2024-04-242023/24:UbU9 · p.14UbUEducation
Prohibition of waiting time as a selection criterion
Ban on queue time as an admission criterion for independent schools
What's at stake: The decision affects which children can, in practice, get a place at popular independent schools. Long queues favour families who can register their children early, which can disadvantage children from less advantaged homes and reinforce school segregation.
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 queue time should be banned as an admission criterion for independent schools and replaced with a shared, open admission system, or whether the current admission rules should remain.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee opposes the motion to ban queue time as an admission criterion. In its proposal to parliament, the committee rejects the motions on new terms for school choice, selection and school transport, and favours keeping the current admission rules for independent schools unchanged.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 29 (S, V, C, MP)
The reservation (S, V, C, MP) wants to abolish queue time as an admission criterion for independent schools. Today's school choice is neither free nor fair – several years of queue time favours children from more affluent socioeconomic backgrounds, and the lack of transparency in the queues means schools can effectively select out pupils. An open, shared admission system should be established where no one can reserve a place in advance, while keeping the right to a nearby school and sibling priority.
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 29 by S, V, C, 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: CCenterpartiet
Ja 154–152Ja 176–130
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.
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 0/21/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| S | No | No 0/92/0/14 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
| MP | No | No 0/16/0/2 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | Yes | No 0/22/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | explicit |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| KD | Yes | Yes 17/0/0/2 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 59/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | explicit |
| SD | Yes | Yes 63/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:990 by Nooshi Dadgostar et al. (V) demand 5, 2023/24:2451 by Camilla Hansén et al. (MP) demand 11, 2023/24:2482 by Muharrem Demirok et al. (C) demand 36 and 2023/24:2687 by Åsa Westlund et al. (S) demand 4.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:990 av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V) yrkande 5, 2023/24:2451 av Camilla Hansén m.fl. (MP) yrkande 11, 2023/24:2482 av Muharrem Demirok m.fl. (C) yrkande 36 och 2023/24:2687 av Åsa Westlund m.fl. (S) yrkande 4.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected 135 proposals in motions about general school matters from the regular motion period 2023. The reason is, among other things, current regulations and ongoing investigations. The proposals deal, for example, with measures to improve learning outcomes, responsibility and resource allocation in the school system and independent schools.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to ensure that the knowledge grant continues to increase school equality through early interventions and more special teachers. (S, V, C, MP) — Reservation 29
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 establishes that the market-adapted school leads to segregation and increased inequality and wants to abolish market schools.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that the market-adapted school leads to segregation and increased inequality and wants to abolish market schools. Waiting time as a selection criterion is precisely such a mechanism that favors children from stronger socioeconomic backgrounds, and an open joint admissions system counteracts the sorting the plan wants to eliminate. The plan does not mention waiting time explicitly, so support is derived but strong.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att den marknadsanpassade skolan leder till segregation och ökad ojämlikhet och vill avskaffa marknadsskolan. Kötid som urvalsgrund är just en sådan mekanism som gynnar barn från starkare socioekonomiska hem, och ett öppet gemensamt antagningssystem motverkar den sortering planen vill bort från. Planen nämner inte kötid uttryckligen, varför stödet är härlett men starkt.
- market schools create segregationdecisive»Dessutom leder den marknadsanpassade skolan till betygsinflation, segregation och ökad ojämlikhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Moreover, the market-adapted school leads to grade inflation, segregation and increased inequality.”
- abolish market schools»Vänsterpartiet vill avskaffa marknadsskolan med start nästa mandatperiod.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to abolish market schools starting the next term of office.”
- reckoning with segregation»Det behövs en uppgörelse med kommersialisering, segregation och ogenomtänkt decentralisering av skolsystemet.« (party programme ↗)“There needs to be a reckoning with commercialization, segregation and thoughtless decentralization of the school system.”
- distribution according to need»Skolpengssystemet behöver ersättas med en fördelningsmodell som leder till att mer av resurserna riktas dit behoven är som störst.« (party programme ↗)“The school funding system needs to be replaced with a distribution model that leads to more resources being directed where the needs are greatest.”
The election manifesto promises verbatim a joint school choice with abolished waiting times and independent school information.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto promises verbatim a joint school choice with abolished waiting times and independent school information. The programme further states that free school choice reinforces segregation and that this must be countered through how resources and opportunities are distributed. The counter-proposal's demand for an open, shared admission system without pre-booked places is thus the plan's own position.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar ordagrant ett gemensamt skolval med slopad kötid och oberoende skolinformation. Programmet konstaterar dessutom att det fria skolvalet förstärker segregationen och att detta måste motverkas genom hur resurser och möjligheter fördelas. Motförslagets krav på ett öppet, gemensamt antagningssystem utan förhandsbokade platser är därmed planens egen ståndpunkt.
- abolished waiting times and shared school choicedecisive»Vi vill ge alla elever samma möjlighet att välja skola, genom ett gemensamt skolval, slopad kötid och oberoende skolinformation.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to give all students the same opportunity to choose school, through shared school choice, abolished waiting times and independent school information.”
- school choice reinforces segregation»skolvalet förstärker segregationen och ökar klyftan mellan resursstarka och resurssvaga« (party programme ↗)“school choice reinforces segregation and increases the gap between resource-rich and resource-poor”
- equal opportunities for all students»Detta måste motverkas genom att samhällets resurser fördelas så att alla elever ges« (party programme ↗)“This must be countered by distributing society's resources so that all students are given”
The election manifesto promises to break school segregation and make school choice free and fair for all, which is exactly what the counter-proposal wants to achieve by abolishing queue time as a selection criterion.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto promises to break school segregation and make school choice free and fair for all, which is exactly what the counter-proposal wants to achieve by abolishing queue time as a selection criterion. The party programme furthermore demands equivalent opportunities regardless of parents' economic and social conditions and functioning oversight of all principals. The plan therefore supports the demand.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar att bryta skolsegregationen och göra skolvalet fritt och rättvist för alla, vilket är exakt det motförslaget vill uppnå genom att avskaffa kötid som urvalsgrund. Partiprogrammet kräver dessutom likvärdiga möjligheter oavsett föräldrarnas ekonomiska och sociala förutsättningar och fungerande kontroll av alla huvudmän. Planen stöder därför kravet.
- free and fair school choicedecisive»bryta skolsegregationen och göra skolvalet fritt och rättvist för alla.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“break school segregation and make school choice free and fair for all.”
- equivalent opportunities regardless of background»Oavsett föräldrarnas ekonomiska och sociala förutsättningar ska alla barn ges likvärdiga möjligheter« (party programme ↗)“Regardless of parents' economic and social conditions all children shall be given equivalent opportunities”
- oversight of all principals»Alla skolor, oavsett huvudman, ska« (party programme ↗)“All schools, regardless of principal, shall”
- resources according to need»I det nya gröna folkhemmet fördelas resurserna till skola och förskola efter behov« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In the new green people's home resources are distributed to school and preschool according to need”
The plan takes a position on this specific issue but stops at a limitation: at most half of the places should be distributed according to waiting time and registration should occur no earlier than two years before school start.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan takes a position on this specific issue but stops at a limitation: at most half of the places should be distributed according to waiting time and registration should occur no earlier than two years before school start. The counter-proposal goes further and wants to abolish waiting time entirely, which the plan does not support. At the same time, the plan values free school choice and parents' and students' right to choose school.
Original (Swedish)
Planen tar ställning i just denna fråga men stannar vid en begränsning: högst hälften av platserna bör få fördelas efter kötid och anmälan ska ske tidigast två år före skolstart. Motförslaget går längre och vill avskaffa kötid helt, vilket planen inte ställer sig bakom. Samtidigt värnar planen det fria skolvalet och föräldrars och elevers rätt att välja skola.
- limited, not abolished waiting timedecisive»Högst hälften av platserna bör få fördelas efter kötid, och anmälan ska ske tidigast två år innan skolstart.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At most half of the places should be distributed according to waiting time, and registration should occur no earlier than two years before school start.”
- active school choice and limited queue»Det är viktigt att alla föräldrar och elever väljer skola och att urval baserat på kö begränsas; anmälan ska ske tidigast två år innan skolstart.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is important that all parents and students choose school and that selection based on queue is limited; registration should occur no earlier than two years before school start.”
- value free school choice»Det fria skolvalet ska värnas och små skolor och förskolor på landsbygden ges förutsättningar att fortsätta sin verksamhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Free school choice shall be valued and small schools and preschools in rural areas given opportunities to continue operations.”
- right to choose school»Föräldrarnas och barnens rätt att välja skola är central« (party programme ↗)“Parents' and children's right to choose school is central”
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 wants to introduce a common school choice one year before school start and the election manifesto wants to make school choice mandatory and coordinated so that more can choose.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme wants to introduce a common school choice one year before school start and the election manifesto wants to make school choice mandatory and coordinated so that more can choose. Such a system is incompatible with waiting time as a selection criterion, which is exactly what the counter-proposal wants to abolish, and it at the same time preserves school choice. The plan's objection concerns lottery and relocation of students, not an open common admissions system.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet vill införa ett gemensamt skolval ett år före skolstart och valmanifestet vill göra skolvalet obligatoriskt och samordnat så att fler får välja. Ett sådant system är oförenligt med kötid som urvalsgrund, vilket är just vad motförslaget vill avskaffa, och det bevarar samtidigt valfriheten. Planens invändning gäller lottning och omflyttning av elever, inte ett öppet gemensamt antagningssystem.
- common school choice before startdecisive»Kvaliteten och valfriheten ska värnas. Ett gemensamt skolval ett år före skolstart ska införas, vilket« (party programme ↗)“Quality and school choice shall be protected. A common school choice one year before school start shall be introduced, which”
- mandatory and coordinated school choice»Vi vill i stället stärka skolvalet genom att göra det obligatoriskt och samordnat, så att fler i stället för färre får välja vilken skola de vill gå i.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We instead want to strengthen school choice by making it mandatory and coordinated, so that more rather than fewer can choose which school they want to attend.”
- no to lottery»Integrationsproblemen är så stora att de inte går att blanda bort genom rödgröna förslag om att manipulera skolområden, flytta runt elever eller lotta vilken skola de ska gå i.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The integration problems are so large that they cannot be mixed away through left-green proposals to manipulate school districts, move students around, or lottery which school they shall attend.”
- equal opportunities for all»Alla ska ha samma möjlighet att nå sin fulla potential utan att hållas tillbaka av fördomar och« (party programme ↗)“Everyone shall have the same opportunity to reach their full potential without being held back by prejudice and”
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 values the right to free schools and that individuals shall have freedom to organise themselves and start schools, and the only limit on school choice the plan states is that it shall not be limited by school fees.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan values the right to free schools and that individuals shall have freedom to organise themselves and start schools, and the only limit on school choice the plan states is that it shall not be limited by school fees. The corresponding principle for higher education is that operators themselves shape admission criteria. A ban on waiting time as a selection criterion restricts this freedom and lacks support in the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen värnar rätten till fria skolor och att enskilda ska ha frihet att organisera sig och starta skolor, och den enda begränsning av skolvalet planen anger är att det inte får begränsas av skolavgifter. Motsvarande princip för lärosäten är att huvudmännen själva utformar antagningskriterierna. Ett förbud mot kötid som urvalsgrund inskränker denna frihet och saknar stöd i planen.
- the right to free schoolsdecisive»värnandet om familjen, rätten till fria skolor« (party programme ↗)“valuing the right to free schools”
- freedom to start schools»Medborgarna ska därför ha frihet och möjlighet att organisera sig efter eget önskemål« (party programme ↗)“Citizens shall therefore have freedom and opportunity to organise themselves according to their own wishes”
- operator's right to shape admissions»Vidare ska det finnas stora möjligheter för enskilda universitet och högskolor att själva utforma antagningskriterierna till utbildningarna« (party programme ↗)“Furthermore, there shall be great opportunities for individual universities and higher education institutions to themselves shape admission criteria to education”
The plan takes a clear position on the selection question: it wants to introduce a shared municipal queue system, that is, keep queuing but make it shared, and simultaneously preserve free school choice and say a firm no to experiments with quotas and lottery.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan takes a clear position on the selection question: it wants to introduce a shared municipal queue system, that is, keep queuing but make it shared, and simultaneously preserve free school choice and say a firm no to experiments with quotas and lottery. The counter-proposal demands that queue time be abolished as a selection criterion. This contradicts the plan's commitment, so the plan rejects the demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planen tar uttryckligen ställning i urvalsfrågan: den vill införa ett gemensamt kommunalt kösystem, alltså behålla kön men göra den gemensam, och samtidigt bevara det fria skolvalet och säga bestämt nej till experiment med kvotering och lottning. Motförslaget kräver att kötid avskaffas som urvalsgrund. Det går emot planens åtagande, och planen avvisar därför kravet.
- shared queue system retaineddecisive»Öka likvärdigheten genom att införa ett gemensamt kommunalt kösystem och en tydligare statlig styrning av skolpengen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase equivalence by introducing a shared municipal queue system and clearer government steering of education funding”
- protect free school choice»Det fria skolvalet gör att alla barn oavsett bakgrund och ekonomi kan välja den skola som passar dem bäst. Den friheten vill vi bevara.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Free school choice means that all children regardless of background and economy can choose the school that suits them best. We want to preserve that freedom.”
- no to selection experiments»Vi säger därför bestämt nej till storskaliga experiment med kvotering, lottning eller tvångsbussning av elever.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We therefore say a firm no to large-scale experiments with quotas, lottery, or forced bussing of pupils.”
- active school choice»Införa ett aktivt och obligatoriskt skolval för alla« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce active and mandatory school choice for everyone”
The plan explicitly values free school choice and family's freedom to choose school and educational form, and opposes students' school placement being used as an instrument for integration policy experiments.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly values free school choice and family's freedom to choose school and educational form, and opposes students' school placement being used as an instrument for integration policy experiments. The counter-proposal's demand to abolish waiting time and introduce a common admission system with redistributive purpose restricts precisely that freedom of choice. The plan does not directly address waiting time, so the coverage is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen värnar uttryckligen det fria skolvalet och familjens valfrihet att välja skola och skolform, och vänder sig mot att elevers skolplacering används som instrument för integrationspolitiska experiment. Motförslagets krav på att avskaffa kötid och införa ett gemensamt antagningssystem med fördelningspolitiskt syfte inskränker just den valfriheten. Planen behandlar inte kötid direkt, varför täckningen är härledd.
- protect free school choicedecisive»Det fria skolvalet ska värnas för att ge valfrihet åt föräldrar och elever.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Free school choice should be protected to give parents and students freedom of choice.”
- no to integration experiments»Stoppa bussning av elever och andra integrationsexperiment« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop bussing of students and other integration experiments”
- right to choose school»möjligheter att välja skola och skolform.« (party programme ↗)“possibilities to choose school and educational form.”
- family freedom of choice»Sverigedemokraterna värnar valfriheten för varje familj.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats values freedom of choice for every family.”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:UbU9)
- Committee report full text (HB01UbU9)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1007 — Differentiering av skolpengen av Gunilla Carlsson och Dzenan Cisija (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1027 — Kommunal vetorätt vid friskoleetableringar av Adrian Magnusson (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1046 — Vinststopp i skolan av Azra Muranovic m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1049 — Pornografins skadeverkningar av Roland Utbult (KD)
- Motion 2023/24:1066 — Friskolors etableringsrätt av Tomas Eneroth (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1073 — Förbud mot religiösa friskolor av Anna Wallentheim (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1229 — Pedagogiska tjänster samt fjärrundervisning av Martina Johansson (C)
- Motion 2023/24:1316 — Skolfrukost av Malin Larsson och Peder Björk (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1476 — Hälsosam och kvalitetssäkrad skolmat av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1493 — Spetskompetens inom tech av Adnan Dibrani och Mattias Jonsson (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1551 — Elever med skyddad identitet av Åsa Eriksson och Eva Lindh (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1573 — Allmänt fritidshem och lovverksamhet för barn av Adnan Dibrani m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1575 — Avgiftsfri skola och ökad jämlikhet av Mattias Vepsä (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1675 — Syskonförtur i kommunala skolor av Azadeh Rojhan och Alexandra Völker (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1892 — Sveriges kristna kulturarv av Julia Kronlid och Aron Emilsson (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1896 — En helt avgiftsfri skola av Yasmine Bladelius (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1931 — Avgiftsfri skollunch på gymnasiet av Amalia Rud Pedersen och Dzenan Cisija (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1946 — Gratis skolfrukost av Yasmine Bladelius (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1985 — Skolskjuts till och från fritis för barn inom anpassad skola av Magnus Manhammar (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2050 — Avskaffande av marknadsskolan av Kristoffer Lindberg m.fl. (S)
Source: The Swedish Parliament