Kindergartens | Vantaa gives up photographing children in daycare centers – Vilma Pekkanen, who has become depressed, does not accept the city’s explanations

Vantaa town’s the decision to stop photo shoots in municipal kindergartens, it upsets many parents.

Living in the Tikkurila area Vilma Pekkanen says that he is sad when an important tradition of many years comes to an end.

She has 1- and 5-year-old children, the younger of whom has time to participate in one photo shoot in kindergarten. The photography will end in May of next year, when the city’s current procurement period ends.

Photography has been important to the family, as the relatives have been waiting for pictures of the children. Pekkanen’s 5-year-old has also always participated in the group photo and friend photos that adorn the walls of the home and are viewed regularly. Pictures are also memories.

“I also have my own old school photos that I look at from time to time. It’s a continuum,” says Pekkanen.

For some, the decision has also been a relief. For some parents, pictures have been a big expense.

Vantaa the city’s director of early childhood education Mikko Mäkelän according to the decision to stop the photo shoots is based on the workload of the personnel and the lack of pedagogical grounds. He believes that the decision will equalize families and reduce the workload of the personnel.

Pekkanen considers these explanations to be lame.

“After all, even going to work is taxing, and they would be doing something with the time spent on photography anyway.”

In his opinion, appealing to equality is also strange, because according to him, sometimes pictures have been obtained for tens of cents. Prices for pictures vary.

“I guess that group photo could be ordered with the parents’ committee’s money, for example. But I do understand that if there is no extra money, then there is none.”

Pekkanen has considered taking pictures of his younger child in a photo studio in the future. Otherwise, it would upset him that there are pictures of the older sibling taken by a professional every year, but not of the little sibling. Cellphone photos don’t do the same thing.

“There isn’t such a sense of community between the parents of the day care center that would allow group photos to be taken. Taking pictures is therefore the responsibility of the families themselves.”

Pekkanen also asks her 5-year-old child what she thinks about kindergarten descriptions.

“It’s nice to choose which friend you can take a picture with, and it’s nice to look at those pictures.”