Durability: The chicks are now going on a flight – but will they come back to get angry?

Glaðar pisur í miðnámshúgvum er ein tann vakrasta fráboðanin um, at nú valdar summar í Føroyum. At síggja okkara raska ungdóm royna sítt flog við áræði og stórum vónum er kveikjandi og vónríkt, tí hetta er okkara framtíð. Føroya framtíð. Og øll vóna vit, at pisurnar fylgja sínum hjarta og velja sær eina góða og viðkomandi útbúgvingar- og starvsleið. 

The statistics, however, play a mindset that is too much in minority. Because as many as 40 percent of the Faroese leave the country at a young age to seek education, and no more than half move back home. For the Faroese society, emigration is an invaluable social and economic loss.

Societies that invest in higher education and research do well. The best example is the United States after World War II. It was investment in research and education that, for example, made the United States the financially strongest nation in the world.

OECD figures show that for every ISK that a country invests in higher education, it gets three times as much back in increased tax revenues and savings, because well-educated people are well paid and therefore pay a lot of taxes, they have better health, greater and more flexible working conditions, greater social stability, greater working conditions and savings for own pension. This contributes to strengthening the sustainability of the welfare state and shows that education and knowledge are core elements of a sustainable social system.

It is also a good financial investment to offer foreigners free education. 

New figures from Denmark show that although less than half of foreigners who come to Denmark to study are still in Denmark 10 years after graduation, the bottom line is very positive. On average, each individual foreigner gives back two million kroner to Danish society in the approximately 10 years after graduation – including expenses for education, scholarships, health expenses, etc. deducted.

Overall, it is good business for Denmark to offer free education to the Faroese. And an equally big loss for the Faroe Islands.

Sostatt eru politiskar avgerðir um at raðfesta íløgur í Fróðskaparsetur Føroya og vitanartungt virksemi ikki bara mentanarliga og samfelagsliga rættar. Íløgurnar eru eisini búskaparliga skynsamar. Hetta er ein skilagóður máti at tryggja haldførið í føroyska vælferðarsamfelagnum í longdini og samstundis skapa grundarlag undir vinnumenning, so vit framvegis hava fíggjarligt rásarúm til stórar íløgur sum t.d. ein Suðuroyartunnil.

It is also worth bearing in mind the great contribution that students in Faroe Islands make to the labor market while they are studying.

Figures from the National Academy of Sciences of Iceland show that our students work an average of 18 hours each week, and this also includes both taxes and services.

The amounts we are talking about here, and which the Faroese society should get their hands on, are large and can be compared to the current measures that are being taken to raise the retirement age in order to improve the declining long-term sustainability of the Faroese economy.

If we can get more girls to take a larger part of higher education in Faroe Islands, we can also get more people to get angry in Faroe Islands.

But political priorities are necessary.