Kent Ketomäki
Voting region: Helsinki
"A voice for education!"
Kent Ketomäki, 35 year old class teacher in Helsinki. I have a Master´s degree in education from Åbo Akademi.
I am also the chairman of Helsingfors svenska lärarförening, HSL, and member in the council of Finlands svenska lärarförbund, FSL.
I like spending my spare time with family and firends. Cooking food and skateboarding are also activities that I like.
Important political topics
Education
An investment in education is an investment in the future. Cost-free education is a cornerstone in our society. We have to make sure that the quality of education is high in the future regardless of the students gender, needs or place of recidence.
Our basic-education has to give everyone basic knowledge and skills needed for secondary level schools. After secondary level education the students should have enough knowledge and skills to take the next step to universities or work life.
To achieve these objects we need to make sure we have enough special need teachers and special class teachers. The special needs education needs enough resources in order to give every student the help they need and are entitled to.
We also need enough teachers in our schools. The education has gone through big changes lately. Now it´s time to teach, create security and meet the students.
Children and youth
Overall, we are a child-friendly country. But we can always be better.
We need to make sure all parents have the possibility to parental leave during the child's first years of living. We need to change the attitude towards parental leave, especially among fathers and workplaces. Every child should also have access to cost-free early childhood education and care.
Every child needs access to health services and mental health care when the need emerges. No underaged person should wait for days, weeks, months or years for care.
We also have to improve our preventive work. Every child needs access to a cost-free hobby. There should be safe places where children and young people can meet and spend time with like-minded peers.
As policymakers we have to listen to the children's and young people's opinions when we make decisions that affects them.
Climate and the environment
I want our children and grandchildren to experience a clean archipelago, wilderness and four seasons.
It is important to protect the Baltic Sea with it's sensitive eco-system. We have to further reduce the discharges into the waters. It's also important to use the resources the sea has to offer in a sustainable way.
Almost a third of all species living in Finland are red-listed or endangered and that is why we need to protect part of our forests. The usage of our forest resources have to be long-term and sustainable to protect biodiversity.
Furthermore, we need an ambitious climate policy to motivate individuals and enterprices to work for a more sustainable and ecological future.
