Petteri Orpo’s government has decided to make cuts to higher education, which is eroding the basis for future prosperity. The Student Union of the University of Jyväskylä considers the way the government is trying to raise Finland’s education level to be unsustainable.
The government’s decisions will take away a total of 117.7 million euros from higher education, which consists of 65 million cut to the basic funding of higher education, in addition to the previously unallocated cut. At the same time, open higher education is being used to create a fee-based bypass for higher education degrees, which will have dangerous consequences for the Finnish education system.
A one-off investment in study places is no consolation when one hand is taking away from permanent funding. This will further challenge universities’ possibilities to ensure quality teaching and adequate support and guidance for students. The costs of education are spread over a long period of time, which is why permanent basic funding is a guarantee of continuity. “Cutting higher education takes away the basis for raising the level of education, which is critical to Finland’s success,” says Venla Suosalo, chair of the JYY Board.
In addition to the cuts, the government has come up with the idea that open universities and universities of applied sciences could start awarding degrees. In practice, this would be paid degree education, with dire consequences for Finnish citizen’s equal access to education. “It is unacceptable to go through the back door to break the pride of Finland, which is free education. No higher education institution should get involved in this,” says Suosalo.
More info:
Venla Suosalo
Chair of the Board, JYY
hpj@jyy.fi
+358 45 137 1964