2023-12-192023/24:UbU6 · p.3UbUEducation
Additional measures for quality assurance of teaching materials
The need for quality assurance and quality control of study materials
What's at stake: A lack of quality control over study materials risks schools buying material that does not follow the curriculum or the curriculum's values, including a gender-equality perspective, which in turn affects the content of teaching and equal standards between schools.
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 parliament should direct the government to launch an inquiry into quality assurance of study materials - for example a quality label tied to curriculum values - or whether it is enough for the government to monitor the issue on its own, without a specific parliamentary initiative.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motion calling on the government to launch an inquiry into quality assurance of study materials. The committee judges that the bill's clearer requirement that materials follow the curriculum and syllabuses already meets the motion's purpose in substance, and otherwise expects the government to monitor the question of relevant printed materials on its own, without parliament needing to take a specific initiative.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 3 (V)
The reservation (V) calls for the government to instruct the National Agency for Education (Skolverket) to investigate a quality label for study materials, designed in line with the curricula's values and with a gender-equality perspective. The reasoning is that the inquiry on study materials (SOU 2021:70) proposed that the government or an authority should be able to set quality criteria for materials, but that the government chose not to proceed with the proposal; a quality label would, in the reserver's view, make it easier for schools to purchase materials and put pressure on publishers.
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 3 by V.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/20/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| S | No | Yes 93/0/0/14 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 16/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | No | Abstain 1/0/19/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 59/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| SD | Yes | Yes 61/0/0/11 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
Broke with the party line
| CJonny Cato (C, Skåne läns västra) | Yes — party line: Abstain |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:2482 by Muharrem Demirok et al. (C) point 9 and 2023/24:2753 by Daniel Riazat et al. (V) point 1.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:2482 av Muharrem Demirok m.fl. (C) yrkande 9 och 2023/24:2753 av Daniel Riazat m.fl. (V) yrkande 1.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said yes to the government's proposal for amendments to the Education Act. The amendments aim to strengthen students' access to appropriate teaching materials. The provisions regulating what students shall have access to in education at preschool, elementary school, adapted elementary school, special school, Sámi school, secondary school and adapted secondary school are clarified. The provisions shall state that students have free access to textbooks, other teaching materials and other learning tools needed for good knowledge development in accordance with the goals of education. Furthermore, the Education Act is supplemented with definitions of the terms textbook, teaching material and learning tool. Also in the provisions on the various forms of education within municipal adult education (komvux) it shall appear that students have access to textbooks, other teaching materials and other learning tools needed for good knowledge development in accordance with the goals of education. The legislative amendments come into force on July 1, 2024.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants a commission appointed to investigate the availability of relevant printed learning materials following established course plans. (V) — Reservation 3
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 requires an equal and gender-equal school where preschools and schools work preventively against destructive gender norms, and that school policy is supported by facts and a living scientific discussion.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires an equal and gender-equal school where preschools and schools work preventively against destructive gender norms, and that school policy is supported by facts and a living scientific discussion. An investigated quality mark for teaching materials based on the curriculum's values and with a gender equality perspective is in line with this. The plan says nothing about the committee's reasons that existing requirements for teaching materials already suffice.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver en jämlik och jämställd skola där förskolor och skolor arbetar förebyggande mot destruktiva könsnormer, och att skolpolitiken har stöd i fakta och en levande vetenskaplig diskussion. En utredd kvalitetsmärkning av läromedel utifrån läroplanernas värdegrund och med jämställdhetsperspektiv ligger i linje med detta. Planen säger inget om utskottets skäl att befintliga krav på läromedel redan räcker.
- equal and gender-equal schooldecisive»Svensk förskola och skola ska vara jämlik och jämställd, där alla barn och unga ges samma rätt till utbildning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish preschool and school shall be equal and gender-equal, where all children and young people are given the same right to education.”
- prevent destructive gender norms»Skolor och förskolor behöver arbeta förebyggande mot destruktiva normer för att alla barn, oavsett kön, ska kunna leva fria.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Schools and preschools need to work preventively against destructive norms for all children, regardless of gender, to be able to live free.”
- knowledge-based school policy»stöd i fakta och en levande vetenskaplig diskussion.« (party programme ↗)“support in facts and a living scientific discussion.”
- curriculum's values»läroplanernas inriktning utgör på en övergripande nivå ett uttryck för samhälleliga värderingar« (party programme ↗)“the curriculum's direction expresses at an overarching level an expression of societal values”
The party programme sets high quality as a fundamental requirement for all education and demands that knowledge transfer provides tools to independently interpret and assess information, in study environments free from sexual harassment and racism.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme sets high quality as a fundamental requirement for all education and demands that knowledge transfer provides tools to independently interpret and assess information, in study environments free from sexual harassment and racism. A surveyed quality mark for educational materials designed according to the curriculum's values and with a gender equality perspective fulfills this. The election manifesto's emphasis on educational materials and reading skills in school points in the same direction.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet ställer hög kvalitet som grundläggande krav på all utbildning och kräver att kunskapsförmedlingen ger redskap att självständigt tolka och värdera information, i studiemiljöer fria från könstrakasserier och rasism. En utredd kvalitetsmärkning av läromedel utformad efter läroplanernas värdegrund och med jämställdhetsperspektiv fullföljer detta. Valmanifestets betoning av läromedel och läskunnighet i skolan pekar i samma riktning.
- high quality in educationdecisive»Hög kvalitet är det grundläggande kravet på all utbildning.« (party programme ↗)“High quality is the fundamental requirement for all education.”
- critical knowledge transfer»ge redskapen att självständigt tolka och värdera information« (party programme ↗)“provide tools to independently interpret and assess information”
- each child's opportunity to succeed»Skolan ska ge varje barn möjlighet att lyckas utifrån sina förutsättningar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“School shall give each child the opportunity to succeed based on their circumstances.”
- educational materials and reading skills»Skolbiblioteken har en central roll att spela för ökad läskunnighet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“School libraries have a central role to play in increasing reading skills.”
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 requires that the school actively works for gender equality and equal rights, with a clear norm-critical perspective in teaching, and that a good school has a clear connection to research.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that the school actively works for gender equality and equal rights, with a clear norm-critical perspective in teaching, and that a good school has a clear connection to research. To investigate a quality mark for teaching materials designed according to the school curriculum's values basis and with a gender equality perspective is in line with this. The plan's warning against detailed management of the teacher's work at the same time reduces the certainty somewhat.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att skolan aktivt arbetar för jämställdhet och lika rättigheter, med ett tydligt normkritiskt perspektiv i undervisningen, och att en bra skola har tydlig koppling till forskning. Att utreda en kvalitetsmärkning av läromedel utformad enligt läroplanernas värdegrund och med jämställdhetsperspektiv ligger i linje med detta. Planens varning mot att detaljstyra pedagogens arbete drar samtidigt ned säkerheten något.
- gender equality in schooldecisive»Skolan ska arbeta aktivt för jämställdhet och lika« (party programme ↗)“The school shall work actively for gender equality and equality”
- norm-critical perspective»normkritiskt perspektiv. Stereotypa könsroller,« (party programme ↗)“norm-critical perspective. Stereotypical gender roles,”
- quality grounded in research»bra skola har tydlig koppling till forskning och tar« (party programme ↗)“good school has a clear connection to research and takes”
- no detailed management of the teacher»detaljstyra och kontrollera pedagogen i dennes« (party programme ↗)“manage and control the teacher in their”
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 requires that school governance be characterized by strict quality requirements and equivalence and that the public guarantee that education lives up to high quality standards, which supports the demand that a quality marking of teaching materials be investigated.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that school governance be characterized by strict quality requirements and equivalence and that the public guarantee that education lives up to high quality standards, which supports the demand that a quality marking of teaching materials be investigated. The plan also establishes that school must not discriminate between girls and boys, which supports an equality perspective in the marking. Improving school results is according to the plan a main priority.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att styrningen av skolan kännetecknas av strikta kvalitetskrav och likvärdighet och att det offentliga garanterar att utbildningen lever upp till höga kvalitetskrav, vilket bär kravet att en kvalitetsmärkning av läromedel utreds. Planen slår också fast att skolan inte får särbehandla flickor och pojkar, vilket stöder ett jämställdhetsperspektiv i märkningen. Att förbättra skolresultaten är enligt planen en huvudprioritering.
- strict quality requirements in schooldecisive»Styrningen av skolan ska kännetecknas av strikta kvalitetskrav och likvärdighet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“School governance shall be characterized by strict quality requirements and equivalence.”
- public quality responsibility»Det offentliga ska garantera att utbildningen lever upp till höga krav på kvalitet« (party programme ↗)“The public shall guarantee that education lives up to high quality standards”
- no differential treatment in school»Både flickor och pojkar tar skada när de trycks ner i fack som inte passar dem — vare sig det handlar om hederskultur i familjen, särbehandling i skolan eller diskriminering på arbetsplatsen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Both girls and boys take damage when they are pushed into categories that do not fit them — whether it is about honour culture in the family, differential treatment in school or discrimination in the workplace.”
- better school results»Att förbättra skolresultaten måste vara en huvudprioritering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Improving school results must be a main priority.”
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 requires a major initiative on teaching materials and that curricula get a greater focus on facts and knowledge, which presupposes that the quality of teaching materials can be assessed.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires a major initiative on teaching materials and that curricula get a greater focus on facts and knowledge, which presupposes that the quality of teaching materials can be assessed. The plan also establishes that the education system shall not be value-free and that work on gender issues shall permeate the education. An examined quality marking designed after the curricula's value base and with an equality perspective thus lies in line with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver en storsatsning på läromedel och att läroplanerna får ett större fokus på fakta och kunskap, vilket förutsätter att läromedlens kvalitet kan bedömas. Planen slår också fast att utbildningssystemet inte ska vara värderingsfritt och att arbetet med genusfrågor ska genomsyra utbildningen. En utredd kvalitetsmärkning utformad efter läroplanernas värdegrund och med jämställdhetsperspektiv ligger därför i linje med planen.
- major initiative on teaching materialsdecisive»En storsatsning på läromedel måste göras så att eleverna får riktiga skolböcker och landets lärare slipper stå och kopiera.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A major initiative on teaching materials must be made so that pupils get proper schoolbooks and the country's teachers stop having to copy.”
- teaching materials with knowledge focus»Läroplanerna ska revideras och få ett större fokus på fakta och kunskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Curricula shall be revised and get a greater focus on facts and knowledge.”
- school's value base»Utbildningssystemet ska inte vara värderingsfritt.« (party programme ↗)“The education system shall not be value-free.”
- gender perspective in teaching»genusfrågor för att flickor och pojkar ska möta likvärdiga förväntningar och få likvärdiga chanser.« (party programme ↗)“gender issues so that girls and boys face equivalent expectations and get equivalent chances.”
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 requires that school instruction embodies and conveys values such as wisdom, justice and solidarity and that the gender equality perspective permeates all policy areas, which speaks for a quality mark designed according to the curricula's value basis and with a gender equality perspective.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that school instruction embodies and conveys values such as wisdom, justice and solidarity and that the gender equality perspective permeates all policy areas, which speaks for a quality mark designed according to the curricula's value basis and with a gender equality perspective. The plan also emphasizes that evaluations are made so that shortcomings can be addressed. At the same time, the plan wants to give schools great freedom, which makes the support weaker than unambiguous.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att skolans undervisning gestaltar och förmedlar värden som klokhet, rättvisa och solidaritet och att jämställdhetsperspektivet genomsyrar alla politikområden, vilket talar för en kvalitetsmärkning utformad enligt läroplanernas värdegrund och med jämställdhetsperspektiv. Planen betonar också att utvärderingar görs så att brister kan åtgärdas. Samtidigt vill planen ge skolorna stort mått av frihet, vilket gör stödet svagare än entydigt.
- value basis in instructiondecisive»klokhet, rättvisa, solidaritet och civilkurage ska gestaltas och förmedlas i undervisningen.« (party programme ↗)“wisdom, justice, solidarity and civic courage shall be embodied and conveyed in instruction.”
- gender equality perspective everywhere»Jämställdhetsperspektivet ska genomsyra alla politikområden.« (party programme ↗)“The gender equality perspective shall permeate all policy areas.”
- evaluation of quality»Det är viktigt att utvärderingar görs av elevernas kunnande« (party programme ↗)“It is important that evaluations are made of student performance”
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 wants to focus the school on measurable factual knowledge and reduce teachers' documentation requirements, and keep education and research free from political direction.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to focus the school on measurable factual knowledge and reduce teachers' documentation requirements, and keep education and research free from political direction. A state quality mark for teaching materials designed according to values base and gender equality perspective is new political control of teaching content and increases administration. The counter-proposal's demand therefore lacks support in the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill fokusera skolan på mätbara faktakunskaper och minska lärarnas dokumentationskrav, samt hålla utbildning och forskning fri från politiska pekpinnar. En statlig kvalitetsmärkning av läromedel utformad efter värdegrund och jämställdhetsperspektiv är en ny politisk styrning av undervisningens innehåll och ökar administrationen. Motförslagets krav har därför inte stöd i planen.
- focus on factual knowledgedecisive»Fokusera på mätbara faktakunskaper, med inspiration från Finlands läroplan« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Focus on measurable factual knowledge, inspired by Finland's curriculum”
- less administration in schools»Minska lärarnas dokumentationskrav« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce teachers' documentation requirements”
- freedom from political control»Värna den fria forskningen från politiska pekpinnar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect free research from political direction”
- protected from political meddling»Sverige ska ha starka och självständiga lärosäten, fredade« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall have strong and independent educational institutions, protected”
The counter-proposal wants to investigate a quality label for teaching materials designed according to the curriculum's values and with a gender equality perspective.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal wants to investigate a quality label for teaching materials designed according to the curriculum's values and with a gender equality perspective. The plan wants teaching materials and curricula to be guided by clearer learning objectives and proven pedagogy, and explicitly distances itself from gender pedagogy and political experiments in schools. A values-based and gender-driven quality label therefore goes against the plan's knowledge-focused approach.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget vill utreda en kvalitetsmärkning av läromedel utformad enligt läroplanernas värdegrund och med ett jämställdhetsperspektiv. Planen vill att läromedel och läroplaner styrs av tydligare kunskapsmål och beprövad pedagogik, och tar uttryckligen avstånd från genuspedagogik och politiska experiment i skolan. En värdegrunds- och genusstyrd kvalitetsmärkning går därför emot planens kunskapslinje.
- learning objectives guide teaching materialsdecisive»Läroplaner ska kompletteras med tydligare kunskapsmål.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Curricula shall be supplemented with clearer learning objectives.”
- no to gender pedagogy»Genuspedagogik som den ser ut idag ska inte användas eftersom den i hög grad är inriktad på utsuddande av könstillhörighetsskillnader.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Gender pedagogy as it exists today should not be used because it is largely aimed at erasing gender differences.”
- knowledge-focused school»Återupprätta en kunskapsfokuserad skola genom beprövad pedagogik och fokus på traditionellt lärande med lika villkor på alla skolor« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Restore a knowledge-focused school through proven pedagogy and focus on traditional learning with equal conditions at all schools”
- against political experiments in schools»Avsluta de politiska experimenten på Sveriges barn och unga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“End the political experiments on Sweden's children and youth”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:UbU6)
- Committee report full text (HB01UbU6)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1930 — En jämlik skola av Mattias Jonsson och Amalia Rud Pedersen (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:2451 — Utbildning och forskning för ett hållbart samhälle av Camilla Hansén m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2482 — En skola för livsresor av Muharrem Demirok m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2687 — Utgiftsområde 16 Utbildning och universitetsforskning av Åsa Westlund m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2753 — med anledning av prop. 2023/24:21 Stärkt tillgång till läromedel av Daniel Riazat m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2023/24:2755 — med anledning av prop. 2023/24:21 Stärkt tillgång till läromedel av Åsa Westlund m.fl. (S)
- Proposition 2023/24:21 — Stärkt tillgång till läromedel
Source: The Swedish Parliament