METKA issued a statement on the government’s draft proposal for amendments to the Universities of Applied Sciences Act and the Student Financial Aid Act (double degree reform) together with Metropolia University of Applied Sciences Health and Care Students Association – TXO ry, as well as on the government’s draft proposal for amendments to Section 43 of the Universities Act and Section 32 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act (provision on the right to study).
Double Degree Reform
According to the bill, paramedics, public health nurses, and midwives would no longer receive a double degree (their own degree + a bachelor’s degree in nursing) upon graduation, but would all first complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing and then specialize. The studies of paramedics, public health nurses and midwives would no longer lead to a degree. The aim is to clarify study paths and speed up graduation.
METKA and TXO ry consider flexible pathways to be important, but the proposal is unclear in many respects. Metropolia University of Applied Sciences already offers continuing education for nurses. Training to become a paramedic from a nurse, and training to become a public health nurse from a nurse, are fee-based pathway studies. In addition, there is training leading to a midwifery degree, which is specifically aimed at those who have already graduated as nurses. However, according to the bill, it would still be possible to apply directly for studies leading to a career as a paramedic, public health nurse, or midwife. METKA and TXO ry believe that the bill would not add any value to the current situation.
METKA and TXO ry consider the section on midwifery training to be particularly problematic. The total length of studies would increase from 4.5 years to five years, even though there are no grounds for extending midwifery training. The duration of the training should be expressed in ECTS credits in the bill, not in hours. In addition, if the total duration of studies increases, the number of months of student financial aid must be increased and the funding of higher education institutions must be ensured.
Provision on a Single Right to Study
According to the bill, students would only be allowed to study one degree at a time. In practice, this would prohibit students from studying for two degrees simultaneously and make it more difficult to change fields of study. The bill would not prohibit changing fields and completing a second degree later, but it is a step in the wrong direction, as the proposal also hints at the possibility that a second degree at the same level would be subject to a fee.
The bill emphasizes that having more degrees does not improve the labor market. However, the proposal overlooks the improvement in job satisfaction and well-being at work. The world is also changing faster than degrees can be completed. Continuous learning must be made available to everyone in a flexible manner, including those who feel that their first place of study is unsuitable for them and those who, for example, do not have the financial means to try out different fields or supplement their skills with open university studies. The proposal also fails to take into account the rather strict curricula of universities of applied sciences, where it is only possible to take 10-15 credits of elective courses. In some cases, universities do not accept exceeding the scope of the degree. In such cases, it is not really possible to try out another field through cross-disciplinary studies.
METKA believes that students should retain the opportunity to try out different fields and develop their skills in a variety of ways. Studying is never a waste of time, and even wrong choices can lead to valuable skills. In its statement, METKA proposes a compromise whereby two study rights would be possible, but “shopping around” for multiple study rights would be prevented. This would make it possible, for example, for someone wishing to enter a field requiring multiple skills to complete two degrees if they so desired.