According to the government programme, Finland's government is vying to reach savings of up to 154 million euros by 2020 – by slicing budget funds geared towards early childhood education.

A group of educators called Vain kaksi kättä – or "Only two hands", referring to the lack of resources for proposed increases to preschool group sizes – has actively campaigned against the programme's cuts. In June the group organised a demonstration that spurred supporting events in many Finnish cities. This Friday Vain kaksi kättä gave the Minister of Education and Culture, Sanni Grahn-Laasonen a petition opposing proposed increases to group sizes, or the number of children per preschool teacher.

"We and the 67,378 signatories of this petition feel that the number of children in preschool teaching groups cannot be increased," preschool head Laura Mälkönen says.

Mälkönen, who was the one to hand in the e-petition, says she believes that the group's measures can have an effect on political decision-making.

"We have to believe it is possible. This issue has been high-profile and I believe that lawmakers cannot turn a blind eye to our concerns," she says.

Brutal round of cuts proposed, group stays strong

Today Friday was also the day that the Ministry of Finance announced its budget proposal for 2016, which is in line with the government programme when it comes to early childhood education plans.

It also involves an increase to daycare fees – estimated to save 54 million euros per annum – and to morning and afternoon activity fees, with claimed boosts to municipal coffers to the tune of some 10 million euros. In practice, this may be brought about by the government proposing to change the Basic Education Act during 2015.

Each ministry will inspect the budget proposal by the end of August, 2015, followed by a think tank that is to produce the final budget.

The "Only two hands" group says that anything is still possible, and that overturning the education cut proposals can still come about.

"If we continue to raise awareness and work together I believe we can make a real difference," special education researcher Noora Heiskanen says. "Policy-makers have to see that cuts like these will bite back many times over in the future."