Ombudsman censors cuts in childhood education

Ombudsman for Children Tuomas Kurttila on Wednesday submitted a report to parliament on the state of child rights and wellbeing which strongly opposes budget cuts in early childhood education.

The ombudsman handed the report to Speaker Paula Risikko where he said the recent cuts implemented in welfare spending, including early childhood education, will create serious sufferings, particularly for the immigrants.

He said 10 per cent of the children are born to mothers with migrant’s background and immigrant families need different kind of supports.

He also pointed out that savings in early childhood education very often will create loneliness among the children and learning difficulties at school.

“In the end, the person is left alone and the society washes its hands of the problem,” reported the national broadcaster Yle quoting the ombudsman as saying.

Kurttila said Finland has become a country of chances where children no longer enjoy equal chances of getting a good start in life, said the Yle report, adding that the decision for limiting the subjective right to day care taken by parliament in 2015 did not bring any benefit for the children.

According to the amended law, a child will not be entitled to full-time day care, if one of the parents remains at home due to unemployment or parental leave.

While some municipalities have implemented the change, dozens of others, including large cities like Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere and Turku, have refused to follow suit, said the Yle report.

Kurttila emphasized that a wise society should take stand for all children equally and irrespective of their family background.

Earlier, the ombudsman in his report last year proposed that early childhood education should be a constitutional right of the children.