If the savings are realised, the quality of education for children in Lahti will deteriorate. The chairman of the board does not believe that the €3 million shortfall can be made up in one year.
Lahti is looking to save millions on basic education.
The council has obliged the basic education system to cut its costs by €1 million. On top of that, two million should be made up for previous savings. On Tuesday, the education committee went through options that, if implemented, would reduce the quality of education. On the savings list are group sizes, teaching hours, teacher and tutor manpower and non-statutory services such as weighted teaching.
– I can honestly say it’s not going to happen. It already means such radical changes that the quality of education would be at stake and hardly anyone in Lahti wants that,” says Markkanen.
Markkanen is sure that there will be a supplemental budget for education this year.
– It is unrealistic that we would achieve the savings in one year. If only we could even change the direction so that the costs don’t just increase all the time.
The savings obligation for upper secondary education is 100,000 euros. According to Marju Markkanen, half of the sum will be saved for high school education, half for teachers’ continuing education.
The Board of Education’s aim is to reach a stable service level, where it would not be necessary to look for new savings targets every year.
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