Finnish Parliament Committee supports proposal to amend Equality Act for early childhood education providers

The Finnish Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Equality has expressed support for the government’s proposal to amend the Equality Act. According to the proposal, early childhood education providers would no longer be required to create specific local equality plans for their operations. The committee finalized its report on the matter on Wednesday.

This proposal is aligned with the government’s agenda to strengthen the operational capabilities of municipalities by continuing the reduction of regulations. However, two committee members, Fatim Diarra (Green League) and Jessi Jokelainen (Left Alliance), submitted a dissenting opinion with the report. They argue that the proposed changes do not enhance equality and neglect the best interests of children. Furthermore, they contend that the amendments would not yield significant financial savings.