The productivity deduction

The plan wants to defend university funding, make major investments in the quality of the education system and expand free basic research. A productivity discount that hollows out higher education funding and presses for more teaching hours in less time goes directly against it, which is why the demand to abolish the discount is supported. The plan says nothing about budgeting techniques or in which matter the question belongs.

• defend university fundingdecisive»Vänsterpartiet vill värna universitetens oberoende och finansiering och höja studiestödet så att fler kan välja att vidareutbilda sig.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to defend universities' independence and funding and raise student support so that more can choose to further their studies.”
• invest in education quality»Vi vill göra stora investeringar i att höja kvaliteten i utbildningssystemet.« (party programme ↗)“We want to make major investments in raising the quality of the education system.”
• invest in the entire education system»Vänsterpartiet vill satsa på hela utbildningssystemet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to invest in the entire education system.”
• expanded basic research»utbyggnad av den fria grundforskningen.« (party programme ↗)“expansion of free basic research.”

The plan does not mention the productivity deduction. The closest commitments are the party programme's demands for major investments in education and research to strengthen Sweden's position as a knowledge nation, and for high quality in all education. A deduction that undermines higher education institutions' allocations and pressures teaching time pulls in the opposite direction. The plan therefore supports the demand, but the basis is weak.

• investments in education and researchdecisive»Det kräver stora satsningar på utbildning, forskning och kompetensutveckling samt en« (party programme ↗)“It requires major investments in education, research and skills development, as well as a”
• leading knowledge nation»upprätthålla och stärka Sveriges ställning som ledande kunskapsnation krävs stora insatser« (party programme ↗)“maintain and strengthen Sweden's position as a leading knowledge nation requires major efforts”
• quality in education»Hög kvalitet är det grundläggande kravet på all utbildning.« (party programme ↗)“High quality is the fundamental requirement for all education.”
• education meeting society's needs»Det ska finns en starkare koppling mellan de utbildningar som erbjuds och de behov av personal som finns i samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“There should be a stronger connection between the education offered and the personnel needs that exist in society.”

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 party programme wants to value high quality in higher education, among other things through a teaching guarantee for the number of teacher-led hours, and requires good and secure working conditions for teachers and researchers. A productivity deduction that gives fewer teaching hours and increased pressure on staff goes against this. The plan thus supports abolishing the deduction.

• guaranteed teacher-led hoursdecisive»Vi värnar om en hög kvalitet i den högre utbildningen. Bland annat genom en undervisningsgaranti för antalet lärarledda timmar.« (party programme ↗)“We value high quality in higher education. Among other things through a teaching guarantee for the number of teacher-led hours.”
• secure working conditions»Lärare och forskare ska ha goda och trygga arbetsvillkor, och studenters och doktoranders inflytande och rättssäkerhet ska säkras.« (party programme ↗)“Teachers and researchers shall have good and secure working conditions, and students' and doctoral candidates' influence and legal security shall be secured.”
• resources for quality»Systemet för medelsfördelning till universitet och högskolor ska förändras och utformas så att det säkrar en hög kvalitet i både utbildning och forskning för såväl små som stora lärosäten.« (party programme ↗)“The system for fund distribution to universities and colleges shall be changed and designed so that it secures high quality in both education and research for both small and large educational institutions.”

The election manifesto stipulates that few investments are as valuable as education, from preschool to university, and wants to see competitive universities and world-class research. A deduction that year after year erodes the institutions' budgets pulls in the opposite direction. At the same time, the plan requires careful stewardship of taxpayers' money and lower tax burden, which makes the weighing uncertain.

• education is a prioritized investmentdecisive»Få investeringar är lika viktiga och värdefulla för samhället och individen som utbildning, från förskola till universitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Few investments are as important and valuable for society and the individual as education, from preschool to university.”
• world-class research»Från yrkesvux för den som saknar gymnasieexamen till konkurrenskraftiga universitet och forskning i världsklass.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“From vocational training for those without secondary school diplomas to competitive universities and world-class research.”
• independent institutions»Högre utbildning och fria lärosäten ska självständigt kunna bedriva högkvalitativ forskning och utbildning.« (party programme ↗)“Higher education and independent institutions shall independently be able to conduct high-quality research and education.”
• stewardship of tax resources»Politiken ska hushålla med skattebetalarnas pengar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Politics shall be a good steward of taxpayers' money.”

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 election manifesto wants to increase research grants and teacher-led instruction, and the party programme establishes that continued high state research grants are necessary. A productivity deduction that undermines institutions of higher learning's financing and reduces teaching time pulls in the opposite direction. Abolishing the deduction therefore lies in line with the plan, even though the plan also values more efficient resource use.

• increased research grantsdecisive»Vi vill öka forskningsanslagen och både skapa bättre karriärvägar för yngre forskare och se riktade satsningar på att svenska universitet ska kunna locka hit världens främsta forskare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to increase research grants and both create better career paths for younger researchers and see targeted efforts to enable Swedish universities to attract the world's leading researchers.”
• more teacher-led instruction»Vi vill öka den lärarledda undervisningen, skärpa utvärderingen och bygga ut de utbildningar och lärosäten som håller högst kvalitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to increase teacher-led instruction, sharpen evaluation and expand the education and educational institutions that hold the highest quality.”
• high research grants»Fortsatt höga statliga forskningsanslag är nödvändiga.« (party programme ↗)“Continued high state research grants are necessary.”
• efficient resource use»Utrymmet för fortsatta skattesänkningar skapas av en växande ekonomi och ett mer effektivt« (party programme ↗)“Room for continued tax cuts is created by a growing economy and more efficient”

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 demands that there be sufficient resources for Sweden to maintain a high international level in research and that all subject areas be guaranteed sufficient resources. A general annual deduction that year for year erodes university and college appropriations works against that commitment. The demand for restraint with public expenditures pulls in the opposite direction but does not overtake it.

• sufficient research resourcesdecisive»För vår välfärd är det viktigt att Sverige ligger långt framme när det gäller forskning och det måste finnas tillräckliga resurser för att vi ska hålla en hög internationell nivå inom området.« (party programme ↗)“For our welfare it is important that Sweden ranks far ahead when it comes to research and there must be sufficient resources for us to maintain a high international level in the area.”
• resources for all subject areas»Alla ämnesområden måste garanteras tillräckliga resurser, därför kan ekonomiskt tillväxttänkande inte dominera tilldelningen av resurser till universitets- och högskoleväsendet.« (party programme ↗)“All subject areas must be guaranteed sufficient resources, therefore economic growth considerations cannot dominate the allocation of resources to universities and colleges.”
• resources for high quality»Det är av gemensamt intresse att det görs lönsamt att genomgå högre utbildning och att resurser satsas för att verksamheten ska hålla hög kvalitet.« (party programme ↗)“It is in the common interest that it is made profitable to undertake higher education and that resources are invested for the activities to maintain high quality.”
• restraint in public expenditures»Sparandet i den svenska ekonomin måste hållas högt genom hushållssparande och genom återhållsamhet i de offentliga utgifterna.« (party programme ↗)“Savings in the Swedish economy must be kept high through household savings and through restraint in public expenditures.”

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 instead wants to reduce government agencies' costs: an efficiency office should go through all government agencies' finances to free up resources, and the party programme states that public waste in all forms shall be combated. New commitments must moreover be financed or fit within the surplus target. Abolishing the productivity discount for educational institutions is an unfinanced spending increase and goes against that line, even though the plan wants Sweden to be a world-class knowledge nation.

• efficiency in government agenciesdecisive»Inrätta ett effektiviseringskansli som ska gå inom alla myndigheters ekonomi för att frigöra resurser till försvaret« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Establish an efficiency office that should go through all government agencies' finances to free up resources for defence”
• combat public waste»Offentligt slöseri i alla former ska bekämpas.« (party programme ↗)“Public waste in all forms shall be combated.”
• reforms must be financed»Alla nya löften och reformer – som till exempel våra inkomstskattesänkningar – behöver finansieras eller rymmas inom överskottsmålet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All new promises and reforms – such as our income tax cuts – need to be financed or fit within the surplus target.”
• knowledge nation requires resources»Sverige ska vara en kunskapsnation i världsklass.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden should be a world-class knowledge nation.”

The plan requires that public spending be reviewed and redirected to welfare and the justice system, that unnecessary spending be scaled back and that clear results be demanded for every initiative. Abolishing productivity deductions for educational institutions means increased grants without such scrutiny. The plan certainly values academic independence, but does not address the deduction, so the conclusion is derived.

• reallocation of spendingdecisive»Se över offentliga utgifter och rikta om medel till välfärden och rättsväsendet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Review public spending and redirect funds to welfare and the justice system”
• spending discipline»Skala bort onödiga utgifter i det offentliga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Scale back unnecessary spending in the public sector”
• results requirement»Begära tydliga resultat för varje offentlig satsning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Demand clear results for every public spending initiative”
• academic independence»Slå vakt om den högre akademins självständighet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Guard the higher academy's independence”