Establishment of independent schools

The plan wants the free school system abolished and no actors in schools to make profits, with collective ownership as the safest alternative. A ban on limited companies running schools and preschools, an establishment freeze pending regulation of profit extraction, and demands for new licensing review upon ownership change follow directly from this. The plan's total ban on profit-driven forms in welfare carries the position.

• total ban on profits in welfaredecisive»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 activities within welfare.”
• no profit-driven actors in schools»se några aktörer som är där för att göra vinster i välfärden.« (party programme ↗)“see any actors who are there to make profits in welfare.”
• collective ownership safest»Gemensamt ägande är det tryggaste alternativet« (party programme ↗)“Collective ownership is the safest alternative”
• abolish the market school»Vänsterpartiet vill avskaffa marknadsskolan med start nästa mandatperiod.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to abolish the market school starting next term.”

The election manifesto wants to take back control over where and when independent schools establish and ban profit extraction from schools, and the party programme gives municipalities decisive influence over new school establishments. An establishment stop while awaiting regulation of profit extraction and requirements for new licensing when ownership changes is in line with this. To completely ban limited companies goes further than the plan, but the direction is the same.

• control over establishmentsdecisive»Vi vill förbjuda vinstuttagen i skolan och ta tillbaka kontrollen över var och när fristående skolor etablerar sig.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to ban profit extraction from schools and take back control over where and when independent schools establish.”
• municipal influence over establishment»Kommunerna ska ha ett avgörande inflytande över nya skoletableringar.« (party programme ↗)“Municipalities shall have decisive influence over new school establishments.”
• school for the children»Skolan ska vara till för barnen, inte ägarna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“School shall be for the children, not the owners.”
• establishment restrictions accepted»Därför vill vi förbjuda nya religiösa friskolor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we want to ban new religious independent schools.”

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 purpose of welfare activities shall not be to distribute profit, which shall be clear from the articles of association, and wants to remove commercially oriented actors in favour of idea-driven ones. An establishment ban pending profit regulation and requirements for new licensing upon change of ownership is in line with this. That the plan simultaneously supports pedagogical diversity regardless of provider makes support for a complete prohibition on joint-stock companies less clear-cut.

• non-profit-seeking providersdecisive»Syftet med verksamheten ska inte vara att dela ut« (party programme ↗)“The purpose of the activity shall not be to distribute”
• stop profit-seeking»sätta stopp för vinstjakten i skolan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“stop profit-seeking in schools.”
• idea-driven before commercial»vill därför få bort de kommersiellt inriktade aktörerna och i stället främja idéburna verksamheter« (party programme ↗)“therefore wants to remove commercially oriented actors and instead promote idea-driven activities”
• pedagogical diversity regardless of provider»Miljöpartiet bejakar pedagogisk mångfald i skolan,« (party programme ↗)“The Green Party welcomes pedagogical diversity in schools,”

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 counter-proposal wants to prohibit joint-stock companies as principals and introduce an establishment stop. The plan says instead that free school choice shall be protected and that small independent schools and preschools in the countryside shall be able to continue their activities. The party's answer to unserious owners is tightened licensing assessment and more information from schools, not a ban on a whole ownership form.

• protected school choice and small schoolsdecisive»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 protected and small schools and preschools in the countryside given conditions to continue their activities.”
• tightened owner assessment, not a ban»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 assessment for foreign owners, ensure that schools share more information and create more active school choice for everyone.”
• companies as welfare providers»Det är positivt att både företag, offentliga institutioner och civilsamhället är med och utvecklar« (party programme ↗)“It is positive that companies, public institutions and civil society are involved in developing”
• the 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 plan's crucial commitment is that profit-driven enterprises shall be able to operate in the welfare sector so long as quality requirements are met, which makes the counter-proposal's requirement to prohibit share companies as principals and an establishment stop impossible. The election manifesto moreover establishes that parents' and pupils' freedom to choose school is here to stay. The plan's answer to disreputable owners is owner vetting and quality requirements, which is the part of the counter-proposal that lies in line with the plan.

• profit-driven enterprises alloweddecisive»Vinstdrivande företag ska kunna verka i välfärdssektorn så länge kvalitetskraven uppfylls och ägarna tar ett långsiktigt ägaransvar.« (party programme ↗)“Profit-driven enterprises shall be able to operate in the welfare sector so long as quality requirements are met and the owners take long-term ownership responsibility.”
• freedom of choice remains»Friheten för föräldrar och elever att själv välja skola är här för att stanna – men inte friskolornas vinstuttag på bekostnad av elevernas kunskaper.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The freedom for parents and pupils to themselves choose school is here to stay – but not profit extraction from free schools at the expense of pupils' knowledge.”
• quality and choice»Kvaliteten och valfriheten ska värnas.« (party programme ↗)“Quality and freedom of choice shall be protected.”
• owner vetting at licence»En förutsättning för att fristående förskolor och skolor ska få tillstånd är att de drivs av seriösa ägare som tar ett långsiktigt ägaransvar och uppfyller kvalitetskraven.« (party programme ↗)“A prerequisite for independent preschools and schools to be granted a licence is that they are run by reputable owners who take long-term ownership responsibility and meet quality requirements.”

The plan states that individuals and associations operating independent schools should be encouraged and supported by the public and that private operations should be given equal conditions as public. A ban on limited companies as principals and a moratorium for new independent schools and preschools undermines this freedom fundamentally. The requirement for new licensing upon change of ownership, however, comes closer to the plan's view on quality requirements and control.

• independent schools shall be encourageddecisive»som bestämmer sig för att driva fristående skolor ska« (party programme ↗)“who decide to operate independent schools shall”
• equal conditions for private operations»förutsättningar som tjänster producerade i offentlig regi.« (party programme ↗)“conditions as services produced in public operations.”
• right to own and operate enterprises»fritt kan äga, förvärva och förvalta egendom och företag.« (party programme ↗)“freely can own, acquire and manage property and enterprises.”
• control instead of moratorium»Utvärdering, kostnadsuppföljning och kvalitetskontroll är därför viktiga politiska« (party programme ↗)“Evaluation, cost tracking and quality control are therefore important political”

The plan stands guard for the right to choose school and explicitly accepts schools run as businesses, provided they meet high quality criteria. A ban on joint-stock companies as providers and an establishment stop for new independent schools and preschools cancels that arrangement and conflicts with the plan's protection of commercial freedom. The plan shares that disreputable actors must be combated, but that does not justify the ban.

• free school choicedecisive»slå vakt om din rätt att själv välja skola till dina barn« (2022 manifesto ↗)“stand guard for your right to choose school for your children”
• quality requirements instead of ban»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 run as businesses meet high quality criteria in order to allow profit distribution and revoke licences from schools that seriously fail”
• protection of commercial freedom»Äganderätten och näringsfriheten ska ha ett starkt skydd i« (party programme ↗)“Ownership rights and commercial freedom must have strong protection”
• combat disreputable actors»Därför måste vi också bekämpa oseriösa aktörer och fusk.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That is why we must also combat disreputable actors and fraud.”

The plan protects free school choice and states that alternative and private forms of operation should be permitted in welfare. A ban on limited companies as providers and an establishment halt for new independent schools and preschools goes directly against this. The plan's way is instead stricter requirements and expanded supervision, which only partially overlaps with the counter-proposal's demands for new licensing review at change of ownership.

• 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 choice.”
• private forms of operation permitted»när det gäller utförandet av dessa välfärdstjänster skall alternativa och privata driftsformer vara tillåtna« (party programme ↗)“when it comes to the execution of these welfare services, alternative and private forms of operation shall be permitted”
• independent schools as complement»Sverigedemokraterna menar att friskolorna skall fungera som ett komplement till den offentliga skolan, inte minst för att öka utbudet och valfriheten« (party programme ↗)“Sweden Democrats believe that independent schools should function as a complement to public school, not least to increase provision and choice”
• stricter requirements instead of ban»Öka kraven för fristående förskolor samt utöka Skolinspektionens befogenheter och kontroller« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase requirements for independent preschools and expand the School Inspectorate's authority and controls”