April Transitioned to May, Guided by Labor Day and Spring Weather.

Government Cuts to Secondary Education Must Be Prevented!

I am very concerned about the government’s plans to limit free secondary education. This is an absolutely wrong decision from an education policy perspective. If a young person’s education in the future depends on the thickness of their own or their parent’s wallet, then it makes no sense. The decision made in the framework meeting affects both upper secondary schools and vocational education.

The Helsinki Social Democratic City Council group demands that free learning materials be secured for secondary students in Helsinki going forward. As a group, we submitted a city council initiative on April 24 at the council meeting. We demand that free learning materials for the first vocational degree or upper secondary school be guaranteed for students until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 20.

This concerning trend must be taken seriously in the upcoming budget negotiations next autumn. The city of Helsinki must enable students to study free of charge for the entire duration of their secondary education, thus compensating for the government’s education cuts and ensuring educational equality among young people.

You can read more about this from, for example, Helsinki News: Helsinki News Link.

Also, check out the Helsinki SDP City Council group’s initiative related to the topic: Helsinki SDP Link.

No Entrance Exams for First Graders!

We are conducting an experiment in the city to see if we can eliminate entrance exams for bilingual education for first graders. In the future, students would be selected for first grade by lottery, and no entrance exams would be organized.

The purpose of this is to better serve the interests of preschoolers. The current entrance exam practice has led to the situation where, especially for Finnish-English instruction, even small children are being taken to preparatory courses.

In Helsinki, it is possible to receive bilingual education starting from first grade in the following languages: Finnish-Swedish, Finnish-North Sámi, Finnish-Estonian, Finnish-Russian, Finnish-Chinese, Finnish-Spanish, and Finnish-English.

We want to develop and change the system to better meet the needs of children. Stressing and putting pressure on preschoolers does not promote this.

The decision to eliminate entrance exams will initially be for a trial period of two years, but we hope this experiment will become a permanent practice.

The decision on eliminating entrance exams for bilingual education will be made by the Finnish-speaking division of the Education and Training Department before the summer holidays.

You can watch and read the Yle article on the subject here: Yle Article Link.

Breaking Down Prejudices!

The Helsinki Parents’ Association (HELVARY) invited decision-makers and sector employees to learn about Ali Al-Saffu’s film Normaalii and its potential use in secondary education.

Normaalii is a documentary written, directed, filmed, edited, and produced by Ali Al-Saffu and other talented young people, depicting life in East Helsinki and the young people who feel lost in a transitional space. For these youth, Finland appears as a fortress that they do not have the strength to conquer.

I believe that this youth-made film has the potential to serve as a tool in combating racism and prejudices in schools and educational institutions. In my own life, many films have served as conversation starters with both children and friends. Various themes can indeed be effectively addressed through books and films.

A youth-produced, education-friendly film will surely serve as a conversation opener for the topics addressed in the film.

However, it would also be beneficial for us parents to hear and see the film’s message. The paths to education and other opportunities for all children and young people are not equal, neither in Finland nor in Helsinki.

You can read more about this here: HS Article Link.

Many Encounters

April was no different from other months in terms of meetings. There were plenty, ranging from TET (Career Exploration) trainees to the disability council and various Democratic groups. The subjects were always related to the well-being of children, young people, and families—one way or another.

An article was published in Helsinki News in April about a visit from earlier this year. It concerns the new microbrewery at Stadin Ammatti- ja Aikuisopisto (Stadin Vocational and Adult Institute). Multidisciplinary collaboration can be excellently implemented already in school.

Helsinki News Link.