The public principle in independent schools

The plan counts the principle of public access as one of democracy's most important foundations and criticizes sharply that tax money for schools disappears into corporate profits without transparency. Extending the principle of public access to all independent schools provides precisely the transparency in how public funds are used that the plan calls for. The plan does not explicitly mention independent schools' transparency, which is why the support is derived but strong.

• the principle of public access as a democratic foundationdecisive»Några av den politiska demokratins viktigaste byggstenar är föreningsfriheten, yttrande- och tryckfriheten, offentlighetsprincipen och meddelarfriheten.« (party programme ↗)“Some of political democracy's most important foundations are freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of the press, the principle of public access and freedom of information for the press.”
• transparency in how tax funds are used»Som enda land i världen råder det fri dragningsrätt på de skattemedel som ska gå till våra barns utbildning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“As the only country in the world there is free drawdown rights on the tax funds that should go to our children's education.”
• scrutiny of school corporations»Pengarna du och jag betalar för våra barns skolgång och framgång går till vinster i skolkoncerner och hamnar i skatteparadis.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The money you and I pay for our children's schooling and success goes to profits in school corporations and ends up in tax havens.”
• abolish the market-driven school system»Vänsterpartiet vill avskaffa marknadsskolan med start nästa mandatperiod.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to abolish the market-driven school system starting next term.”

The election manifesto contains the explicit commitment that society shall have full insight into all schools through the freedom of information principle. The programme requires the same transparency and insight from private actors in tax-funded welfare and that citizens shall be able to scrutinise activities regardless of operational form. The counter-proposal's requirement to extend the freedom of information principle to all independent schools is thus the plan's own position.

• full insight into all schoolsdecisive»Samhället ska ha full insyn i alla skolor genom offentlighetsprincipen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society shall have full insight into all schools through the freedom of information principle.”
• insight into private welfare actors»krav på öppenhet och insyn ska ställas på de privata aktörer som verkar inom den« (party programme ↗)“requirements for transparency and insight shall be placed on private actors working within”
• scrutiny regardless of operational form»Oavsett i vilken form skattefinansierad verksamhet drivs ska medborgarna ha möjlighet att« (party programme ↗)“Regardless of what form tax-funded activities are run in, citizens shall have the opportunity to”

The party programme asserts that whistleblower protection and the principle of public access to documents shall apply to all publicly funded welfare services and that operations' finances shall be disclosed openly. The principle of public access and whistleblower protection must also be valued and strengthened generally. That the principle of public access is extended to independent schools therefore follows directly from the plan, and also strengthens the conditions for fair school choice.

• principle of public access in all welfaredecisive»Meddelarfrihet och offentlighetsprincipen ska gälla« (party programme ↗)“Whistleblower protection and the principle of public access to documents shall apply to”
• open financial disclosure»redovisas öppet. Vid offentliga upphandlingar ska« (party programme ↗)“be disclosed openly. In public procurement”
• value the principle of public access»Offentlighetsprincipen och meddelarfriheten måste« (party programme ↗)“The principle of public access and whistleblower protection must be”
• fair school choice requires transparency»bryta skolsegregationen och göra skolvalet fritt och rättvist för alla.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“break down school segregation and make school choice free and fair for all.”

The plan requires that schools share more information, that oversight of schools and their owners be tightened and that Sweden becomes even more transparent. Allowing the transparency principle to cover independent schools is a way to realize that insight into how public funds are used. The party programme makes openness and transparency basic prerequisites for preventing corruption.

• more information from schoolsdecisive»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 all.”
• tightened oversight of schools»vi vill skärpa tillsynen av skolor och deras ägare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“we want to tighten oversight of schools and their owners”
• increased transparency»Sverige ska bli ännu mer transparent.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall become even more transparent.”
• openness against abuse of power»Öppenhet och transparens är grundförutsättningar för frihet, demokrati och för att förhindra korruption« (party programme ↗)“Openness and transparency are basic prerequisites for freedom, democracy and for preventing corruption”

The party programme establishes that publicly financed activities shall be subject to the same rules on confidentiality and source protection regardless of whether they are conducted in public or private form, and that this is especially important in schools. The principle of public access is described as fundamental to democracy and scrutiny. The counter-proposal's demand for transparency in independent schools is thus the plan's own line, and also facilitates school choice.

• same rules regardless of formdecisive»ska omfattas av samma regler om sekretess och meddelarskydd oavsett om den bedrivs i allmän« (party programme ↗)“shall be subject to the same rules on confidentiality and source protection regardless of whether they are conducted in public”
• especially important in schools»eller privat regi, och även om den drivs i bolagsform. Extra viktigt är detta i vård, skola, omsorg« (party programme ↗)“or private form, and even if conducted in corporate form. Especially important is this in healthcare, schools, elderly care”
• importance of principle of public access»Offentlighetsprincipen har en grundläggande betydelse för att förankra och fördjupa folkstyret,« (party programme ↗)“The principle of public access has fundamental importance for anchoring and deepening democracy,”
• transparency facilitates school choice»tydlig information om skolornas kvalitet.« (party programme ↗)“clear information about schools' quality.”

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 core education commitment is to protect the right to independent schools and the freedom for individuals to start and run schools, and that privately run activities shall be given the same conditions as public. Imposing a regulatory framework designed for public actions on independent providers does not follow from the plan. However, the plan emphasizes the value of public institutions and that secrecy shall be used restrictively, which pulls in the opposite direction.

• the right to independent schoolsdecisive»värnandet om familjen, rätten till fria skolor« (party programme ↗)“protection of the family, the right to independent schools”
• freedom to run schools»Medborgarna ska därför ha frihet och möjlighet att organisera sig efter eget önskemål« (party programme ↗)“Citizens shall therefore have freedom and the opportunity to organize themselves according to their preference”
• restrictive secrecy»Sekretessmöjligheten ska nyttjas restriktivt.« (party programme ↗)“Secrecy opportunities shall be used restrictively.”

The plan's path to transparency in independent schools goes through supervision and quality requirements: highly set quality criteria for dividend distribution, withdrawn license for serious shortcomings and a special inspection mandate for the School Inspection Authority. At the same time, a third of companies' administration costs should be removed and the diversity of school operators valued. Applying the principle of public access to all independent schools is another path that the plan does not support.

• supervision and quality requirementsdecisive»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 operated as businesses meet highly set quality criteria to be allowed to distribute profits and withdraw the license for schools that have serious shortcomings”
• inspection through the School Inspection Authority»Ge Skolinspektionen i särskilt uppdrag att granska och stänga skolor som kan misstänkas främja radikalisering och segregation« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Give the School Inspection Authority a special assignment to inspect and close schools that may be suspected of promoting radicalization and segregation”
• reduced administrative burden»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove a third of companies' administrative costs and a third of red tape”
• diversity of school operators»Det svenska utbildningssystemet ska präglas av mångfald« (party programme ↗)“The Swedish education system should be characterized by diversity”

The plan requires strengthened opportunities for holding to account when public resources are mismanaged, increased transparency and tightened requirements and controls on independent activities. Extending public access principles to independent schools provides precisely the insight into how tax funds are used that the plan calls for, and also facilitates well-informed school choices that the plan values.

• accountability for public fundsdecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill stärka möjligheter för ansvarsutkrävande när hanteringen av de offentliga resurserna brister.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to strengthen opportunities for holding to account when the handling of public resources falls short.”
• tightened requirements for independent providers»Öka kraven för fristående förskolor samt utöka Skolinspektionens befogenheter och kontroller« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase requirements for independent preschools and expand the School Inspection Board's powers and controls”
• increased transparency»Tjänstemannaansvar ska införas och åtgärder ska genomföras för att öka transparensen och möjligheten att utkräva politiskt ansvarsutkrävande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Official accountability shall be introduced and measures shall be taken to increase transparency and the opportunity to exercise political accountability.”
• informed school choice»Det fria skolvalet ska värnas för att ge valfrihet åt föräldrar och elever.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Freedom of school choice should be protected to give choice to parents and students.”

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.