After the Authority for the University of Applied Sciences rejected continued support for the glass education at the university of applied sciences level in Nybro, the education will be discontinued in the fall, something P4 Kalmar was the first to report.

- It is a disappointment and a miscalculation for us, because it affects our students who receive the notice six months before it is due to take effect, says Urban Lindahl, acting principal at the glass education in Nybro, to SVT Småland and continues:

- There is no corresponding activity anywhere really, not in Sweden, Scandinavia or Northern Europe.

So the students have no option.

Over 1600 signatures

This has caused students to react.

Now a petition is being spread online to preserve the university of applied sciences education, which has an important function in passing the craft on.

- We had plans for the future, this not only affects me individually but the entire glass industry.

It's really boring, says Josefin Wallström, who is in the second year of the glass education.

At the time of writing, the petition has just over 1,600 signatures.

The decision is described there as "a bolt from the blue", and threatens the survival of Swedish glassmaking tradition.

- There is no way to keep this alive if there is no education.

Then it will die out, says Urban Lindahl.

Fierce competition for grants

The authority for the university of applied sciences declines an interview, but writes that the refusal is partly due to the competition for grants being tough this year, but also to the fact that interest in the education has cooled:

"Previous years' weak results and difficulties in recruiting students have contributed to the authority choosing not to prioritize the Design and Art Glass training in Nybro," writes press officer Johan Lindahl.

The rejection will not be reconsidered.

The glass education, however, will apply for support again next year, and principal Urban Lindahl does not agree that interest has been lukewarm.

- We have had students who have gone on to work, so the figure is a bit deceptive.