upper secondary education and training (see Chapter 6). The objective of basic education is to support pupils’ growth towards humane and ethically responsible membership of society, and to provide them with the knowledge and skills they will need in life. The instruction is to promote education and equality in society and pupils’ opportunities to participate in education and to otherwise develop themselves during their lives.