Mother of seven leads protest against Oulu’s school closure plans

A petition with over 1,100 signatures demanding the preservation of Martinniemi School in Oulu has been submitted to the city council, as local residents resist plans to shut down the facility as part of an €18 million cost-cutting drive, Yle reports.

The city proposes closing or restructuring 15 schools, including Martinniemi, citing a sharp decline in student numbers and financial strain. Under the plan, younger pupils would relocate to a nearby daycare by 2032, while older students would transfer to a school in Haukipudas, roughly seven kilometres away.

Paula Niemelä, a mother of seven from Martinniemi, organised the petition, arguing that the school is vital to the community’s survival. “If there’s no school, there’s hardly anything left,” she said. Supporters claim smaller schools allow for earlier intervention in children’s issues and help maintain local property values and tax revenue.

Oulu’s education and culture director, Mika Penttilä, defended the closures, noting a 25% drop in births over the past decade and a projected loss of 3,800 school-aged children by 2034. The city estimates shutting Martinniemi School would save €521,000 annually in operating costs and €9.7 million in deferred renovations.

The city council will vote on the school network changes on 8 June. While most political parties back the cuts, the Finns Party opposes them. Penttilä expressed confidence the plan would pass, stating that capacity at receiving schools, like Länsituuli in Haukipudas, would determine final decisions.