We must have a school that gives all children the right conditions to succeed, regardless of who their parents are or where in the country they live. That's not the case in today's school, says party leader Magdalena Andersson at a press conference.
She believes that there are important points with local self-determination in schools, but that control must increase in certain areas.
The state should take back control of what is most crucial for high-quality education.
"Major reform"
It was the Social Democrats, led by then Education Minister Göran Persson, who pushed through the decentralization of schools in the late 1980s. The party believes that the responsibility should still rest with the municipalities and has no proposals to nationalize the schools.
This is a very major reform that we believe will cost more than it's worth, says the party's education policy spokesperson Åsa Westlund.
The party also wants to reduce the number of targeted state grants to schools and instead introduce a larger sector grant. The Social Democrats cannot provide figures on this at present.
"Doesn't dare"
The party has previously announced that it also wants to put a stop to profits in schools. That proposal remains.
The school's mission is not to make a profit, but to provide children and students with a good education, says Magdalena Andersson.
The Teachers' Union, Sweden's Teachers, welcomes almost all the proposals – except for one point.
"They still don't want a national school. It's a shame that Sweden's largest party doesn't want – or dare – to go all the way," says Chairperson Anna Olskog in a press release.
