According to the government, the development in schools is going in the wrong direction, with more chaos and insecurity and more threats and violence incidents. This trend must be broken, explained Education Minister Lotta Edholm when the inquiry was appointed in November 2023.
For many who are part of the school world, threats and violence have become a daily routine that you would never accept in any other workplace, says Education Minister Johan Pehrson (The Liberals).
The government's special investigator Happy Hilmarsdottir Arenvall is now proposing stricter disciplinary measures.
We believe very much that this is about introducing authoritative leadership, where principals and teachers have their own mandate to decide on measures, she says.
Clear School Rules
Principals will be given responsibility in the Education Act to maintain safety and study peace. They will regularly move around in the corridors and, for example, ensure that students arrive on time for lessons.
But above all, they will make lesson visits to see for themselves that this clear approach is maintained at the school.
The investigator also proposes that all schools should introduce school rules, instead of today's rules of conduct. They will be determined by the principal. It may involve that violence and threats are not accepted and that students should have a respectful language.
Linked to the rules, there should be a consequence plan.
If you repeatedly come late or disrupt lessons, there should be clear consequences. But it can also be that the student needs more support and then the principal needs to investigate, says Happy Hilmarsdottir Arenvall.
It will also become easier to expel students who disrupt, and to reassign or suspend students.
Violence and Threats Increased
Since the inquiry was appointed, violence and threats in schools have repeatedly surfaced in the debate. According to the Work Environment Authority, workplace accidents in schools, linked to violence and threats, have increased by 20 percent over a ten-year period. The reports increased by 150 percent.
Many concern incidents in elementary and middle school, recently reported by SVT. Often, it's about students who needed support, lost control, and became aggressive.
The Swedish Teachers' Union points out that resources are also needed to stop the chaos.
"More adults in preschool and school where we meet children and students in smaller groups. When we get to take our professional responsibility and focus on teaching, preschool and school will become much better, it also applies to this issue", says Chairman Anna Olskog.
