Learning for sustainable development

The election manifesto requires massive initiatives for education in what sustainable societal development means and that all political decisions should take into account the climate crisis. That sustainable development should more clearly be part of the education system's mission and permeate all education is directly in line with that commitment. The party programme also wants to see a school with a broad mission built on scientific foundation.

• education for sustainable developmentdecisive»massiva satsningar på omställningsstöd, kompetensutveckling och utbildning i vad hållbar samhällsutveckling innebär« (2022 manifesto ↗)“massive initiatives on transition support, competence development and education in what sustainable societal development means”
• climate considerations in all decisions»Omställningen behöver ske omgående och alla politiska beslut behöver ta hänsyn till den akuta kris som vi befinner oss i.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The transition needs to happen immediately and all political decisions need to take into account the acute crisis we are in.”
• the school's broad mission»Vi vill se en skola med ett brett uppdrag« (party programme ↗)“We want to see a school with a broad mission”
• scientifically based school»grundad i vetenskap och inriktad på att stärka människors möjligheter« (party programme ↗)“based on science and aimed at strengthening people's opportunities”

Both the election manifesto and the party programme make climate transformation our generation's defining question and bind the party to the climate policy framework. That sustainable development should permeate the entire school system's mission follows from this prioritization, even if the plan does not comment on the school law's formulations. The support therefore rests on derivation from general commitments rather than on a school policy promise.

• climate as defining questiondecisive»Klimatomställningen är vår tids ödesfråga.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Climate transformation is our generation's defining question.”
• stable climate policy framework»Det klimatpolitiska ramverket ska ligga fast.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The climate policy framework should remain in place.”
• climate as overriding challenge»Klimatfrågan är vår tids ödesfråga.« (party programme ↗)“The climate question is our generation's defining question.”

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's core principle is solidarity with future generations and that society must transform to be able to live well within nature's limits. The party programme makes critical thinking and ethical discussions important components of teaching to prepare students to participate in social development. That sustainable development clearly shall permeate the entire school system's mission follows from these commitments.

• solidarity with future generationsdecisive»solidaritet med kommande generationer« (2022 manifesto ↗)“solidarity with future generations”
• transformation within nature's limits»Vi måste ställa om våra samhällen så att vi klarar att leva ett gott liv i framtiden« (party programme ↗)“We must transform our societies so that we manage to live a good life in the future”
• critical thinking in school»kritiskt tänkande är viktiga inslag i undervisningen« (party programme ↗)“critical thinking are important components of teaching”
• school's global starting point»Undervisningen i skolan« (party programme ↗)“Teaching in school”

Sustainability is the plan's central principle: the party shall be leading in environmental matters and care for the environment and climate is described as a central part of politics, never a special interest. The party programme also formulates a responsibility to use without consuming for future generations and sees education as fundamental in a democratic society. Letting sustainable development more clearly pervade the education system's mission is in line with these commitments, even though the plan does not take a position on the legal text's design.

• environment is central, not a special interestdecisive»För Centerpartiet är omsorg om miljö och klimat en central del av politiken, aldrig en nedprioritering eller ett särintresse.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“For the Centre Party, care for the environment and climate is a central part of politics, never a downgrade or a special interest.”
• leading in environmental matters»Centerpartiet ska vara det ledande partiet i miljöfrågor« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party shall be the leading party in environmental matters”
• responsibility for future generations»Vi har en skyldighet att bruka utan att förbruka« (party programme ↗)“We have a responsibility to use without consuming”
• education's societal mission»Utbildning är grundläggande i ett demokratiskt samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“Education is fundamental in a democratic 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 plan wishes to narrow and sharpen the school's mission: knowledge is the main task and curricula shall be revised toward more facts and knowledge, with more teaching time in Swedish and mathematics. Imposing by law a comprehensive assignment about sustainable development on the entire school system pulls in the opposite direction and lies close to the symbolic politics the plan distances itself from. The counter-proposal's demands are therefore rejected.

• curricula with knowledge focusdecisive»Läroplanerna ska revideras och få ett större fokus på fakta och kunskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Curricula shall be revised and receive greater focus on facts and knowledge.”
• knowledge as main task»Kunskap är skolans huvuduppdrag.« (party programme ↗)“Knowledge is school's main task.”
• more time for core subjects»Vi vill bygga ut undervisningstiden i bland annat svenska och matematik så att det finns tid till att lära sig mer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We wish to expand teaching time in, among other things, Swedish and mathematics so there is time to learn more.”
• rejects symbolic politics»En klimatpolitik som ersätter den symbolpolitik där bidrag betalas ut till klimatångest i stället för det vi vet är allra viktigast: mer ny teknik, mer internationellt samarbete och fler effektiva styrmedel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A climate policy that replaces the symbolic politics where benefits are paid out to climate anxiety instead of what we know is most important: more new technology, more international cooperation and more effective policy instruments.”

The party programme defines sustainable development with the same three dimensions as the counter-proposal and requires that environmental considerations permeate all policy areas. According to the plan, the stewardship principle shall guide all political decisions and entails a responsibility to pass on values to future generations. That sustainable development shall permeate the entire school system therefore follows from the plan's fundamental stance.

• three sustainability dimensionsdecisive»Hållbar utveckling förutsätter att ekologi, ekonomi och sociala hänsyn integreras.« (party programme ↗)“Sustainable development requires that ecology, economics and social considerations are integrated.”
• stewardship in all decisions»Alla politiska beslut bör fattas i enlighet med förvaltarskapsprincipen« (party programme ↗)“All political decisions should be made in accordance with the stewardship principle”
• environmental considerations in all policy areas»Miljöhänsyn behöver genomsyra alla« (party programme ↗)“Environmental considerations need to permeate all”
• stewardship in education»Enligt förvaltarskapsprincipen har vi också en gemensam förpliktelse att föra vidare tidigare generationers« (party programme ↗)“According to the stewardship principle we also have a shared obligation to pass on previous generations'”

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's school policy purifies the knowledge mission: measurable factual knowledge, clear knowledge requirements and fewer burdens on teachers. Writing sustainable development as a comprehensive mission for the entire school system adds another comprehensive value-based mission and pulls in the opposite direction. The party programme emphasizes that everything else rests on the school's ability to fulfil its main mission to impart knowledge.

• measurable factual knowledgedecisive»Fokusera på mätbara faktakunskaper, med inspiration från Finlands läroplan« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Focus on measurable factual knowledge, inspired by Finland's curriculum”
• the knowledge mission first»skolans förmåga att klara sitt huvuduppdrag att förmedla« (party programme ↗)“the school's ability to fulfil its main mission to impart”
• clear knowledge requirements»Den svenska skolan ska ställa tydliga kunskapskrav och« (party programme ↗)“The Swedish school should set clear knowledge requirements and”
• fewer burdens on the school»Minska lärarnas dokumentationskrav« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce teachers' documentation requirements”

The plan's key school commitment is a knowledge-focused school with tried-and-tested pedagogy and clearer learning objectives, and it explicitly opposes pedagogy marked by fuzzy thinking and norm critique. Writing in that sustainable development should permeate all education pulls in the opposite direction, toward values-based governance rather than educational mandate. The plan also wants to end political experiments in schools, which speaks against the counter-proposal's demands.

• knowledge-focused schooldecisive»Återupprätta en kunskapsfokuserad skola genom beprövad pedagogik och fokus på traditionellt lärande med lika villkor på alla skolor« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Re-establish a knowledge-focused school through tried-and-tested pedagogy and focus on traditional learning with equal conditions at all schools”
• against fuzzy pedagogy»En pedagogik som präglas av flum, normkritik och elevansvar får svårast följder för de som istället behöver lära sig om normer och tillhandahållas tydlig struktur och kunskap i skolan, som de inte får från annat håll.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Pedagogy marked by fuzzy thinking, norm critique and student responsibility has the harshest consequences for those who instead need to learn about norms and be provided with clear structure and knowledge at school, which they do not get elsewhere.”
• clearer learning objectives»Läroplaner ska kompletteras med tydligare kunskapsmål.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Curricula should be supplemented with clearer learning objectives.”
• no political experiments»Avsluta de politiska experimenten på Sveriges barn och unga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“End the political experiments on Sweden's children and young people”