The majority of the course participants at Örebro Folkhögskola take a general course - an education for those who do not have a qualification from primary or secondary school.
When many folk high schools in the country now have to reduce the number of places, a double message is being sent out, says Marie Holm.
- We say that a completed upper secondary education is the biggest protective factor against social exclusion - now that opportunity is being taken away for many, she says.
After all, the pandemic support was temporary - are you just as strong in your criticism in light of that?
- I am strongly critical.
The government has also frozen the grant for several years in the future despite increased costs and removed an extra grant for those without a high school qualification, says Marie Holm.
Hope the budget
The announcement of reduced funds came just before Christmas and the school has already cut premises and staff costs.
Marie Holm still harbors some hope that she will not have to reduce the number of education places in the fall.
- I hope for a spring amendment budget that shows that the government has realized that folk high schools are needed, she says and continues:
- Given the opportunity, we can definitely receive more this autumn, but we need to know soon otherwise we will enter a period of adjustment work.
SVT Örebro has tried in vain to get an interview with Minister of Education Mats Persson (L).
In the clip, Marie Holm talks about the pressure on the seats, among other things.