2026-05-262025/26:UbU20 · p.3UbUEducation
Scope of the principle of public access
Scope of the public-access principle: independent adult-education providers and the business-secrets exemption
What's at stake: The decision determines how much public insight there is into how tax money is used in both independent schools and independent adult education, and whether companies' interest in protecting business information can limit that insight.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the public-access principle should also cover independent providers of adult education and apply fully without any business-secrets exemption, or whether the current scope - limited to school-system principals, with room for confidentiality on certain information - should stand.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee backs the government's decision to limit the public-access principle to school-system principals and the business-secrets exemptions proposed, and therefore rejects the motions calling for it to also cover independent adult-education providers and to remove the exemptions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 4 (S, V, MP)
The reservation holds that it is notable that independent providers within adult education are not covered, since adult education too is publicly funded and should be subject to the same insight requirements. It also argues that a business-secrets exemption makes it hard to scrutinise how tax money is used and how profits arise within school groups, and wants the public-access principle applied in full without such an exemption.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 4 by S, V, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: LLiberalerna
Ja 198–149Ja 182–165
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/21/0/0 | match | confidence: high | derived |
| S | No | No 0/106/0/0 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| MP | No | No 0/18/0/0 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | No | Yes 24/0/0/0 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| L | No | Yes 16/0/0/0 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 19/0/0/0 | differs | confidence: low | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 65/0/0/1 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 69/0/0/1 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects motion 2025/26:4024 by Anders Ygeman et al. (S) demands 3 and 4.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2025/26:4024 av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S) yrkandena 3 och 4.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said yes to the government's proposal to introduce the principle of public access for private preschools, private schools, and private after-school centers. The proposal aims to ensure that the possibility of transparency is the same for all operators within the education sector and essentially entails the following: The right to access public records shall apply to legal entities that are private operators within the education sector. Such operators shall be equated with authorities when applying the Act on Public Access to Information and Secrecy, and certain secrecy provisions that apply to such operators shall be adapted so that secrecy does not hinder access to information about the education sector. Smaller operators shall be permitted to apply rules that provide certain relief in handling public records. This shall apply to operators that have at most 450 children and pupils, or, if they only have private preschools, at most 100 children, or are part of a group where the group companies collectively have that many children or pupils. What according to the Archives Act applies to archives of municipal authorities shall apply to the affected private operators, with the exception of smaller operators that shall preserve public records as a principal rule for at least seven years. During the first two years after implementation, all legal entities that are private operators within the education sector shall be permitted to apply relief rules. The new regulations enter into force on 1 January 2027.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to reject the proposals for exceptions to the public disclosure principle for private school operators. (S, V, MP) — Reservation 4
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan counts the principle of public access as democracy's most important building blocks and opposes the free right of withdrawal on tax money in education; it also wants greater public insight into companies.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan counts the principle of public access as democracy's most important building blocks and opposes the free right of withdrawal on tax money in education; it also wants greater public insight into companies. Exempting independent adult education providers and making exceptions for trade secrets makes precisely that scrutiny impossible. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's demand for full application.
Original (Swedish)
Planen räknar offentlighetsprincipen till demokratins viktigaste byggstenar och vänder sig mot den fria dragningsrätten på skattemedel i utbildningen; den vill dessutom ha större samhällelig insyn i företag. Att undanta fristående vuxenutbildningsanordnare och att göra undantag för affärshemligheter gör just den granskningen omöjlig. Planen stöder därför motförslagets krav på full tillämpning.
- principle of public access as building blockdecisive»meddelarfriheten och offentlighetsprincipen« (party programme ↗)“freedom of speech and the principle of public access”
- insight into tax money»Som enda land i världen råder det fri dragningsrätt på de skattemedel som ska gå till våra barns utbildning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“As the only country in the world there is a free right of withdrawal on tax money that should go to our children's education.”
- greater public insight»Vi vill gå mot en större samhällelig insyn« (party programme ↗)“We want to move toward greater public insight”
- profit ban in welfare»Vänsterpartiet vill införa ett totalförbud mot alla vinstdrivande verksamhetsformer inom välfärden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to introduce a total ban on all profit-driven forms of activity in welfare.”
The plan requires freedom of information in all publicly funded operations and full transparency in all schools.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires freedom of information in all publicly funded operations and full transparency in all schools. Letting the principle also cover independent providers in adult education, without exceptions for trade secrets, is precisely that commitment. The plan has also driven the same requirement for private healthcare and care, which shows that exceptions for commercial interests are not intended.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver offentlighetsprincip i all offentligt finansierad verksamhet och full insyn i alla skolor. Att låta principen omfatta även fristående anordnare inom vuxenutbildning, utan undantag för affärshemligheter, är precis det åtagandet. Planen har drivit samma krav också för privat vård och omsorg, vilket visar att undantag för kommersiella intressen inte är avsedda.
- freedom of information everywheredecisive»Offentlighetsprincip i all offentligt finansierad verksamhet.« (party programme ↗)“Freedom of information in all publicly funded operations.”
- full transparency in all schools»Samhället ska ha full insyn i alla skolor genom offentlighetsprincipen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society shall have full transparency in all schools through the freedom of information principle.”
- transparency in private welfare»Offentlighetsprincipen ska gälla även privat vård och omsorg.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The freedom of information principle shall also apply to private healthcare and care.”
- against commercialisation»Åtgärder mot kommersialisering av välfärden.« (party programme ↗)“Measures against the commercialisation of welfare.”
The plan wants to put an end to profit-seeking in schools and establishes that schools shall not be a market, while good public transparency shall be ensured in publicly financed activities.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to put an end to profit-seeking in schools and establishes that schools shall not be a market, while good public transparency shall be ensured in publicly financed activities. Tax-financed adult education at independent providers should therefore be fully scrutinizable. The counter-proposal's demand for a broader public disclosure principle without exceptions for trade secrets is in line with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill sätta stopp för vinstjakten i skolan och slår fast att skolan inte ska vara en marknad, samtidigt som god offentlig insyn ska säkerställas i offentligt finansierad verksamhet. Skattefinansierad vuxenutbildning hos fristående anordnare bör därför kunna granskas fullt ut. Motförslagets krav på en bredare offentlighetsprincip utan undantag för affärshemligheter ligger i linje med planen.
- stop profit-seekingdecisive»sätta stopp för vinstjakten i skolan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“put an end to profit-seeking in schools.”
- schools are not a market»Skolan ska inte vara en marknad« (party programme ↗)“Schools shall not be a market”
- public transparency is ensured»stärka lärosätenas självständighet, samtidigt som god offentlig insyn säkerställs« (party programme ↗)“strengthen institutions of higher education's independence, whilst ensuring good public transparency”
- broad public disclosure principle»offentlighetsprincipen samt meddelarfriheten ska gälla i hela unionen.« (party programme ↗)“the public disclosure principle and freedom of expression shall apply throughout the union.”
The plan requires that schools and their owners be scrutinized more closely and that schools share more information, and it wants to make Sweden even more transparent.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that schools and their owners be scrutinized more closely and that schools share more information, and it wants to make Sweden even more transparent. Allowing the principle of public access to information to also cover independent adult education providers that are financed with public funds follows from that commitment. The plan does not take a stance on the exception for business secrets, which is why the assessment is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att skolor och deras ägare granskas hårdare och att skolorna delar mer information, och den vill göra Sverige ännu mer transparent. Att låta offentlighetsprincipen omfatta även fristående vuxenutbildningsanordnare som finansieras med skattemedel följer av det åtagandet. Planen tar inte ställning till undantaget för affärshemligheter, varför bedömningen är härledd.
- schools shall share more informationdecisive»Vi vill också skärpa tillståndsprövningen för utländska ägare, se till att skolorna delar mer information och skapa ett mer aktivt skolval för alla.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We also want to tighten licensing requirements for foreign owners, ensure that schools share more information and create more active school choice for all.”
- tightened supervision of providers»Vi vill bland annat se höga kvalitetskrav för fortsatt verksamhet och vinstutdelning, och vi vill skärpa tillsynen av skolor och deras ägare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We particularly want to see high quality requirements for continued operation and profit distribution, and we want to tighten supervision of schools and their owners.”
- increased transparency»Sverige ska bli ännu mer transparent. Vi vill inrätta en antikorruptionsmyndighet, skärpa regler mot korruption och införa ett lobbyregister.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall become even more transparent. We want to establish an anti-corruption authority, tighten rules against corruption and introduce a lobbying register.”
- openness against corruption»Öppenhet och transparens är grundförutsättningar för frihet, demokrati och för att förhindra korruption och övergrepp.« (party programme ↗)“Openness and transparency are fundamental prerequisites for freedom, democracy and for preventing corruption and abuse.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan establishes that publicly financed activity shall be covered by the same rules on confidentiality and whistleblower protection regardless of whether it is run in public or private regime, and that this is especially important in schools.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that publicly financed activity shall be covered by the same rules on confidentiality and whistleblower protection regardless of whether it is run in public or private regime, and that this is especially important in schools. The counter-proposal's demand that the public principle shall also cover privately-run adult education providers directly follows from that. The plan also emphasizes the public principle's fundamental importance for scrutiny.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att offentligt finansierad verksamhet ska omfattas av samma regler om sekretess och meddelarskydd oavsett om den drivs i allmän eller privat regi, och att detta är extra viktigt i skolan. Motförslagets krav på att offentlighetsprincipen även ska omfatta fristående vuxenutbildningsanordnare följer direkt av det. Planen betonar också offentlighetsprincipens grundläggande betydelse för granskning.
- same insight regardless of operation formdecisive»Offentligt finansierad verksamhet ska omfattas av samma regler om sekretess och meddelarskydd oavsett om den bedrivs i allmän eller privat regi, och även om den drivs i bolagsform.« (party programme ↗)“Publicly financed activity shall be covered by the same rules on confidentiality and whistleblower protection regardless of whether it is conducted in public or private regime, and even if it is run in corporate form.”
- the public principle's importance»Offentlighetsprincipen har en grundläggande betydelse för att förankra och fördjupa folkstyret, och är en förutsättning för granskning och debatt.« (party programme ↗)“The public principle has a fundamental importance for anchoring and deepening democracy, and is a prerequisite for scrutiny and debate.”
- increased insight into documents»Diarier och allmänna handlingar bör i större utsträckning göras tillgängliga på nätet för att underlätta insyn.« (party programme ↗)“Diaries and public documents should to a greater extent be made accessible on the internet to facilitate insight.”
- whistleblower freedom in private operations»meddelarfriheten för privat personal garanteras i lag« (party programme ↗)“whistleblower freedom for private staff is guaranteed in law”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The party programme establishes that the public access principle is central to an open and vital democracy, and that secrecy provisions should be used restrictively.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that the public access principle is central to an open and vital democracy, and that secrecy provisions should be used restrictively. The counter-proposal's requirement that the principle should also cover independent adult education and be applied without exemptions for trade secrets points in that direction. The plan's support for independent providers qualifies the assessment but does not eliminate the requirement for public access.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att offentlighetsprincipen är central för en öppen och vital demokrati och att sekretessmöjligheten ska nyttjas restriktivt. Motförslagets krav på att principen ska omfatta även fristående vuxenutbildning och tillämpas utan undantag för affärshemligheter ligger i den riktningen. Planens stöd till fristående anordnare kvalificerar bedömningen men upphäver inte insynskravet.
- restrictive secrecydecisive»Offentlighetsprincipen, det vill säga tillgången till allmänna handlingar, är central för en öppen och vital demokrati. Sekretessmöjligheten ska nyttjas restriktivt.« (party programme ↗)“The public access principle, that is the access to public documents, is central to an open and vital democracy. Secrecy provisions should be used restrictively.”
- openness in democracy»Ett starkt skydd för yttrande- och meddelarfriheten samt anonymitetsskyddet, liksom för mötes-och föreningsfriheten, är av stor vikt för en levande demokrati.« (party programme ↗)“A strong protection for freedom of expression and the right to disclose, as well as protection of anonymity, as well as the freedom of assembly and association, are of great importance for a living democracy.”
- scrutiny of public funds»Utvärdering, kostnadsuppföljning och kvalitetskontroll är därför viktiga politiska uppgifter.« (party programme ↗)“Evaluation, cost tracking and quality control are therefore important political tasks.”
- support for independent providers»Enskilda eller sammanslutningar av medborgare som bestämmer sig för att driva fristående skolor ska uppmuntras och stödjas av det offentliga.« (party programme ↗)“Individuals or associations of citizens who decide to run independent schools should be encouraged and supported by the public sector.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan's path to transparency in independent activities goes through quality requirements, supervision, and withdrawn licenses, not through a transparency principle without protection for business secrets.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's path to transparency in independent activities goes through quality requirements, supervision, and withdrawn licenses, not through a transparency principle without protection for business secrets. Removing the exemption for business secrets and extending the principle to independent adult education providers places new administrative burdens on private providers, which contradicts the plan's promise of significantly reduced red tape. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planens väg till insyn i fristående verksamheter går via kvalitetskrav, tillsyn och indragna tillstånd, inte via en offentlighetsprincip utan skydd för affärshemligheter. Att slopa undantaget för affärshemligheter och vidga principen till fristående vuxenutbildningsanordnare lägger nya administrativa bördor på enskilda utförare, vilket går emot planens löfte om kraftigt minskat regelkrångel. Planen talar därför emot motförslagets krav.
- quality requirements ahead of full transparencydecisive»Se till att skolor som drivs i företagsform lever upp till högt ställda kvalitetskriterier för att få göra vinstutdelning samt dra in tillståndet för skolor som allvarligt brister« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure that schools operated as businesses meet high quality criteria in order to make profit distributions and withdraw licenses for schools that seriously fall short”
- safeguarded free school choice»Det fria skolvalet gör att alla barn oavsett bakgrund och ekonomi kan välja den skola som passar dem bäst.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Free school choice means that all children regardless of background and economy can choose the school that suits them best.”
- reduced red tape»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove a third of companies' administrative costs and a third of red tape”
The plan wants to increase requirements and control of independent educational actors and requires increased transparency and opportunity for accountability, as well as clear results for every public investment.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to increase requirements and control of independent educational actors and requires increased transparency and opportunity for accountability, as well as clear results for every public investment. That the principle of public access applies also to independent providers of publicly financed adult education follows from that line. The plan's protection of free school choice and companies' conditions speaks partly against completely removing the exception for trade secrets.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill öka kraven och kontrollen av fristående utbildningsaktörer och kräver ökad transparens och möjlighet till ansvarsutkrävande, samt tydliga resultat för varje offentlig satsning. Att offentlighetsprincipen omfattar även fristående anordnare av skattefinansierad vuxenutbildning följer av den linjen. Planens värn om det fria skolvalet och företagens villkor talar delvis emot att undantaget för affärshemligheter helt tas bort.
- control of independent actorsdecisive»Öka kraven för fristående förskolor samt utöka Skolinspektionens befogenheter och kontroller« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase requirements for independent preschools and expand the School Inspectorate's authorities and controls”
- increased transparency»Tjänstemannaansvar ska införas och åtgärder ska genomföras för att öka transparensen och möjligheten att utkräva politiskt ansvarsutkrävande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Official liability shall be introduced and measures shall be implemented to increase transparency and the opportunity to demand political accountability.”
- insight into taxpayer funds»Begära tydliga resultat för varje offentlig satsning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Demand clear results for every public investment”
- protected choice»Det fria skolvalet ska värnas för att ge valfrihet åt föräldrar och elever.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Free school choice shall be protected to give parents and students choice.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2025/26:UbU20)
- Committee report full text (HD01UbU20)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2025/26:3996 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:191 Offentlighetsprincipen med lättnadsregler för enskilda mindre huvudmän i skolväsendet av Isabell Mixter m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:4024 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:191 Offentlighetsprincipen med lättnadsregler för enskilda mindre huvudmän i skolväsendet av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:4049 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:191 Offentlighetsprincipen med lättnadsregler för enskilda mindre huvudmän i skolväsendet av Camilla Hansén m.fl. (MP)
- Proposition 2025/26:191 — Offentlighetsprincipen med lättnadsregler för enskilda mindre huvudmän i skolväsendet
Source: The Swedish Parliament