The curriculum guidelines are the school's guidelines, they govern what the school should teach. The government has been clear that it wants to see curricula with a greater emphasis on factual knowledge. Requirements for analysis and reasoning will come at a later stage, when students have a foundation to stand on.
The background is the declining knowledge results that have been shown in several international measurements.
The consequences of this have actually been devastating for many students, especially for those who come from homes where they do not get as much support from home, says Lotta Edholm.
Stronger Teacher Role
More emphasis on factual knowledge and reading and writing skills is also what is proposed in the report Knowledge for All, which Thomas Persson submitted to Education Minister Lotta Edholm (The Liberals) on Wednesday.
It's about respect for knowledge, but also clarity about what knowledge is expected of students to learn, says Thomas Persson at a press conference.
The investigation also proposes a stronger and more active teacher role.
We know from international research that the starting point should be group instruction led and determined by an active teacher. That's what gives the best results.
In other words: Teachers have the final say in what to do and how, not students or parents.
"Gentler" System
But Thomas Persson also says that the system proposed will be "gentler" for students.
There will be less focus on grading and assessment, and more focus on teaching and doing one's best rather than trying to reach different types of grade levels, says Persson.
Will it be easier to get a pass?
I would say that I think so. The proposals we are making will make it possible for more students to keep up longer. But it requires that the teaching develops in the direction we are trying to describe.
Will there be a higher proportion of students who actually learn to write, read, and count just because you're changing the curriculum?
Yes, I think that with changed curricula and syllabi that emphasize the need for basic skills training early on, you can influence the results, says Persson, but notes that other changes that strengthen the school are also required.
The government's ambition is that new curricula for elementary school, adapted elementary school, special school, and Sami school can be in place by 2028.
Emphasis on facts and subject knowledge.
Emphasis on reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Emphasis on adapting teaching to students' age and abilities.
Digital competence with increasing age. Paper and pen should be priority one in the younger ages.
More emphasis on the practical parts of practical-aesthetic subjects, such as crafts and sports.
Teaching about total defense and NATO will be introduced into the syllabi for social studies in high school.
