Preschool

Fredrik Malm (L)

Mr. Speaker! We now have to debate the fourth report from the Education Committee during this parliamentary session. It concerns preschool and various motions that have been submitted during the general motion period and which the committee has subsequently reported on.

Mr. Speaker! Let me begin by saying that previous generations in Sweden have not only fought to introduce Swedish democracy, parliamentarism, constitutionally protected civil rights and other very important things, but in parallel with this, they have also fought to build a welfare state in Sweden. The principle is that everyone is involved and pays, and that everyone also gets something out of the welfare when they need it.

The idea with this is that when we are very young, and even when we are very old, we get a lot out of the Swedish welfare system. It is so that we can go to daycare, or preschool as it has been called for a number of years now. There, the foundation for lifelong learning is laid. We shall grow as individuals, we shall grow socially and gain knowledge and so on.

Preschool

This is something that is very important, not only so that we can grow as individuals but for the cohesion in Sweden, that we have something in common and that we also early lay the foundation for the common values that we have, so that the growing generation and the generation after it get to share and learn about such things that shall characterize our society moving forward.

We do not want a very fragmented society. We want a society with diversity. But we also have common values and principles that it is very important for our children and youth to feel they are a part of early on, so that we can be an inclusive society.

Preschool is a fantastic invention in the Swedish welfare state. It does not only mean that one is prepared for school, but also that one can grow socially. And in a modern society and a society like the Swedish one, which is very multifaceted, preschool fulfills a very important function so that children can also be able to take part in and be able to see something other than what exists at home inside the four walls of the apartment or house where they live. One can get other friends and other perspectives.

Preschool represents an environmental change that I do not think one should underestimate. This is particularly important for many children and young people who are newly arrived and who have not lived in Sweden for very long. They may live very cramped in socially vulnerable areas and so on. There is much theory formation regarding this within sociology concerning what is called closure. In the unmodern parts of modern Sweden today, there are children who, for example, are excluded or controlled through, for example, honor culture or other things. The opportunity to attend preschool means that one can push oneself out of the context one finds oneself in by broadening one's horizons, seeing other perspectives, and so on. These are incredibly important processes, especially for children where preschool plays a key role.

Mr. Speaker! The vast majority of children in Sweden attend preschool today. But we see, particularly among children with foreign-born parents, among children in vulnerable areas and among newly arrived children, that the proportion of children attending preschool is significantly smaller. Therefore, the Riksdag decided during the last parliamentary session to amend the legislation and the regulations so that the municipalities now have a much clearer obligation to, I imagine, through outreach activities, find the children who are not enrolled in preschool when the children are three years old in order to make parents see the importance of their children having the opportunity to attend preschool. This is also very important, Mr. Speaker, because it can involve parents who perhaps do not know about preschool because there was no preschool in the home country. There may also be a skepticism towards Swedish public society, authorities and other things, which it is important that one can break down in dialogue with these parents, so that their children can also attend preschool and do not become locked in a home environment and face huge problems when they then start in the regular Swedish school and, for example, lag far behind in language development. This is therefore an issue that is very important to take up. Preschool has an enormously important function in contributing to our ability to break the exclusion that exists in our country.

Mr. Speaker! If one looks at knowledge and knowledge development, children in the ages of three to six years are incredibly receptive, capable of taking in knowledge. This means that the opportunity to attend a high-quality preschool with trained preschool teachers and with versatile teaching mixed with pedagogy, play, plenty of outdoor time, and so on, provides an enormous leverage for learning. It is very difficult to see how one is to get this leverage if one is in a completely different environment where one perhaps only meets, for example, one's parents. This means that the preschool fills a very important role in, so to speak, broadening the opportunities for our children and youth to receive impulses from other sources and much more.

Mr. Speaker! Since many other interesting aspects are raised in this report. And the government is working very hard on these issues from several aspects, both to break exclusion and to be able to get more qualified preschool teachers, which of course is very important. It is important that we achieve a quality in our preschool across the entire country and that also provides equality. There should be no difference whether one lives in Nässjö, Stockholm, Malmö or Älvkarleby when it comes to what opportunities one has to attend a good preschool.

With this, I move for the approval of the proposal in the report.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mats Wiking (S)

Mr. Speaker! I would first like to send a greeting to Rose-Marie Carlsson, who was supposed to deliver this speech today but unfortunately cannot be present. I have therefore stepped in instead.

Mr. Speaker! Preschool lays the foundation for lifelong learning and is an obvious part of the school system. Every day, more than 500,000 children go to preschool, a preschool that is built on knowledge, care, and learning. It is a preschool that meets the children where they are and lets the children grow from their own circumstances and a preschool that meets the children with competent and educated staff.

Mr. Speaker! We have had a significant expansion of the number of preschool places over several years, and it has not solely been due to the baby boom. From my own experience, I know that today, less suitable premises are being vacated for new preschools that are better adapted to today's requirements. And I believe it looks the same in our entire long country.

The preschool's mission has changed over time, this in order to give the staff better conditions to fulfill their mission. It also gives the preschool better conditions to work with smaller child groups, with the children's participation and with the possibility of different learning environments. And last but not least, it is about the staff's working environment.

Mr. Speaker! The size of the children's groups must continue to decrease, and it must be more attractive to work in preschool. It is crucial that we can recruit and retain qualified staff and that there is an equal quality between preschools throughout Sweden. The latter is not least about continuing to invest in preschools in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and ensuring that all children, regardless of social background, have access to preschool.

Mr. Speaker! As I have said before, preschool is a part of the school system. Despite this, we have a form of care that is not a part of this. I am referring to pedagogical care. However, tightenings have been made in the law. And from January 1, 2023, ownership and management reviews also apply, which is welcome.

When it comes to preschool, the previous Social Democratic-led government introduced a new state grant for quality-enhancing measures. In preschool, the grant amounted to 4.3 billion kronor in 2022, which is an increase of approximately 400 million.

The state grant is welcome, and it must not only be used to reduce the size of the children's groups but must also be used to retain and recruit staff in the preschool as well as for competence development for preschool teachers and other staff working in the operation.

Mr. Speaker! The Education Act emphasizes the importance of preschool teachers, and the curriculum emphasizes the collective competence of the work team, where childcare workers constitute a large part. We also know that many who work in preschools lack relevant education. Therefore, we Social Democrats, in the same way as in elderly care with the Elderly Care Boost, want to introduce a preschool boost.

Mr. Speaker! When it comes to childcare workers, there is a vast array of different qualifications. Even though it is the employer who hires and decides what is relevant, we Social Democrats believe that, in the same way as when it concerns nursing assistants, an inquiry should be commissioned to examine what it would mean if childcare worker also became a protected professional title.

We Social Democrats are completely convinced that it is a good way to increase the quality and equality in Swedish preschool.

Mr. Speaker! Preschool is an important protective factor, and to succeed in school, it matters a great deal whether the children have been in preschool. Despite the fact that over 90 percent of all children attend preschool - which can be compared to the 70s when it was 10 percent - there are still far too many who are left out. A good preschool for all is a cornerstone for equality. Preschool gives everyone - regardless of other circumstances - a safer, more educational, and more stimulating upbringing.

I know that extensive work is being carried out with outreach activities, open preschools, and family centers all over the country, but it is not enough. Therefore, I am extra glad that the previous government has put forward proposals that the municipalities are obliged to conduct outreach activities and to offer preschool places for children over three years old who are not enrolled in preschool. Most often, it is for these children, who have the toughest upbringing conditions, that the preschool will have the greatest significance.

The combination of an outreach activity and a concrete offer of a place is crucial for reaching the children who are in need of support for better language development in Swedish and for the parents' opportunity to go to work. By ensuring all children's right to preschool, the children are given better conditions to manage the future school. It is an important investment in equality in our society. The reform enters into force on July 1 and will be interesting to follow.

Mr. Speaker! That preschool is the glue in our social construction should be beyond any doubt. We have quite recently gone through a pandemic, where preschool played an important role for society to be able to continue functioning. At the same time, preschool is a safe place for the children when a lot is happening in society and in the world.

In our immediate vicinity, in Ukraine, a war is currently ongoing, and recently there were earthquakes in Turkey and in Syria. These terrible events affect not only adults but also children. Adults talk about it, and children become anxious and wonder what is happening. Therefore, it is important that the preschool is a safe place where children can get answers to their questions and reflections. I would like to assert that without the preschool, Sweden stands still.

We in the Social Democrats stand by our reservations, but I only move for approval of reservation 1.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Noria Manouchi (M)

Mr. Speaker! Swedish preschool teachers, childcare workers, and principals should be commended for the enormous work they put in to be able to deliver an operation for the children that is as safe and high-quality as possible. They also do this under conditions that must improve during this mandate period. The fact is that far too little has been done in this area over the last eight years. Instead, the strategy has seemed to be to wait, postpone, and ignore the problems that have arisen and the solutions they required.

Thankfully, the Swedish people have voted for a majority for a Moderate-led government that both wants and can get things done. Together with our colleagues in the government base, we have made the Swedish school system one of the government's six most prioritized areas. This bodes well for the future. Now we can finally focus on knowledge, quality, and safety, which are crucial factors for ensuring that every child's needs can be met.

The preschool's role is immensely important in Swedish society. We can thank the Alliance government 2006-2014 for the reforms that were implemented then. The preschool became its own school form and received a new curriculum which, among other things, led to the children getting to learn about nature and technology. All children from the age of three were given the right to general, free preschool for 15 hours a week. The learning mandate was clarified, and with it, the preschool's role in our society was strengthened.

It is truly a stroke of luck, Mr. Speaker, that all of this was able to be put in place before the Social Democrat Stefan Löfven became Prime Minister. At that time, the reforms were omitted and the positive development of Swedish preschool stopped. The proportion of staff with a preschool teacher degree decreased, and today over 30,000 qualified preschool teachers are missing. That is the result after eight years with a Social Democratic government.

Mr. Speaker! That the challenges are many and the problems large is nothing new under the sun after the Social Democrats have been in power for a longer period. Now, investments are required so that there will be more preschool teachers, the working environment better, and the children happier. One needs to ensure that every child is well-equipped for primary school. Preschool is crucial in the Swedish school system. It is visible in the international measurements and in our own.

I want to urge every employer, whether municipal or independent, to do what they can. Of the government's investment of 1.6 billion SEK, 400 million goes towards increasing the state grant to reduce the size of children's groups and recruit staff. The preschool's most important resource is, after all, the staff.

Good teaching and stable pedagogical leadership are crucial for quality to be achieved. Therefore, the establishment of a professional program is an important and long-term measure to increase equality, to make it more attractive to take a job within preschool, and to develop the teaching. That 3 of the 19 members of the professional council appointed so far are preschool teachers sends a very clear signal about how relevant this school form is.

Mr. Speaker! I want to conclude by saying something about the Swedish language. I usually do it in the preschool debates, and I want to do it this time as well. Language is the key to our common society, to exercising one's rights, and to being able to live side by side with one's fellow human beings, whom one then also understands and can make oneself understood by. That key is every child's right, and their right should constitute our duty. During the last parliamentary term, we got the Moderates to pass an announcement on the importance of the Swedish language, and with the Tidö Agreement, we will finally get a language preschool in place.

I move for approval of the proposals in the report.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mats Wiking (S)

Mr. Speaker! It is interesting to listen to the member from Moderaterna saying that we Social Democrats have done nothing during eight years. If we look at the size of the children's groups, for example, it has actually decreased during the period 2014-2018 from an average of 16.9 children in 2014 to under 15.5 today, according to the national statistics, which I believe the member from Moderaterna can also read. It is a significant reduction. The staff density has also increased from that measure.

The Social Democrats reintroduced targets for the size of children's groups and invested 1 billion per year to reduce them. We also invested in the preschools that face the greatest challenges. That deserves a certain humility from the member.

When it comes to how things look in municipal Sweden right now - I am myself a member of the municipal council in Trollhättan - cuts are being discussed in almost all municipalities and regions. How does the member think that the cuts being made in the municipalities based on the state grants will help the preschools to, for example, reduce the children's groups, increase competence and make the profession more attractive?

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Noria Manouchi (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is nice that the member appreciated my speech or at least thought it was fun to listen to!

There is a shortage of 30,000 qualified preschool teachers. This is the result of your policy, Mats Wiking. When one goes out into the country, it is not cheers or hurrahs that one is met with from Swedish preschools, but rather what one is met with are stories from operations in crisis. This is the final result after your years in government, and it is this that we now need to take care of.

The Leader of the Opposition spoke about cuts in the municipalities. I am very familiar with them. I come from a municipality called Malmö, where the Social Democrats are notoriously cutting back in schools. Hundreds of millions are being cut in schools and preschools. Until now, the opposition, with the Moderates at the forefront, has every time – thank goodness – put a stop to Social Democratic cuts.

In my speech, I addressed the importance of the municipalities and the heads of departments, both independent and municipal, taking greater responsibility for their operations. I mean it when I say it, but it also applies to Social Democrats outside of this building.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Mats Wiking (S)

Mr. Speaker! I believe a little humility is in order. There is certainly a lot of criticism to be directed at how both social democratically governed and moderately governed municipalities are managed. The fact is, however, that SKR requested over 20 billion kronor extra to be able to maintain balance in the public sector during the coming years. This occurred before this year. The bourgeois government, with the support of SD, allocated half as much money as we in the Social Democrats did in our budget. We had not reached the sums that SKR desired, but we had a doubled budget based on the requests that came from the municipalities and the regions.

Here, both the government and the opposition can probably do many things better, but the fact remains that savings are being made out in the municipalities. A great responsibility lies with the government when it comes to listening to what needs the municipalities have so that the preschools can continue to develop. I, too, am met by staff who feel exhausted, both in bourgeois-led municipalities and in Social Democratic-led municipalities. Therefore, we who sit in the Riksdag – and especially you who sit in government positions – have a responsibility to listen to the demands and needs that the municipalities have to make the preschool activities better.

How will the government ensure that it gets better in preschool and smaller child groups there with a smaller budget for the municipalities and regions?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Noria Manouchi (M)

Mr. Speaker! The situation is tough; we must absolutely not sugarcoat that. It is often like that when the economy has been mismanaged over time. Then the situation is tough - for the government, in these debates, and out in the country among the municipalities. That is how it looks, and therefore one cannot give all the money they demand in different types of forums.

It is true that we need to hold tight to every krona and öre when the barns are so empty after eight years of S rule. That is how it looks.

But despite this situation, we refuse to let the Swedish school system be left without resources. We are allocating 5 billion extra during the mandate period and 1.6 billion during this year - 400 million of these funds are specifically targeted to reduce the children's groups that the member spoke about and to get more qualified preschool teachers.

We are willing to invest to address the issues that exist, but it is also important that the municipalities take their responsibility. We secure state grants that they can apply for and that they can receive, but it is important that the municipalities take their responsibility. In tough times, municipalities cannot prioritize skateboard coordinators instead of preschool teachers. In tough times, municipalities cannot prioritize plastic corners over preschool teachers. In tough times, Social Democratic municipalities must also take their responsibility.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Daniel Riazat (V)

Mr. Speaker! I can pick up where Noria Manouchi left off and say this: In tough times, perhaps one does not appoint ministers who have served crispbread and water to preschool children. In tough times, one does not hold onto ideological blinkers that concern defending the venture capital companies within the preschool. In tough times, one does not talk about investing in the country's municipalities when one de facto does the opposite in order to be able to finance tax cuts for the country's millionaires and billionaires.

In tough times, one must not have an irresponsible policy so that the country's economy goes completely in the wrong direction. We have been told that the failed electricity support that the government has come up with has led to the state's budget running at a deficit right now. Where are these monies taken from? These monies are taken - later - from the preschool children and from the staff in the preschool and the school.

My question to the Moderate Member of Parliament Noria Manouchi is: How can the Moderates stand here and talk about investing in preschool after what is claimed to have been several failed years? I will add that I have not been satisfied with everything that has happened in recent years. But how can the Moderates stand here and talk about investing in specifically preschool when one, just as Mats Wiking said here earlier, does not at all fulfill the requests that exist from the country's municipalities? In a majority of the municipalities, the Moderates were involved during the last parliamentary term and made large cuts in, among other things, the budget for preschool. How can Noria Manouchi then stand here and talk about investing in preschool?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Noria Manouchi (M)

Mr. Speaker! Yes, Daniel Riazat, I do not want to dream of the day when the Left Party gets to appoint ministers. It would be nightmares, in fact.

It is easy for you in Vänsterpartiet to reject responsibility in all possible matters because you are rarely willing to bear it.

I would like to say this: Both in this chamber and in many of the municipalities across the country, Vänsterpartiet supports different types of socialist governments or is involved in them. In that, Vänsterpartiet bears a responsibility. Vänsterpartiet has been involved in submitting proposals and voting through cuts in municipalities' school budgets. That is the case.

It is not always that way, however. Once upon a time, the Left Party, for example, joined with the Sweden Democrats and the Moderates in Malmö and stopped a cut. You in the Left Party should be honored for that – even you can look beyond party blinkers and party labels to step up when required.

For a Moderate like me, it is not at all difficult to talk about how we can invest in schools and preschools. I know what it is like to go to school when cuts are made in them. Therefore, it is no problem for me to stand and talk about the 5 billion that are being allocated during this mandate period or the 1.6 billion that are being allocated during this year. It is also no problem for me to talk about the 400 million that are to go towards reducing the children's groups and towards hiring more qualified preschool teachers. It is not difficult for me.

The problems that we have in Swedish preschool will take time to address, but it is not difficult for me to present the solutions that we have for these problems.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Daniel Riazat (V)

Mr. Speaker! I do not really know which socialist governments Noria Manouchi was talking about. However, I would very much like to know where they are, because I want to go there.

I must raise the issue of the budget again. When the Moderaterna during the previous mandate period governed a majority of the country's municipalities, enormous cuts were made on exactly preschool and school. When the Moderaterna held government power before the two Social Democratic mandate periods, they made enormous cuts on, lo and behold, preschool and school. Now that the Moderaterna have come to power, they have presented a budget that again involves cuts on preschool and school.

To then stand in the speaker's chair and talk about how the Moderaterna always invest, now 5 billion indeed, and that all parties have had to make cuts is not much comfort for all those tens of thousands of teachers, preschool teachers, and childcare workers who have far too large child groups and who have seen what Moderate rule in municipalities has led to. It is also not much to cheer for for all those parents who have seen Swedish welfare dismantled because of the tax cuts the Moderaterna have made for the richest.

Here, it is a matter of making a choice. Either one lowers the tax for the very richest in society, or one pursues an economic policy for equality. We choose to invest in economic equality, which means that we listen to SKR when they say how many billions the welfare needs. Why do the Moderates not listen to SKR when it comes to how much money the welfare needs?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Noria Manouchi (M)

Mr. Speaker! The barns are empty. It is difficult to invest as much as one wants to after a Social Democratic government has mismanaged the Swedish economy for eight years.

Despite this, the Moderate-led government is investing in the Swedish school system and is allocating 5 billion during the mandate period, of which 1.6 billion is this year. It is 400 million that will go towards reducing the size of children's groups and towards us getting more qualified preschool teachers. That is what you get with a Moderate-led government.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Anders Alftberg (SD)

Mr. Speaker! I move for the approval of reservation 2.

We have much to be proud of when it comes to Swedish preschool. The large expansion of preschool activities in the 70s gave women the opportunity to enter the labor market and become independent, more economically independent individuals. At that time, preschool was perhaps seen mostly as a place where the children should be when mom and dad were at work. Much has happened since then regarding pedagogy, methodology, and ambition levels - for both better and worse.

And with our children spending more and more time in preschool, the temptation for politicians to shape the children according to their ideological and political thoughts has also increased. It has become increasingly common with pedagogical fads in preschool, not infrequently with a political slant.

An example of this is what is called gender pedagogy. It is a collective term for various methods aimed at counteracting so-called stereotypical gender norms. This area has today become a wild west where a sea of ideas and ways of working are tested and experimented with in our preschools and on our children. These are methods that most often neither rest on a scientific basis nor on proven experience, which the Education Act requires.

Even more worrying is that different types of coercive methods are used frequently within the field - or so-called counter-steering, as the gender educators like to call it. They consider that the child is already living under the coercion that gender roles have created, and therefore they have the right to force the child to play in a different way, play with other toys or wear other clothes. If your daughter insists on wearing her princess dress to preschool, you risk getting a severe scolding from the staff.

The Sweden Democrats consider that preschool should be a place free from pedagogical experiments. Preschool should therefore not conduct gender-pedagogical activities as they appear today. Preschool should let children be children. Through free play, we get free and independent individuals.

Mr. Speaker! To bring up all our proposals regarding the preschool area in a single speech is not possible. However, I do want to bring up the issue of the Swedish language in preschool.

Sweden faces major societal challenges, and many of them are directly linked to the increasing segregation. Here, the preschool has an important role to play. Mastering the Swedish language is the single most important factor for successful integration. Children who do not do so when they leave preschool and take the step up into primary school have great difficulties succeeding with their education.

It is therefore alarming that we are repeatedly met with reports that the preschool staff's knowledge of Swedish in some parts of the country is so substandard that the children's language development suffers. So, we obviously cannot have that.

The government should therefore even more consider the importance of the Swedish language in preschool and consider that all pedagogical preschool staff should be certified in the Swedish language to be employed. The government should also consider certification in the Swedish language for admission to education for childcare workers, preschool teachers, and principals. If the staff cannot speak Swedish properly, how then will the children learn the language well?

Mr. Speaker! A great responsibility rests on us politicians. Swedish preschools shall provide children with the best possible care, security, and stimulation for successful learning and development. I look forward to, during the coming mandate period and in cooperation with the other parties, creating the best conditions for this.

(Applause)

In this speech, Patrick Reslow and Robert Stenkvist (both SD) concurred.

(cont. § 12)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)