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The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in reply to its previous direct request, and the comments made by the Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) and the Confederation of Academic Professionals in Finland (AKAVA) appended to the Government’s report.

The SAK states that the number of workers availing themselves of job alternation leave has increased significantly since the 1979 Study Leave Act was amended in 1997 to extend the benefit of study leave to employees on short-term appointments.

The AKAVA explains that the division of continuous adult education into three components is too rigid and no longer meets the needs of working life and individual employees.

The Government states that new forms of financial support for workers on paid educational leave, to replace current support measures, will be in place as of 1 August 2001. The Committee asks the Government to provide all relevant information on this matter, indicating how the new measures will ensure that arrangements for paid educational leave are financed on a regular and adequate basis (Article 7 of the Convention). It also requests the Government to provide detailed information on the manner in which the Convention is applied in practice, including all relevant extracts of studies, enquiries and reports, and statistics on the number of workers granted paid educational leave (Part V of the report form).