No in the Riksdag – so the issue of transparency in independent schools will continue

Education Committee Fredrik Malm (L) on why the party voted against its own line on the principle of openness.

Independent schools
The Riksdag votes no to the proposal on the principle of openness in independent schools – with 154 votes to 152.

In the new School Information Investigation, investigator Ulrika Geijer suggests that independent schools should be equated with authorities, in order to increase transparency.

But in parallel, the Riksdag has voted on the same issue.

The Left Party, the Green Party, the Center Party and the Social Democrats have agreed on a demand for the government to introduce the principle of publicity for independent principals.

Therefore L says no

The Liberals have recently made a u-turn on the issue, but still voted no to the V/Mp/C/S proposal after Wednesday’s parliamentary debate, with the result 154 against and 152 in favor.

– We are in a government and we have just received an investigation, it will go out for referral, we want to wait for the referral bodies and then produce a bill, says Fredrik Malm (L), chairman of the education committee, to Sveriges Radio.

The investigation is now on referral.

– It is regrettable that the governing parties still vote to keep information about independent schools a secret. The principle of openness is the minimal guarantor of a democratic school system, says Daniel Riazat, education policy spokesperson for the Left Party.

The school information investigation also contains a lighter variant of the public disclosure principle, the so-called transparency principle.

The investigator warns, however, that this would make it difficult to obtain information, but easy for the independent schools to hide information.

“No need to wait”

Sweden’s Lärare also wants to see the principle of openness for independent schools.

– There is no reason for the government to drag this out on a long bench, but it is time to act as soon as possible, says Åsa Fahlén, union chairperson.

But just as in the regulatory issue of maximum ceilings in preschool, the Liberals have the other Tidö parties against them.

– We moderates are keen to increase transparency in the independent schools. The cooperation parties also agree that transparency should increase. Now we have just received an investigation that looked at this, so we will come back in more detail about what such regulation should look like, says the Moderates’ education policy spokesperson Josefin Malmqvist, to Vilärare.se.