Since 1995, the lesson time for teachers has increased by two weeks per academic year. Now, a ceiling will be introduced for how many teaching hours teachers are allowed to have, while a minimum level for planning and follow-up will be guaranteed. The change applies to both teachers and preschool teachers and applies from the autumn term 2027.
This is a way to get new people to open their eyes to wanting to become teachers, says Minister of Education Simona Mohamsson (L) to TV4 News.
Guarantee
According to Mohamsson, the reform will function as a guarantee that teachers will not engage in things that are not part of their tasks.
We have also seen how some teachers have been scheduled to clean toilets at the school, be recess supervisors instead of being teachers, says Mohamsson.
Anders Henriksson, chairman of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR), directs criticism at the fact that the reform is heavily underfunded.
If you reduce the number of hours for teachers, the hours must be performed by other teachers. Our assessment is that it will cost at least three times more than 2.5 billion, he says to TT.
Henriksson fears that the municipalities will need to provide additional funding to finance new teachers, and that it will result in cutbacks in other areas.
”Historic success”
Anna Olskog, chairman of the trade union Swedish Teachers, in turn describes the investment as a historic success.
”Swedish Teachers have driven the issue hard – and now the government shows that they have listened to us teachers. The power of trade union work makes a difference. This reform must of course be nurtured and developed over many years”, she says in a written comment to TT.
Anders Henriksson at SKR does not want to comment on the fact that the chairman of Swedish Teachers sees it as a historic success.
I can only state that this detailed control short-circuits the Swedish model. I think it is an unfortunate development for the Swedish labor market, he says.
