SLL, FSS and SAKKI fight against massive education cuts in Finland
Our Finnish Member Organisations, the Union of Finnish Upper Secondary School Students (SLL), the Swedish-speaking School Student Union of Finland (FSS) and Suomen Ammattiin Opiskelevien Liitto (SAKKI), together with Suomen Opiskelija-Allianssi (OSKU) have been fighting against massive cuts to the educational system in Finland.
In the context of the national political elections, school student organisations are very concerned about the further developments in the educational system. This is the reason why school students in Finland demand political parties a clear stance on the education cuts for the future term and resources necessary to ensure quality and inclusive education for all.
Following, the joint statement by the Finnish school student organisations.
Student organizations of secondary education: some of the parties would still continue on with the cuts from the educational system!
Student organizations of secondary education have been following the pre-election conversation about the cuts towards secondary education with great worry. In the last parliament judicial week the structure political papers law proposals left us hanging with the question of what is going to happen to the considered cuts during the next term.
In the election panel held during the Educa-fare in January, all of the parties announced that the cuts from education are over. As the spring has evolved the stances have began to waver and after the panel organized by the center trade unions, for example the Helsinki Times released “No more cuts from the educational system – maybe”. This is why we asked the head secretaries of every political party for the party’s stance on the education cuts for the future term.
The parties with a firm stance against the secondary educations 250 million euro cuts are, the Left alliance, the Greens and the True Finns. The National Coalition party states directly that the saving measures are coming. In their answer the Social Democratic Party and Swedish People’s party weren’t against the cuts and are still on board with the proposed structural changes. In the answer from the Christian Democratic Party they see the possibility to save from the administration as long as the education itself is safe from the cuts. The Center Party of Finland didn’t answer to the email survey but their president Juha Sipilä stated that the education is safe from budget cuts on 10.4. on a TV interview by Good morning Finland.
The catastrophic consequences to the quality and availability of education by the cuts have come to the knowledge during the spring middle questions as well as the hearing of the law proposals. The pressure to change educational field are hard but the structure packet withered to a cutting program can’t be a solution if at the same time we want to ensure an inclusive common education and quality professional ability to years to come.
The future government is at a crossroads: they can decide to continue taking down the knowledge base of the nation or ensure the resources necessary to renew the education. The bad decisions made during this term can’t determine the actions of the future government.
President Tatu Koivisto, Suomen Lukiolaisten Liitto – SLL tatu.koivisto@lukio.fi or (+358) 050 431 4995 Ordförande Cia Laine, Finlands Svenska Skolungdomsförbund – FSS cia.laine@skolungdom.fi or (+358) 044 277 8669 President (ag.) Musa Jallow, Suomen Ammattiin Opiskelevien Liitto – SAKKI ry musa.jallow@sakkinet.fi or (+358) 044 082 4221 President Kimi Merikukka, Suomen Opiskelija-Allianssi – OSKU (+358) 044 977 6356
