The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) encourages the Government to seek ways to create preconditions for growth in its forthcoming spending limits discussion. The strongest foundation for sustainable and far-reaching growth is improving the level of education and investing ambitiously in competence and science.

Orpo’s Government has branded its mid-term policy review as Room for Growth. It is an ambitious objective at a time when the world is threatened by a trade war and the domestic economy is closer to a recession than to an upturn. The Room for Growth working group led by Risto Murto, which completed its work earlier this spring, concluded that an improvement to the level of education is one of the key prerequisites for economic growth. Finland’s goal is for 50% of young people to enter higher education by 2035, and this target will not be achieved if funding for education is cut.

The Government has previously announced cuts of EUR 75 million to the administrative branch of the Ministry of Education and Culture, which have yet to be allocated. In other words, funding to universities or student financial aid may be in the line of fire. Cuts to the funding of universities and students would be a terrible mistake. Instead, investments must be made in university education, and student financial aid must be protected from cuts directed at the ministry and the must be implemented in a manner that allows students the opportunity to better focus on their studies.

“There will be no growth in this country without education, and if our level of education does not improve, we will continue to lose productivity in the future,” emphasises SYL President Anselmi Auramo.

Together with other actors in the field of education, SYL has proposed that, in its mid-term policy review, the Government should strive for parliamentary agreement to fund an improved level of education. A sustainable plan for funding education over several government terms is needed to achieve the educational level target. Finland has already fallen short of its reference countries in development.

SYL demands that universities or students not be subjected to cuts in the midterm policy review. Instead, sustainable solutions must be sought for improving the level education through a funding plan crossing over several government terms. Competence is the cornerstone of Finland’s economic growth, and it needs investments.

Further information:

Anselmi Auramo
President, SYL
anselmi.auramo@syl.fi
+358 (0)45 647 1116