The Social Democratic Party's congress adopted new guidelines for the party's education policy on Friday.
We want to abolish the market-based school system, give schools more resources, and have those resources go where they make the most difference, namely more staff, said party executive Åsa Westlund, summarizing the congress debate.
There was no real heated debate. Because the delegates were too much in agreement.
Earlier in the congress, it was decided that the party would work to ban profit-making in preschools, schools, and upper secondary schools. It was also decided that the Social Democratic Party would work to introduce binding rules for what is most important for raising quality, such as teacher density and class size. To enable schools to implement such measures, a special state sector grant will be introduced.
Congress delegate Fredrik Bruhn in Norrbotten was pleased that the Social Democratic Party would "put the brakes" on the independent school system.
They are horse riding schools, vehicle schools without workshops, he said.
It's a sick system.
A minimum requirement that at least 75 percent of all teaching be conducted in Swedish, and a ban on religious schools and preschools were two other congress decisions. It was also decided that the Social Democratic Party would work to increase the grant portion of student aid.
