Students at University of Helsinki. LEHTIKUVA
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Only a third of Finland’s spring high school graduates will gain a university or polytechnic place this autumn, according to education advocacy group Sivistysala ry, which is now calling for a legal change to improve access for first-time applicants.
The final exams for Finland’s matriculation qualification end this week, and around 26,000 new graduates are expected.
Yet despite nearly 55,000 available higher education places, two-thirds of them will be left without a place this autumn. Of these, 77 percent have already applied for further studies.
Competition has intensified. In the latest joint application round, 148,000 people applied to higher education institutions — up 3,700 from last year.
The association argues that existing graduates applying for a second equivalent degree are blocking access for those without any qualifications. Last year, around 7,000 study places were filled by people already holding a university or polytechnic degree.
“Finland’s level of education lags behind other OECD countries. Young people are waiting years to get into university. For national resilience, we need faster access to studies,” said Susanna Niinistö-Sivuranta, CEO of Sivistysala ry.
The share of new graduates not entering further study has increased by 12 percentage points in the last decade. While intake has been temporarily expanded to ease application backlogs, this has often occurred without full state funding.
Niinistö-Sivuranta said the current system allows repeat degrees to displace first-time students.
“Those already holding a degree reduce opportunities for young people. Finland aims to raise its higher education attainment to 50 percent of each age cohort. We’re still below 40 percent,” said Heikki Kuutti Uusitalo, Director of Policy at Sivistysala ry.
Sivistysala ry is proposing that universities and polytechnics be permitted to charge tuition for second degrees at the same level. Such a change would require an amendment to current legislation.
The Ministry of Education and Culture has drafted a proposal to prevent applicants from holding multiple study places at once, but Niinistö-Sivuranta said this step is insufficient.
In its vision for higher education until 2040, the ministry is also examining issues around changing study fields. Niinistö-Sivuranta said this discussion must be broadened.
“The fear of starting studies in the wrong field and missing a better option keeps many applicants waiting,” she said.
Sivistysala ry proposes that adult learners changing careers should be selected through separate admissions and offered greater use of open university studies. Under current rules, completing a full degree via open studies is not possible. Removing price caps on open university courses would enable institutions to offer more content.
“There are already many existing ways to upskill in higher education. Additional places can be targeted to sectors with labour shortages or high social demand, as has been done before,” said Niinistö-Sivuranta.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
