The Social Democrats have been pushing the issue of banning profits in the school system for several years. But little has happened.
We have wind in our sails now, says S education policy spokesperson Anders Ygeman.
He is referring to surveys showing that seven out of ten Swedes want to limit the profits of independent schools.
S, V and MP are pushing the issue of a profit ban. L has then joined in with a proposal to phase out limited liability companies.
But if S wants to cooperate with C and KD after the election, the issue will become more difficult.
"I have nothing against profits. I have something against the fact that a lot of independent schools are currently making a profit by saving on teachers," says Center Party spokesperson Niels Paarup-Petersen.
Thrown in the trash
KD defends today's independent school system even more fiercely.
"Prohibiting profit withdrawals and thereby closing down limited companies is really an absolute no from the Christian Democrats," says KD's party secretary Liza-Maria Norlin.
However, both parties are open to changing school fees, the compensation that municipalities distribute per student to both municipal and private schools.
"You can definitely look at whether the municipalities need any compensation based on the preparedness they should have. But that requires some kind of school fee norm or more extensive work," says Liza-Maria Norlin.
Such compensation would mean that independent schools receive less money in relation to municipal schools.
Anders Ygeman says that S wants to move forward with the investigation that the government threw in the trash during its term.
It is our first choice because it is the freshest and legally the simplest. The most important thing is that we get access to the “overcompensation,” he says.
I think we can agree.
The inquiry proposed a deduction for independent schools of six percent. Ygeman is now open to the possibility that the deduction could be eleven percent. S estimates the "overcompensation" at approximately SEK 2.8 billion for independent schools in primary and pre-school classes.
It is impossible to say whether it should be six percent or something else, says KD's Liza-Maria Norlin.
Municipal schools have a statutory responsibility to be able to accept new students, something independent schools do not have.
We need to fix it so that it is a differentiated school fee. That is undoubtedly the case. I think we can agree on that with the Social Democrats, says Niels Paarup-Petersen of the Center Party.
