Finland’s education policy is being criticised for lacking long-term direction. According to Iltalehti, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government proposal to make a higher education degree paid is the latest sign of a policy line that keeps changing.

The issue matters because decisions on higher education affect students and universities more broadly, even if the details of the proposal are not spelled out in the brief. The criticism centres on short-term political moves in a sector that usually needs predictability and consistency.

Iltalehti says the arguments behind the proposal are weak. The debate now appears to be about whether the government can offer a clearer and more stable direction for education policy.