Finland was built on a principle of responsibility between generations: each generation should leave the country a little better than they found it. Even in the hardest of times, our war veterans were sustained by the belief that their sacrifices would help build a better Finland for those who came after them. That same sense of responsibility has been carried from one generation to the next. It is now our responsibility to carry it forward.
The Finnish Government is pushing forward a legislative proposal that would make it possible to obtain a university degree through a fee-paying route. The proposal has been justified as a way for students who have already completed a substantial amount of studies at an open university to graduate without having to apply for admission as degree students.
However, the proposal goes far beyond this marginal group. It would create a fee-paying route to a university degree for anyone who can afford it. This is therefore not simply an isolated reform. It is a fundamental shift in the principles underpinning the Finnish education system, a step towards a society where a university degree can be bought with money.
Minister of Education and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie has nevertheless promised that the tuition-free route will remain in place until at least 2040.
That is not enough.
The message from university communities across Finland is clear. Students, researchers, teachers and the Council of Finnish University Rectors are calling for the proposal to be withdrawn altogether. The doors of our universities must continue to open on the basis of knowledge, motivation and aptitude, not the size of someone’s wallet.
Finland’s success story has been built on young people’s belief that, through hard work, ambition and ability, they can rise above the circumstances into which they were born. Education opened doors. It has enabled entire generations to build better lives than their parents had. They have been able to gain an education, find employment and contribute to building a more prosperous Finland.
We appeal to Minister Mari-Leena Talvitie, who comes from a family of small business owners and was the first person in her family circle to earn a Master’s degree.
You know from your own life what equality of opportunity can mean. Now it is your turn to stand guard over it. Fight for the opportunities of future generations with the same determination with which previous generations fought for yours. Fight with fierce determination for the principles on which Finland was built.
A university degree must not be something money can buy. Equality of opportunity must be preserved.
Sofia Alainen
TYY Executive Board Vice Chair