Education is an investment in the future. There’s no doubt about that. Cutting from future experts and belittling them will not lift Finland out of this recession. Yet, it seems to be the prevailing idea and plan among those in power.
Many likely still remember vividly the publication just over a year ago by the National Coalition Party and its youth organizations, where they swore that balancing the economy involved choices, and one of these choices is education, which should not be spared. Back then, they promised that education would not be cut, and students’ livelihoods would be secured and made more flexible. There was a direct promise that students would not be moved out of the general housing allowance.
But what happened? Education, both at the university level and secondary level, is being cut, index increases in student financial aid are frozen, and students are being moved out of the general housing allowance back onto the housing supplement for students. A direct breach of both promises and cuts.
The only relief for students’ livelihoods is increasing the state guarantee for student loans. However, this will significantly increase the student loan burden. Is it right to push one sector of society increasingly into living off borrowed money? When the state can no longer take on debt (which it still does), students are forced to do so.
Increasing value-added tax rates is also a harsh blow to students. VAT hikes affect everyone, but for students already living below the poverty line, it hits hardest.
At Biosfääri ry, we oppose all these government actions. Instead of impoverishing and punishing future experts, the state could focus its adjustment measures, for example, on taxing wealth while simultaneously narrowing existing income disparities, and cutting environmentally harmful subsidies (which amount to over three billion euros annually!).
We also stand in line with the recent statement by Kannunvalajat ry: Finland won’t rise by punishing motivated students and hindering double degrees. The level of education will only rise by securing and supporting basic funding for universities. We live in a world where problems are more multidimensional and multifaceted than ever, and solving them requires robust interdisciplinary expertise.
In May, a change also came into effect tripling the maximum amount of fees for open university education. The idea here is presumably to enable higher-quality teaching offerings by raising fees, but in reality, this merely patches a gap potentially created by education cuts. At the same time, adult education allowances and job alternation leaves are being abolished, so fewer people have the opportunity to enhance their skills. Politicians are making career changes even more difficult, and at the same time, the Minister of Science and Culture, Multala, calls for universities to be more flexible regarding career changes.
The government’s approach is well reflected in the fact that, in the name of equality, things are made equally miserable for everyone. This is exemplified by the suggestion floated to make the extension of university studies subject to a fee, similar to the way universities of applied sciences operate. Perhaps this seems fair among university students, but so would completely waiving fees. The principle behind equality should be that everyone is treated equally well, not that everyone is treated equally poorly. During this government term, students have already been made scapegoats and punching bags enough. Students are also expected to work more but graduate faster at the same time. It seems that the authorities responsible for this are increasingly disconnected from reality.
In addition to policies that are unsustainable and skewed in every way, government parties leave behind only egregiously broken promises. When we no longer even have trust, what remains, or does anything remain? The pillars of the future should not be dismantled from the very beginning.
Sources:
https://helda.helsinki.fi/items/7528589b-840e-4921-ba64-642ad8fcf04e
https://www.is.fi/taloussanomat/art-2000010363822.html
https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000010365569.html
https://hyy.fi/fi/uutiset/suomen-hallitus-vie-opiskelijoilta-katonkin-paan-paalta/
https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000010385574.html
https://hyy.fi/fi/uutiset/vastustamme-50-euron-maksun-lisaamista-lisaajan-hakemiseen/