School system on trial

Finland is in a state of shock following a second shooting spree at a school within the space of a year. A 22-year-old man killed ten of his fellow students and himself at a vocational school in Kauhajoki. The perpetrator had already come to the attention of the police through a video he posted on YouTube. Helsingin Sanomat newspaper writes in its leading article: "Up until last autumn there was only good news about the Finnish school system all over the world. ... In less than a year Finland's schools have revealed an entirely new face. ... Almost 20 young people have died violent deaths at school. ... Is there too much emphasis on getting good grades at schools? Are young people no longer being taught to feel empathy? ... The Internet is not to blame for these incidents but it is clear that young people use it to attract attention and that the police lack the necessary resources. ... Now we must reassess [the legislation on] the handling of weapons ... The time has come to pause for reflection and seriously examine the cause of these atrocities."

» full article (external link, Finnish)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Finland

» To the complete press review of Wednesday, September 24, 2008