Kurt Torsell Appointed Director-General of Finnish National Agency for Education

The Finnish government has appointed Kurt Torsell, a Master of Education, as the new Director-General of the Finnish National Agency for Education (Opetushallitus). Torsell succeeds Minna Kelhä, whose five-year term concluded in June. He was selected from a pool of 16 applicants for the position.

Since the autumn of 2019, Torsell has led the agency's Swedish-language operations, overseeing the development of Swedish-language education, early childhood education, and related services. His tenure as Director-General is set to last until August 2031. Opetushallitus functions as an expert agency under the Ministry of Education and Culture, responsible for developing national core curricula and guiding education providers.

The agency has faced public scrutiny in recent years. In the summer of 2025, Finance Minister Riikka Purra proposed abolishing the entire agency in her budget suggestion, a move rejected by other coalition partners. Discussions have also arisen concerning declining PISA results and Islamic textbooks, which Opetushallitus withdrew from sale due to their confessional content.

Torsell's appointment occurs during a period of re-evaluation for the agency. In July, the Ministry of Education and Culture initiated a review of Opetushallitus's responsibilities and areas for development. The objective of this review includes clarifying the division of labor between the ministry and the agency, as well as assessing how its tasks are organized.