The founding of the Free Education Foundation and social change

Authors

• Ville Okkonen Turun yliopisto

Abstract

Vapaan koulutuksen tukisäätiö (The Free Education Foundation, VKTS) was founded in Helsinki in 1973. It financed and supported the parallel school system and the traditional right-wing educational policy and also acted as a non-socialist information channel in educational issues. VKTS tried to resist the comprehensive school reform. It defended the position of private secondary schools and asserted the private school owner communities. VKTS worked in close operation with Yksityisoppikoulujen liitto (The Private Secondary School Union, YOL) and the interest groups of business life. The enforcement of the comprehensive school reform made the position of private schools in municipal school districts unsure. This exacerbated the division between the left and right wings. From the perspective of private secondary school supporters, the situation seemed inconvenient. This study responds to the question why VKTS was founded close to YOL. In order to open the political context of VKTS, this research focuses on the preparations of the new education system law and the statements made by organized supporters of the private school system. Private school supporters resisted comprehensive school reform by referring to the dangers of socialism, equality and the Swedish model. They also stressed that there were revolutionary aims behind the official education policy. VKTS was founded to operate behind the scenes for the aim of YOL and private school association of Helsinki. Indebted private schools needed economic resources, but the financers did not necessarily want to act in public because of political reasons. Behind the scenes VKTS was able to assemble experts and recourses without an immediate political label. On behalf of the educational system, VKTS collected information concerning political power ratios and nomination politics. Its long-term objective was to create preconditions for non-socialist party cooperation.