The Student Union of Tampere University opposes the recently submitted government’s proposal for a fee-based Open University degree. This proposal would significantly shift the role of the Open University and the Finnish higher education system towards a more commercial and fee-based model of degree education.
Finland has been built on the foundation of free education. For decades, free education has enabled diverse students, regardless of their background or family’s wealth, to have access to higher education. Free education promotes equal opportunities and enables social mobility. The proposal for a fee-based Open University degree would significantly undermine this foundation and would introduce a new admission pathway, where financial resources would become a decisive factor in who can access higher education.
‘The Finnish student movement has defended and will continue to defend free education. Fee-based degrees through the Open University go against this core principle,’ highlights Eero Tammivuori, TREY’s board member responsible for National Educational Affairs.
The government presents the proposal as a measure to raise educational attainment. Currently, Finland’s higher education attainment rate stands at 39%, and the goal in the government’s programme is to increase it to as close to 50% by 2030 and to 60% by 2040, as outlined in the vision for higher education and research. The proposal is primarily aimed at people already in working life or those who already hold a higher education degree, raising questions about how it directly addresses the needs of young people without a higher education degree. While TREY supports the goal of increasing educational attainment, a fee-based degree through the Open University does not remove the educational barriers but rather risks undermining educational equality and accessibility. Furthermore, increasing student numbers through the Open University pathway may place additional pressure on teaching resources, course availability and teaching facilities, affecting the quality of degree education.
Access to free higher education is a foundation for equal opportunities and is an important step in many young people’s lives. The Student Union of Tampere University rejects the proposal for a fee-based Open University degree, which would create a parallel pathway alongside publicly funded higher education, undermining free education, educational equality and accessibility.
More Information:
Eero Tammivuori, Board Member in National Educational Affairs and International Affairs
eero.tammivuori@trey.fi, +358 44 729 3775
Mantė Žygelytė, Specialist in Educational Affairs and International Affairs
mante.zygelyte@trey.fi, +358 50 361 2849