2026-03-112025/26:UbU7 · p.15UbUEducation
Schools with confessional orientation
Schools with a religious orientation – establishment and oversight
What's at stake: The decision concerns what requirements and oversight should apply to independent schools with a religious orientation, and whether pupils at such schools risk being affected by a targeted establishment ban, or are instead protected through stricter general ownership and management vetting.
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 a specific ban should be introduced on the establishment and operation of independent schools with a confessional, Muslim orientation, or whether such schools should continue to be assessed and supervised under the general regulatory framework for independent schools.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee is awaiting the ongoing review by the Inquiry on Profit in Schools, which proposes stricter ownership and management vetting, limits on expansion, and an acquisition ban for operators with a history of deficiencies, and notes that municipalities are already consulted on new establishments. The committee sees no grounds for an additional, specific ban on independent schools with a confessional, Muslim orientation and rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 34 (SD)
The reservation (SD) wants to immediately ban the establishment of new independent schools with a Muslim profile and close existing ones. The reasoning is recurring reports of malpractice, including teaching that has breached the requirement to be non-confessional and principles of balance, gender equality and pupil safety, and that only a strict ban can ensure that these pupils are integrated into Swedish society.
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 34 by SD.
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 | Yes | Yes 18/0/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | Yes | Abstain 0/0/89/17 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| MP | Yes | Yes 15/0/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | Yes | Yes 21/0/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: high | derived |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | Yes | Yes 16/0/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 56/0/0/12 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| SD | No | No 0/62/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2025/26:571 by Richard Jomshof (SD) motions 1 and 2 as well as 2025/26:3810 by Anders Ygeman et al. (S) motion 19.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2025/26:571 av Richard Jomshof (SD) yrkandena 1 och 2 samt 2025/26:3810 av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S) yrkande 19.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected 150 proposals in motions on comprehensive school matters. The proposals were submitted during the general motion period in 2025. Among other things, the proposals concern measures to raise academic achievement, allocation of responsibility and resources within the school system, school choice, independent schools, oversight, school digitalization and special educational formats. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to existing provisions and ongoing work.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to prohibit the establishment of new independent schools with confessional orientation and close existing such schools. (SD) — Reservation 34
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 is anti-racist and binds the party to defend vulnerable groups' rights every time conservative forces try to shut someone out, with Muslims explicitly mentioned, while religious freedom shall be guaranteed.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan is anti-racist and binds the party to defend vulnerable groups' rights every time conservative forces try to shut someone out, with Muslims explicitly mentioned, while religious freedom shall be guaranteed. A ban specifically targeting schools with a Muslim profile goes against this. The plan's own solution to free school problems is general: the entire market-based school system shall be abolished.
Original (Swedish)
Planen är antirasistisk och förbinder partiet att försvara utsatta gruppers rättigheter varje gång konservativa krafter försöker stänga någon ute, med muslimer uttryckligen nämnda, samtidigt som religionsfriheten ska garanteras. Ett förbud riktat specifikt mot skolor med muslimsk profil strider mot det. Planens egen lösning på friskoleproblemen är generell: hela marknadsskolan ska avskaffas.
- defend vulnerable groupsdecisive»just den här gången handlar om sjukskrivna, muslimer eller transpersoner.« (party programme ↗)“this time it is about those on sick leave, Muslims or trans people.”
- warning against strategic racism»Strategisk rasism har länge varit en del av högerns retoriska och politi« (party programme ↗)“Strategic racism has long been part of the right's rhetoric and politics”
- guaranteed religious freedom»garanteras och staten ska vara sekulär« (party programme ↗)“are guaranteed and the state shall be secular”
- abolish the entire market-based school system»Vänsterpartiet vill avskaffa marknadsskolan med start nästa mandatperiod.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to abolish the market-based school system starting next term of office.”
The plan explicitly rejects all tendencies to divide and discriminate against people based on background and demands equal rights and strong protection against discrimination.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly rejects all tendencies to divide and discriminate against people based on background and demands equal rights and strong protection against discrimination. The election manifesto's commitment is a general ban on new independent religious schools, not a ban targeting a single religious denomination or closure of existing schools. A specific ban on Muslim independent schools thus goes against the plan's own line.
Original (Swedish)
Planen avvisar uttryckligen alla tendenser att dela upp och göra skillnad på människor utifrån bakgrund och kräver lika rättigheter och starkt skydd mot diskriminering. Valmanifestets åtagande är ett generellt förbud mot nya religiösa friskolor, inte ett förbud riktat mot en enskild trosinriktning eller nedläggning av befintliga skolor. Ett särskilt förbud mot muslimska friskolor går därför emot planens egen linje.
- no special treatment based on backgrounddecisive»Socialdemokratin avvisar alla tendenser att dela upp och göra skillnad på människor utifrån deras« (party programme ↗)“Social Democracy rejects all tendencies to divide and discriminate against people based on their”
- general ban on new independent religious schools»Därför vill vi förbjuda nya religiösa friskolor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That is why we want to ban new independent religious schools.”
- protection against discrimination»Lika rättigheter och skyldigheter för alla medborgare och starkt skydd mot« (party programme ↗)“Equal rights and duties for all citizens and strong protection against”
- public control over establishments»Offentlig rådighet över etableringar och verksamhet i välfärden.« (party programme ↗)“Public control over establishments and activities in welfare.”
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 is explicitly anti-racist and requires that all forms of discrimination on grounds of religious belief are abolished, while religious freedom is defended and work against Islamophobia shall be strengthened.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan is explicitly anti-racist and requires that all forms of discrimination on grounds of religious belief are abolished, while religious freedom is defended and work against Islamophobia shall be strengthened. A ban that singles out precisely Muslim free schools conflicts with these commitments; the party's route to problems in free schools goes instead via general rules and abolishing profit-driven corporations in schools. The counter-proposal's demand is therefore rejected.
Original (Swedish)
Planen är uttalat antirasistisk och kräver att alla former av diskriminering på grund av trosuppfattning avskaffas, samtidigt som religionsfriheten försvaras och arbetet mot islamofobi ska stärkas. Ett förbud som pekar ut just muslimska friskolor strider mot dessa åtaganden; partiets väg mot missförhållanden i friskolor går i stället via generella regler och att avskaffa vinstdrivande aktiebolag i skolan. Motförslagets krav avvisas därför.
- no discriminatory singling outdecisive»och förstärker varandra. Därför arbetar vi för att avskaffa alla former av diskriminering,« (party programme ↗)“and reinforce each other. Therefore we work to abolish all forms of discrimination,”
- counter Islamophobia»Arbetet mot all typ av rasism måste stärkas. Antisemitism, islamofobi och afrofobi är« (party programme ↗)“Work against all types of racism must be strengthened. Antisemitism, Islamophobia and Afrophobia are”
- religious freedom»behöver ständigt försvaras. Vi står upp för varje människas rätt att utöva sin« (party programme ↗)“always need to be defended. We stand up for every person's right to practise their”
- general free school rules»plats för framtidstro, för alla barn. Miljöpartiet vill avskaffa vinstdrivande aktiebolag inom« (party programme ↗)“place for future hope, for all children. The Greens want to abolish profit-driven corporations within”
The election manifesto explicitly says no to collective punishment and to restrictions on religious freedom, and the party programme makes religious freedom an unshakeable principle and requires that intolerance in all forms is countered.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly says no to collective punishment and to restrictions on religious freedom, and the party programme makes religious freedom an unshakeable principle and requires that intolerance in all forms is countered. A ban targeting schools with a particular religious profile affects an entire group instead of the actual grievances. The plan's way is instead general quality requirements and stricter supervision of all operators.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet säger uttryckligen nej till kollektiv bestraffning och till inskränkningar av religionsfriheten, och partiprogrammet gör religionsfriheten till en orubblig princip och kräver att intolerans i alla former motverkas. Ett förbud riktat mot skolor med en viss religiös profil träffar en hel grupp i stället för de faktiska missförhållandena. Planens väg är i stället generella kvalitetskrav och skärpt tillsyn av alla huvudmän.
- no to collective punishmentdecisive»Vi säger därför nej till visitationszoner, kollektiv bestraffning, omvänd bevisbörda, anonyma vittnen, preventiv avlyssning och inskränkningar av religionsfriheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We therefore say no to inspection zones, collective punishment, reversed burden of proof, anonymous witnesses, preventive wiretapping and restrictions on religious freedom.”
- unshakeable religious freedom»Yttrandefrihet, religionsfrihet och föreningsfrihet är därför orubbliga« (party programme ↗)“Freedom of expression, religious freedom and freedom of association are therefore unshakeable”
- general quality requirements and supervision»Vi vill bland annat se höga kvalitetskrav för fortsatt verksamhet och vinstutdelning, och vi vill skärpa tillsynen av skolor och deras ägare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Among other things we want to see high quality requirements for continued operation and profit distribution, and we want to sharpen supervision of schools and their owners.”
- counter intolerance»Diskriminering, strukturell rasism och intolerans, i alla dess former, ska motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“Discrimination, structural racism and intolerance, in all its forms, shall be countered.”
The plan requires that school and preschool are non-confessional, that existing confessional schools are converted or closed and that a stop is put to religious independent schools so that no school spreads religious fundamentalism.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that school and preschool are non-confessional, that existing confessional schools are converted or closed and that a stop is put to religious independent schools so that no school spreads religious fundamentalism. In substance it means that such schools should not be permitted to start or continue operating. The plan's main principle is however general rules applied equally, not prohibitions targeting a single religion.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att skolan och förskolan ska vara icke-konfessionell, att befintliga konfessionella skolor omvandlas eller avvecklas och att stopp sätts för religiösa friskolor så att ingen skola sprider religiös fundamentalism. I sak innebär det att sådana skolor inte ska få startas eller drivas vidare. Planens huvudprincip är dock generella regler som tillämpas lika, inte förbud riktade mot en enskild religion.
- stop religious independent schoolsdecisive»Vi vill sätta stopp för religiösa friskolor och hindra utländska icke-demokratiska aktörer från att äga skolor i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to stop religious independent schools and prevent foreign non-democratic actors from owning schools in Sweden.”
- non-confessional school»Skolan och förskolan ska vara icke-konfessionell. Befintliga konfessionella skolor och« (party programme ↗)“School and preschool shall be non-confessional. Existing confessional schools and”
- against religious fundamentalism»Ingen skola ska tvinga en elev att leva efter religiösa seder och ingen skola ska kunna användas för att sprida religiös fundamentalism.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No school shall force a pupil to live according to religious customs and no school shall be able to be used to spread religious fundamentalism.”
- general rules for all»Huvudprincipen för integrationspolitiken är att den ska vara generell.« (party programme ↗)“The main principle for integration policy is that it shall be general.”
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 gives citizens freedom to organise themselves according to their own wishes and explicitly to start preschools and schools, and independent schools shall be encouraged and supported by the public.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan gives citizens freedom to organise themselves according to their own wishes and explicitly to start preschools and schools, and independent schools shall be encouraged and supported by the public. The Constitution shall furthermore ensure that no one is discriminated against on the grounds of religion. A ban directed at schools with a certain religious profile contradicts this; the plan's path is instead general requirements on curriculum and quality that apply to all providers.
Original (Swedish)
Planen ger medborgare frihet att organisera sig efter eget önskemål och uttryckligen att starta förskolor och skolor, och fristående skolor ska uppmuntras och stödjas av det offentliga. Grundlagen ska dessutom säkerställa att ingen diskrimineras på grund av religion. Ett förbud riktat mot skolor med en viss religiös profil strider mot detta; planens väg är i stället generella krav på läroplan och kvalitet som gäller alla huvudmän.
- freedom to start schoolsdecisive»sammanslutningar, starta förskolor och skolor« (party programme ↗)“associations, start preschools and schools”
- ban on religious discrimination»etniskt ursprung, religion, sexuell identitet, politisk eller annan« (party programme ↗)“ethnic origin, religion, sexual identity, political or other”
- support for independent schools»skolor ska uppmuntras och stödjas av det offentliga.« (party programme ↗)“schools shall be encouraged and supported by the public.”
- general requirements for all schools»följer läroplanen och lever upp till kvalitetskrav« (party programme ↗)“follow the curriculum and meet quality requirements”
The plan's path is to examine and close schools that fall short or may be suspected of promoting radicalisation and segregation, regardless of provider, with zero tolerance for poor schools.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's path is to examine and close schools that fall short or may be suspected of promoting radicalisation and segregation, regardless of provider, with zero tolerance for poor schools. A ban directed at a single religious orientation does not follow from this, and public power shall according to the plan not be exercised arbitrarily or in a discriminatory way, while religious freedom shall have an unquestionable constitutional protection.
Original (Swedish)
Planens väg är att granska och stänga skolor som brister eller kan misstänkas främja radikalisering och segregation, oavsett huvudman, med nolltolerans mot dåliga skolor. Ett förbud riktat mot en enskild religiös inriktning följer inte av det, och offentlig makt får enligt planen inte utövas godtyckligt eller diskriminerande, samtidigt som religionsfriheten ska ha ett oavvisligt grundlagsskydd.
- examine and close with shortcomingsdecisive»• Ge Skolinspektionen i särskilt uppdrag att granska och stänga skolor som kan misstänkas främja radikalisering och segregation« (2022 manifesto ↗)“• Give the Schools Inspectorate a special task to examine and close schools that may be suspected of promoting radicalisation and segregation”
- zero tolerance for poor schools»Moderaterna har nolltolerans mot dåliga skolor. Staten ska kunna ta över eller stänga skolor som inte är tillräckligt bra.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Moderates have zero tolerance for poor schools. The state shall be able to take over or close schools that are not good enough.”
- non-discriminatory exercise of power»utövas godtyckligt, eller på ett sätt som diskriminerar.« (party programme ↗)“exercised arbitrarily, or in a way that discriminates.”
- protection of religious freedom»religions-, tanke-, åsikts-, yttrande- och pressfrihet.« (party programme ↗)“freedom of religion, thought, opinion, expression and press.”
The plan explicitly establishes that measures shall be taken to ban schools that operate in a segregating and extremist manner, for example Islamist, and that free schools with fundamentalist ideological foundations contribute to radicalization and segregation.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly establishes that measures shall be taken to ban schools that operate in a segregating and extremist manner, for example Islamist, and that free schools with fundamentalist ideological foundations contribute to radicalization and segregation. The counter-proposal's demand for an immediate ban on establishing new and closing existing schools with a Muslim profile directly responds to that commitment. The plan also wants to fight Islamism generally.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår uttryckligen fast att åtgärder ska vidtas för att förbjuda skolor som verkar segregerande och extremistiskt, exempelvis islamistiska, och att friskolor med fundamentalistiska idégrunder bidrar till radikalisering och segregation. Motförslagets krav på ett omedelbart förbud mot nyetablering och stängning av befintliga skolor med muslimsk profil svarar direkt mot det åtagandet. Planen vill dessutom bekämpa islamism generellt.
- ban Islamist free schoolsdecisive»Med målet att motverka segregation och extremistisk påverkan av skolelever vill vi att åtgärder ska vidtas för denna typ av skolor ska förbjudas exempelvis islamistiska.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“With the goal of preventing segregation and extremist influence on school students, we want measures to be taken so that this type of school shall be banned, for example Islamist.”
- ban segregating schools»Införa ett förbud mot segregerande extremistiska friskolor« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a ban on segregating extremist free schools”
- fundamentalist schools radicalize»Friskolor med fundamentalistiska idégrunder bidrar till radikalisering och segregation.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Free schools with fundamentalist ideological foundations contribute to radicalization and segregation.”
- fight Islamism»Bekämpa islamism« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Fight Islamism”
Share and embed
Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2025/26:UbU7)
- Committee report full text (HD01UbU7)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2025/26:1083 — Ökad samhällskontroll av välfärden av Markus Kauppinen m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1346 — Anpassbar skolplikt med hänsyn till barn med neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar av Runar Filper (SD)
- Motion 2025/26:1808 — Förbud mot vinstuttag i skolan av Aida Birinxhiku m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1827 — Bindande krav på lärartäthet, klasstorlek och elevhälsovård av Aylin Nouri (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1857 — Förberedelser av unga för en digitaliserad värld av Denis Begic (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1863 — Veto vid utökning och nyetablering av friskolor av Kristoffer Lindberg m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1905 — Skolskjuts till och från fritis för barn inom anpassad skola av Magnus Manhammar (S)
- Motion 2025/26:2171 — Regelverk för distansstudier i grundskolan av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2025/26:2294 — Avgiftsfri skolfrukost i landets skolor av Linnéa Wickman m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:2337 — Stärkt rätt till skolskjuts till och från fritidshemmet för barn inom anpassad skola av Louise Thunström (S)
- Motion 2025/26:2455 — Skolplikt till 18 års ålder av Sofia Skönnbrink och Amalia Rud Stenlöf (båda S)
- Motion 2025/26:2456 — Etablering av fristående skolor av Sofia Skönnbrink m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:2472 — Förtydligande av begreppet inre organisation i skollagen av Charlotte Nordström (M)
- Motion 2025/26:2599 — Rätt till skolskjuts vid funktionsnedsättning eller allvarlig sjukdom av Mattias Eriksson Falk m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2025/26:2660 — Ett modernt läsår med tre terminer av Louise Eklund (L)
- Motion 2025/26:2725 — Hälsosam och kvalitetssäkrad skolmat av Markus Wiechel (SD)
- Motion 2025/26:2736 — Förstärkt skolplikt av Lawen Redar (S)
- Motion 2025/26:2746 — Avgiftsbefriad och mer tillgänglig grundskola av Jonathan Svensson (S)
- Motion 2025/26:2787 — En politik för urfolket samer av Jessica Wetterling m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:2791 — En jämlik förskola, skola och vuxenutbildning för alla av Isabell Mixter m.fl. (V)
Source: The Swedish Parliament