The government's plan to eliminate the obligation for daycare centres and early childhood education programmes to draw up equality plans faced significant backlash on Tuesday.
In a joint statement, Finland's Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, the Ombudsman for Children, and the Ombudsman for Equality said they were deeply concerned about the government's draft proposal and opposed the change.
They said the proposal conflicts with the objectives of the Constitution and the Non-Discrimination Act, the government programme, the anti-racism action plan, and the National Child Strategy
Under the Non-Discrimination Act, authorities, private entities with public administration duties, education providers, and employers must assess and promote equality in their activities. The obligation to create an equality promotion plan was extended to early childhood education and care organisers by the previous government in June 2023.
The goal is to help prevent discrimination, promote equality, and ensure children's rights are upheld. It focuses on the quality of education and guides staff in treating all children and families equally.
Earlier in June, the Ministry of Justice informed several organisations about plans to make changes to the Non-Discrimination Act that would remove the obligation to promote equality in early childhood education and care.
The draft proposal suggests that the changes would cut bureaucracy and costs associated with municipalities and early childhood education providers' equality and planning obligations.
Change may impact kids at risk of discrimination
According to the ombudsmen, the proposed changes could have negative effects, particularly on children at risk of discrimination and their families — this is already noted in the government's own draft proposal.
"Discrimination and its related issues, such as bullying and loneliness, are real problems in the daily lives of young children," said Elina Pekkarinen, the Ombudsman for Children.
People of African descent living in Finland who responded to a survey conducted by the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman reported experiencing discrimination at all levels of education, starting from early childhood education.
Nearly a third of those who experienced discrimination in education had faced it even before school age, during early childhood education, said Kristina Stenman, Finland's Non-Discrimination Ombudsman.
In their joint statement, the ombudsman officials noted that the change would not lead to significant budget savings and undermine the commitment to equality and fairness.
The consultation period for the legislative proposal ended last week. The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare has also expressed concerns over the proposal.
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