2026-03-122025/26:UbU6 · p.5UbUEducation
Child group sizes and staff density in preschool
Group sizes and staff-to-child ratios in preschool
What's at stake: The outcome affects how many children each adult in preschool is responsible for and how large groups may be, which in turn affects staff working conditions and the quality of care for children.
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 preschool group sizes and staff-to-child ratios should be regulated by law with binding limits, or whether the matter should instead be handled through an ongoing government inquiry without new legislation for now.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The Committee shares the view that the issue is important and notes that oversized groups do occur, but rejects the demand for new regulation and instead points to an ongoing government inquiry tasked with examining what measures, including regulation, may be needed.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 7 (V)
Preschool group sizes and staff-to-child ratios should be regulated by law modelled on Norway, with a maximum of three children per adult for the youngest children and five per adult for the older ones, plus caps on group size.
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 7 by V.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: SDSverigedemokraterna
Ja 167–17Ja 105–79
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/15/0/7 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | Abstain 0/0/91/15 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Abstain 0/0/13/5 | differs | confidence: medium | explicit |
| C | Yes | Yes 21/0/0/3 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | Yes | Yes 10/0/0/6 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| KD | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/5 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 58/0/0/10 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 62/0/0/9 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2025/26:2791 by Isabell Mixter et al. (V) demands 11 and 12, 2025/26:3364 by Camilla Hansén et al. (MP) demand 16, 2025/26:3618 by Patrik Karlson (L) and 2025/26:3810 by Anders Ygeman et al. (S) demand 21.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2025/26:2791 av Isabell Mixter m.fl. (V) yrkandena 11 och 12, 2025/26:3364 av Camilla Hansén m.fl. (MP) yrkande 16, 2025/26:3618 av Patrik Karlson (L) och 2025/26:3810 av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S) yrkande 21.
Riksdag decision: The Government has submitted a statement to Parliament regarding the National Audit Office's report on Equality in preschool – the state's support, monitoring and supervision. In the report, the National Audit Office has examined the state's work to promote an equitable preschool. The National Audit Office assesses that the work is not sufficiently effective and recommends the Government to ensure there are conditions for lawful and uniform licensing and supervision of all preschools. The Government partially agrees with the National Audit Office's findings, but argues that several initiatives have been taken to increase equality in preschool since the examination began, among other things an inquiry on an equitable preschool of good quality has been established. The Government does not rule out that further measures may be needed in the future, but considers that ongoing work should be awaited. Parliament views positively that the Government has taken measures to increase quality and equality in preschool. Parliament laid the statement to the records, that is, concluded the matter. Parliament also said no to approximately 40 proposals concerning preschool in motions from the general motion period 2025. The proposals deal among other things with child group sizes and staff density in preschool.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to investigate whether Skolinspektionen should have all supervision responsibility and authority to grant licenses for preschools. (V) — Reservation 7
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 wants to raise ambitions for how much time there is for children in preschool's daily life and requires more teachers and early interventions for children who are struggling.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to raise ambitions for how much time there is for children in preschool's daily life and requires more teachers and early interventions for children who are struggling. It also establishes that the school must be allocated more resources to be able to meet children's diversity. Legally regulated staffing ratios and limited child group size are a direct expression of that ambition.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill höja ambitionerna för hur mycket tid som finns för barnen i förskolans vardag och kräver fler lärare och tidigare insatser för barn som har det kämpigt. Den slår också fast att skolan måste tillföras mer resurser för att kunna möta barns olikheter. En lagreglerad personaltäthet och begränsad barngruppsstorlek är ett direkt uttryck för den ambitionen.
- more time for children in preschooldecisive»Vi vill höja ambitionerna för hur mycket tid det finns för de« (party programme ↗)“We want to raise ambitions for how much time there is for the”
- more teachers and early interventions»Vänsterpartiet vill se fler lärare, tidigare insatser för barn som har det kämpigt och förbättrad tillgång till lärande genom hela livet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to see more teachers, early interventions for children who are struggling and improved access to learning throughout life.”
- more resources to the school»Det räcker inte att åtgärda systemfelen med den privatiserade skolan. Skolan måste också tillföras mer resurser« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is not enough to remedy the system errors of the privatised school. The school must also be allocated more resources”
- investment in the whole education system»Vänsterpartiet vill satsa på hela utbildningssystemet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to invest in the whole education system.”
The plan wishes to give the state increased control in education and promises more resources to the most disadvantaged nurseries, which speaks for regulating group size and staff density nationally instead of being decided by each provider.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wishes to give the state increased control in education and promises more resources to the most disadvantaged nurseries, which speaks for regulating group size and staff density nationally instead of being decided by each provider. Preschool is highlighted as one of the best tools to give children a better start, and staff's conditions should be good. However, no statutory group size is mentioned, so the position is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill ge staten ökad rådighet på skolområdet och lovar mer resurser till de mest utsatta förskolorna, vilket talar för att gruppstorlek och personaltäthet regleras nationellt i stället för att avgöras av varje huvudman. Förskolan pekas ut som ett av de bästa verktygen för att ge barn en bättre start, och personalens villkor ska vara goda. Någon lagstadgad gruppstorlek nämns dock inte, så ställningstagandet är härlett.
- state control of schoolsdecisive»Ökat statligt ansvar och stärkt rådighet på skolområdet.« (party programme ↗)“Increased state responsibility and strengthened control in education.”
- more resources to disadvantaged nurseries»De mest utsatta skolorna och förskolorna måste få mer resurser.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The most disadvantaged schools and nurseries must receive more resources.”
- preschool as a compensatory tool»Förskola, skola och fritids är de bästa verktygen vi har för att lyfta barn ur dysfunktionella miljöer och ge dem en bättre framtid.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Preschool, school and after-school care are the best tools we have to lift children out of dysfunctional environments and give them a better future.”
- good conditions for nursery staff»Goda villkor för anställda i förskola och skola.« (party programme ↗)“Good conditions for staff in preschool and school.”
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 explicitly promises smaller children's groups and more staff in preschools, which is exactly what the counter-proposal wants to ensure through statutory regulation of group size and staffing ratios.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly promises smaller children's groups and more staff in preschools, which is exactly what the counter-proposal wants to ensure through statutory regulation of group size and staffing ratios. The party programme views preschool as a right for children and as a compensator for different upbringing conditions, which presupposes adequate staffing ratios. However, the plan does not specify statutory regulation as an instrument, so the certainty is limited to the means.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar uttryckligen mindre barngrupper och mer personal i förskolan, vilket är precis det motförslaget vill säkra genom lagreglerad gruppstorlek och personaltäthet. Partiprogrammet ser förskolan som en rättighet för barnen och som kompensator för skilda uppväxtvillkor, vilket förutsätter tillräcklig personaltäthet. Planen anger dock inte lagreglering som instrument, varför säkerheten stannar vid medel.
- smaller children's groupsdecisive»satsa på mindre barngrupper och mer personal i förskolan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“invest in smaller children's groups and more staff in preschools.”
- preschool compensates for upbringing differences»Förskolan har en viktig roll i att kompensera för skillnader i barns uppväxtvillkor.« (party programme ↗)“Preschool has an important role in compensating for differences in children's upbringing conditions.”
- preschool as children's right»Förskolan ska ses som en rättighet för barnen« (party programme ↗)“Preschool should be seen as a right for children”
- resources according to need»resurserna till skola och förskola efter behov« (2022 manifesto ↗)“resources to education and preschools according to need”
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 builds on decentralisation: decisions should be made as close as possible to those affected, and small schools and preschools in rural areas should be given conditions to continue their work.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan builds on decentralisation: decisions should be made as close as possible to those affected, and small schools and preschools in rural areas should be given conditions to continue their work. A national regulation of group sizes and staffing ratios moves instead detailed decisions to the state and risks small rural preschools in particular. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demand for statutory key figures.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bygger på decentralisering: beslut ska fattas så nära dem som berörs som möjligt, och små skolor och förskolor på landsbygden ska ges förutsättningar att fortsätta sin verksamhet. En nationell lagreglering av barngruppernas storlek och personaltäthet flyttar i stället detaljbeslut till staten och riskerar särskilt de små landsbygdsförskolorna. Planen talar därför emot motförslagets krav på lagreglerade nyckeltal.
- protect small rural preschoolsdecisive»Skolan ska bli bättre och mer likvärdig i hela landet. Det fria skolvalet ska värnas och små skolor och förskolor på landsbygden ges förutsättningar att fortsätta sin verksamhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Schools shall become better and more equal throughout the country. Free school choice shall be protected and small schools and preschools in rural areas given conditions to continue their operations.”
- decentralised decision-making»Decentralisera mera. Människor ska få bestämma mer själva, och politiska beslut ska fattas nära dem som berörs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decentralise further. People shall have more say themselves, and political decisions shall be made close to those affected.”
- decisions close to the individual»beslut i första hand ska fattas av människor själva, eller så nära den enskilda människan som möjligt« (party programme ↗)“decisions shall primarily be made by people themselves, or as close to the individual as possible”
- power close to daily life»Decentralisering handlar om att flytta makten närmare människors vardag.« (party programme ↗)“Decentralisation is about bringing power closer to people's everyday lives.”
The plan prioritizes expanding preschool so that more children get places and wants to provide better conditions for small independent preschools.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan prioritizes expanding preschool so that more children get places and wants to provide better conditions for small independent preschools. There is no commitment to legally regulated group size or staff ratios, and the liberal skepticism of increased public power claims argues against such detail regulation. The conclusion is therefore derived and uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Planen prioriterar att bygga ut förskolan så att fler barn får plats och vill ge bättre förutsättningar för små fristående förskolor. Något åtagande om lagreglerad gruppstorlek eller personaltäthet finns inte, och den liberala skepsisen mot ökade offentliga maktanspråk talar mot en sådan detaljreglering. Slutsatsen är därför härledd och osäker.
- expanded preschool is prioritizeddecisive»Vi vill bygga ut förskolan och satsa på det svenska språket.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to expand preschool and invest in the Swedish language.”
- gradual expansion»Den allmänna förskolan ska successivt byggas ut.« (party programme ↗)“Public preschool shall be gradually expanded.”
- diversity of small providers»förutsättningar för föräldrakooperativ och andra små fristående förskolor och skolor.« (party programme ↗)“conditions for parent cooperatives and other small independent preschools and schools.”
- skepticism of detail control»en sund skepsis mot ökade offentliga maktanspråk« (party programme ↗)“healthy skepticism of increased public power claims”
The plan sets a needs-based standard for child group size, not a fixed number, and requires that preschool activities are flexible and meet the individual child's needs.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan sets a needs-based standard for child group size, not a fixed number, and requires that preschool activities are flexible and meet the individual child's needs. According to the subsidiarity principle, what a smaller community can manage should also be handled there, and the burden of proof lies with those who want to move the decision upwards. A statutory staff ratio based on the Norwegian model therefore goes beyond what the plan advocates, even though the plan's concern for small child groups points in the direction of the counter-proposal.
Original (Swedish)
Planen sätter en behovsbaserad norm för barngruppernas storlek, inte ett fast tal, och kräver att förskoleverksamheten är flexibel och möter det enskilda barnets behov. Enligt subsidiaritetsprincipen ska det som en mindre gemenskap klarar av också skötas där, och bevisbördan ligger på den som vill flytta beslutet uppåt. En lagreglerad personaltäthet efter norsk förebild går därför utöver vad planen förordar, även om planens omsorg om små barngrupper pekar åt motförslagets håll.
- flexible needs-driven preschooldecisive»Förskoleverksamheten ska vara flexibel till sin karaktär och möta det enskilda barnets behov.« (party programme ↗)“Preschool activities shall be flexible in nature and meet the individual child's needs.”
- the subsidiarity principle»Det en gemenskap på ett ändamålsenligt sätt kan sköta ska den också få sköta.« (party programme ↗)“What a community can manage in a practical way should also be allowed to manage.”
- child groups according to children's needs»Gruppstorlekarna får inte vara större än att varje barn kan få sina behov tillgodosedda.« (party programme ↗)“Group sizes shall not be larger than each child can have their needs met.”
The plan's preschool commitment concerns mandatory language preschool for children with inadequate language development, not legally regulated child groups or staff ratios.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's preschool commitment concerns mandatory language preschool for children with inadequate language development, not legally regulated child groups or staff ratios. The plan instead emphasizes that new reforms must be financed and that large needs within the legal system, defence and welfare require hard prioritizations. A cost-driving national staffing norm thus falls outside what the plan stands behind.
Original (Swedish)
Planens förskoleåtagande gäller obligatorisk språkförskola för barn med bristande språkutveckling, inte lagreglerade barngrupper eller personaltäthet. Planen betonar i stället att nya reformer måste finansieras och att de stora behoven inom rättsväsende, försvar och välfärd kräver hårda prioriteringar. En kostnadsdrivande nationell bemanningsnorm ligger därför utanför vad planen ställer sig bakom.
- language preschool as preschool interventiondecisive»Införa obligatorisk språkförskola för barn som visar en bristande språkutveckling« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce mandatory language preschool for children who show inadequate language development”
- hard prioritizations needed»De stora behoven inom rättsväsendet, försvaret och välfärden ställer stora krav på prioriteringar under åren som kommer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Large needs within the legal system, defence and welfare place large demands on prioritizations in the years to come.”
- financed reforms»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.”
- children's development prioritized»Samhällets viktigaste investering för framtiden är barns utveckling.« (party programme ↗)“Society's most important investment for the future is children's development.”
The election manifesto explicitly promises to establish a maximum limit for the number of children per adult in childcare and points out excessively large child groups as a serious problem.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly promises to establish a maximum limit for the number of children per adult in childcare and points out excessively large child groups as a serious problem. The counter-proposal's requirement for regulated group size and staff density is the same thing in substance. The party programme reinforces that child groups shall be as small as possible.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar uttryckligen att upprätta en maxgräns för antalet barn per vuxen i barnomsorgen och pekar ut för stora barngrupper som ett kraftigt problem. Motförslagets krav på reglerad gruppstorlek och personaltäthet är samma sak i sak. Principprogrammet förstärker att barngrupperna ska vara så små som möjligt.
- maximum children per adultdecisive»Upprätta en maxgräns för antalet barn per vuxen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Establish a maximum limit for the number of children per adult.”
- large child groups are a problem»Svensk barnomsorg dras med kraftiga problem såsom för stora barngrupper, utbränd personal, brister i svenska språket och allt mer åtstramade ekonomiska möjligheter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish childcare is plagued by serious problems such as excessively large child groups, burned-out staff, gaps in Swedish language and increasingly strained financial possibilities.”
- small child groups as principle»Centralt inom alla former av barnomsorg är att barngrupperna skall vara så små som« (party programme ↗)“Central to all forms of childcare is that child groups shall be as small as”
- better residence environment for children»Förbättra personalens arbetsmiljö och barnens vistelsemiljö« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Improve staff working environment and children's residence environment.”
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.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2025/26:UbU6)
- Committee report full text (HD01UbU6)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2025/26:1200 — Ingen obligatorisk förskola av Caroline Högström (M)
- Motion 2025/26:1383 — Bemanningsriktlinjer i förskolan av Marcus Andersson (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1709 — Flexibilitet för kommunerna i att erbjuda förskola för äldre barn med hemmavarande syskon av Staffan Eklöf (SD)
- Motion 2025/26:1805 — Barnomsorg på obekväm arbetstid av Aida Birinxhiku (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1831 — Trygg barnomsorg även kvällar, nätter och helger av Johanna Haraldsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1896 — Skyddad yrkestitel för barnskötare av Johan Andersson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1904 — Rätt till fritis för alla barn av Magnus Manhammar (S)
- Motion 2025/26:2021 — Stärkt nationell kvalitetskontroll för en likvärdig förskola av Johanna Rantsi (M)
- Motion 2025/26:2563 — Förskoleavgiften under perioden då det är sommarstängt av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD)
- Motion 2025/26:2577 — Barnomsorg på obekväm arbetstid av Saila Quicklund (M)
- Motion 2025/26:2696 — Barnomsorg på kvällar, nätter och helger av Magnus Manhammar (S)
- Motion 2025/26:2791 — En jämlik förskola, skola och vuxenutbildning för alla av Isabell Mixter m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:3186 — En skola för kunskap och livsresor av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2025/26:3364 — Förskola och skola för en hållbar framtid av Camilla Hansén m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:3499 — Avskaffande av pedagogisk omsorg av Helene Odenjung och Gulan Avci (båda L)
- Motion 2025/26:3591 — Jämställdhet och mäns våld mot kvinnor av Ardalan Shekarabi m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:3618 — Maxstorlekar för barngrupper i förskolan av Patrik Karlson (L)
- Motion 2025/26:3810 — Utgiftsområde 16 Utbildning och universitetsforskning av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:3861 — med anledning av skr. 2025/26:67 Riksrevisionens rapport om likvärdighet i förskolan - statens stöd, uppföljning och tillsyn av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2025/26:3863 — med anledning av skr. 2025/26:67 Riksrevisionens rapport om likvärdighet i förskolan - statens stöd, uppföljning och tillsyn av Anders Ygeman m.fl. (S)
Source: The Swedish Parliament