TYY wants to safeguard free education

The recent debate on free education has not, in TYY’s opinion, proceeded favourably. There have been serious proposals presented on implementing tuition fees for all students studying in Finland, including Finns. TYY is absolutely opposed to tuition fees in all its forms. TYY’s position is also clearly shown in the Student Union political agenda: “Education leading to a degree must be free-of-charge to students.”

Equality and equality-based free education are values that cannot be questioned and, in a civilized welfare state, cannot be crushed.

The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) and the Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (SAMOK), together with student unions, will hold a major demonstration in Helsinki on Wednesday, 21 April. Read more about it on the Facebook event page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kylla-maksuttomalle-koulutukselle/34252165...

The TYY Committee on Student Affairs will have an open forum for all students on free education on Thursday 22 April. Among others, SYL executive board member for education policy Jukka Vornanen will be speaking at the forum. The forum will be held in Finnish.

The so-called Lehikoinen working group is working on a proposal on tuition fees, headed by a director of the Ministry of Education. The group will publish its report on 18 March and TYY will consider taking measures to defend free education at that time.