Students lose out

– The Univeristy of Oslo is neglecting its responsibility, says President of the student welfare body The Velferdsting, Stine Minde.

Both she and Heine Skipenes, President of the Student Parliament, are disappointed in the University’s lack of will to act in response to the situation. As long as students on maternity leave are unable to register for the semester, they lose out on student welfare services such as cheaper public transport. Minde says that the matter was up for discussion in the Learning Environment Committee as early as April, and that the University has had several months to start the process.

– Considering that nothing has been done, it seems like they are delaying this on purpose, she claims.

Has no answer

Director of Academic Affairs at the University of Oslo (UiO), Monica Bakken, does not understand the criticism.

– We are working on it, but this is a time-consuming process, she says.

Bakken is primarily referring to the technical challenges this causes, and says that there are many details that must come together before a solution can be found, not least when it comes to the database Felles Studentsystem. When students register for the semester it has consequences for the study plans, and the student administration want to assure that they don’t lose sight of the situation.

Bakken refuses to agree that there are other than technical reasons to why the problem has not been solved so far.

– How much time will it take to solve this problem?

– It is impossible to say. Our aim is to outline a solution during the autumn, she answers.

– Does not see the problem

Minde and Skipenes dismiss that technical challenges is the cause of so many problems, and maintain that the student administration is trying to avoid the expense.

– We simply cannot see the problem here, Skipenes says.

He says that a simple solution could be to add a check box in the registration form that says «on maternity leave».

– What will you do if UiO fails to follow through with their commitment?

– We plan to work together with the Ministry of Education and Research to establish by law that students on maternity leave are entitled to student welfare services. There is a broad consensus on this among the student parties, and The Foundation for Student Life in Oslo agrees with us that this is an important issue, Minde adds.

SiO is positive

Silje Winther, Chairman of the General Board of The Foundation for Student Life in Oslo (SiO), confirms this. She welcomes the proposal, on the understanding that everyone who wishes to benefit from the student welfare services also pays the semester fee.

– Naturally, we have routines that must be followed, but we hope to find a solution, she says.

However, Winther is not going to take the role as an active driving force in the process.

– SiO is not a political organisation, that role belongs to the student democracy and The Velferdsting. But we are happy to cooperate in order to find the best possible solution for the students, she maintains.

– Not an actual problem

Anne Marie Ulven, Director of Academic Affairs at the Bachelor Programmes at BI, explains that BI-students on maternity leave are not entitled to register for the semester either.

– At BI you apply for the program and then, if necessary, you either withdraw from your courses or apply for leave of absence. People on maternity leaves do not pay the tuition fee or the student fee to SiO, she explains.

So far, Ulven has not had any complaints about this.

– How do you propose to solve this problem if people start making demands?

– The tuition fee at BI is so high that I doubt it will come to that. The fee to SiO is a matter between SiO and the students.

– Will the administration at BI address this matter at all?

– No, we cannot see that this is an actual problem.

Support from KrF

The Velferdsting has promoted the case before The Standing Committee on Education, Research and Church Affairs (KUF), but so far only the representative from the Christian Democratic party, Kristelig Folkeparti (Krf), has given a positive response to the proposal.

– KrF aims to deliver an overall proposition on this matter. The arrangements that until now have been made for pregnant students seem to lack a definite plan or purpose, says the representative from KrF, Dagrun Eriksen.

Eriksen stresses that this is an issue of gender equality as well, and that it is important that women does not lose out. She believes that a lot of people will find it easier to continue studying after a maternity leave if they are allowed to maintain their status as a student during their leave of absence.

– Women must have the possibility to bear children before it is too late, she says.

The representative from KUF does not know what the other parties in the committee think of the matter, but has high hopes that they will support the proposal.

– We will forward the proposal when the Storting opens in October. If it needs to be legally established, this may take some time. However, if it can be done through a regulation or a directive, the process will be much faster and easier, she says.

23 year old Tonje Folkestad Gonzalez is taking a Bachelor in language. Her daughter, Ada, was born in June this year. Folkestad Gonzalez has decided to register for the semester and aims to study full-time this coming semester. She wouldn’t mind being a full-time mother, but realises that it just isn’t financially possible for her to take the time off.

– We can’t afford to miss out on student welfare services such as cheaper public transport, sports membership and free health services, she says.

Folkestad Gonzalez doesn’t know just how much money she saves on being registered, but she believes that it must amount to a couple of thousand kroner each semester. The idea that students on maternity leave should be able to register for the semester, is a welcoming thought.

– Today, people should be awarded for having children at an early age. Instead, people are punished, she sigh.