Background & Purpose
For a long time, there has been a discussion in Sweden about how to best use school hours to help all students succeed. The government believes that current teaching time isn't always used effectively enough to ensure equal opportunities and good results for everyone.
Proposals & Debate
The government proposed getting rid of 'student's choice' (elevens val), a block of lessons where students could pick subjects or activities. The idea was to free up this time for subjects where students need more support. Opposition parties, however, submitted counter-proposals to keep 'student's choice'.
The Decision
The Swedish Parliament voted to approve the government's proposal, meaning 'student's choice' will no longer be part of the curriculum in compulsory, special needs, and Sami schools. All counter-proposals from the opposition were rejected.
Does this affect you?
- Students in compulsory, special needs, and Sami schools: They will no longer have 'student's choice' lessons and will instead spend more time on other subjects.
- Teachers: They will need to adapt their lesson plans to the new allocation of teaching time.
- School principals and municipalities: They are responsible for implementing the new curriculum changes and managing school timetables.
In Practice
- Schools will no longer offer 'student's choice' lessons as a separate part of the timetable.
- The time previously used for 'student's choice' will be reallocated to other subjects, especially those where students need more support.
- Teachers will have more time to focus on core subjects, aiming to improve overall knowledge and equality in education.
- Students will have a more standardized curriculum without the option to choose specific 'student's choice' activities.