Knowledge Area of Sexuality, Consent and Relationships
The subject area of sexuality, consent and relationships in the curricula
What's at stake: The decision affects how visible and prioritised this subject area becomes for schools and teachers, at a time when the supervisory authority has identified quality shortcomings in teaching on sexuality, consent and relationships. It concerns whether an explicit presence in the curriculum's introduction is needed to ensure the area is not diminished in practice.
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 subject area of sexuality, consent and relationships - including honour-related violence and oppression - should continue to be explicitly named in the curricula's introductory sections, or whether it is enough for the area to be covered through syllabuses and the principal's remit without being singled out in the overarching curriculum text.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee shares the government's view that the curricula should be purposefully designed and form a coherent whole focused on teaching and learning, in line with a new approach to knowledge. It therefore sees no reason to make an exception to this streamlining for individual subject areas in the curricula's introductory sections.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 8 (S, V, MP)
The reservation (S, V, MP) calls for the subject area of sexuality, consent and relationships, together with honour-related violence and oppression, to continue to be named in the curricula's introductory sections. The reasoning is that the schools inspectorate has found quality shortcomings in teaching on the subject, that it belongs to the school's democratic and values-forming remit, and that removing the area from the introductory sections risks weakening the overall perspective and downplaying issues that instead need to be reinforced.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
V–
S–
MP–
C–
L–
KD–
M–
SD–
YesNoAbstainAbsent
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 8 by S, V, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The plan's stance / Actual vote
AI
Vote
Confidence
Evidence
Vown reservation
–
No 0/21/0/0
Sown reservation
–
No 0/106/0/0
MPown reservation
–
No 0/18/0/0
C
–
Abstain 0/0/22/2
L
–
Yes 16/0/0/0
KD
–
Yes 19/0/0/0
M
–
Yes 66/0/0/0
SD
–
Yes 70/0/0/0
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions
2025/26:3998 by Isabell Mixter et al. (V) demand 3,
2025/26:4022 by Anders Ygeman et al. (S) demand 1,
2025/26:4036 by Niels Paarup-Petersen et al. (C) demand 4 and
2025/26:4054 by Camilla Hansén et al. (MP) demand 4.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna
2025/26:3998 av Isabell Mixter m.fl. (V) yrkande 3,
2025/26:4022 av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S) yrkande 1,
2025/26:4036 av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C) yrkande 4 och
2025/26:4054 av Camilla Hansén m.fl. (MP) yrkande 4.
Riksdag decision: There shall be a stronger focus on knowledge in school. The Riksdag approved the government's proposal which collectively aims at a school with the knowledge mission in focus. New curricula shall be developed for lower secondary, middle secondary and upper secondary education.
The Riksdag shares the government's view that Sweden needs a strong knowledge-based school where teachers have good conditions to perform their task and where all pupils are given the conditions to achieve the goals of education. There is a need for a new approach to knowledge and new curricula that focus on teaching and learning.
The Riksdag's decision includes the following:
It shall be clear that school's most important task is to convey and anchor knowledge and values.
Teachers' role shall be strengthened. It shall be the teachers who, based on the curriculum, determine and lead the teaching.
The new curricula for compulsory school forms shall be clearly knowledge-focused and the level shall be adapted to children's cognitive development.
There shall be a strong focus on basic knowledge and skills, such as reading, writing and arithmetic.
The curricula shall also have a more fit-for-purpose structure and the content shall be based on principles that promote high and equitable quality.
New course plans for basic Swedish shall be introduced for pupils who are beginners in the Swedish language.
The principle of overall assessment shall apply to all grade levels, that is, also for grade E.
Most of the legislative changes take effect on 1 July 2028. New curricula for primary school, adapted primary school, special school and Sami school shall begin to be used from autumn term 2028.
Counter-proposals
The counter-proposal wants education to have a dual purpose emphasizing students' role in acquiring and developing knowledge. (S, V, MP) — Reservation 8