Kohteleeko julkinen rahoitus tasavertaisesti eri koulutusmuotoja?
Keywords:
koulutuksen rahoitus, rahoitusuudistus, yliopistot, ammattikorkeakoulut, ammatillinen peruskoulutus, financing of education, the reform of financing, universities, universities of applied sciences, initial vocational educationAbstract
This article compares the development of public financing (state and municipalities) in universities, universities of applied sciences and second level vocational education during past ten years. The financing coming outside the public sector is not included in the analysis. The role of outside financing is important in universities, about 35 %, but much smaller in universities of applied sciences and vocational education. Due to the different role of RDI-activities in university sector and the others, the analysis concerns only the financing of education. The state budget deficit in Finland demands both increasing taxes and cutting down expenses. Thus it is evident that also educa- tion meets state budget cuttings. The state financing does not cover even the rise of cost level. The cost indexes have been frozen or been cutted down during the last years. The beginning of 2000 ́s has been relatively favorable time in all educational sectors as to the development of resources. The real (counted without the inflation) public financing has grown between 1,6 % - 2,9 % on the average per year up to 2012, however unevenly in the different educations sectors. The growth in the financing of second level vocational education has been mainly the result of rising student numbers. The public university financing has happened as the growth of financing per student. The university reform gave some new financing to the universities, but the favorable development has now stopped. The weakest has been the development of the financing of universities of applied sciences. The financing per student has grown least of these educational sectors. In coming years Government plans to realize the financing reforms in all educational sectors. They bring both threats and possibilities. It is probable that the real level of fi- nancing will fall in all educational sectors.
