(cont. from § 12) Student support (cont. UbU7)

Oliver Rosengren (M)

Mr. Speaker! Student financial aid secures students' economic situation and strengthens Sweden's competitiveness and adaptability in our economy. Student support is a fundamental pillar in our education system and has contributed to Sweden being ranked as one of the world's most equal countries when it comes to access to higher education.

Through our proposal, we demonstrate an awareness of the challenges we face while simultaneously safeguarding the system's efficiency and sustainability. A review of the student grant system has been announced. It is, for example, important that we take measures to increase the throughput.

Mr. Speaker! Sweden is in a time of rapid change, not least on the labor market. Digitalization, changes due to the climate transition, and an aging population are creating new competence needs. To meet these, we need to make it possible for more people to educate themselves and for more people to change careers in the middle of life. Here, the transition study support plays a decisive role. It gives adults the opportunity to finance studies that strengthen their position on the labor market, which in turn strengthens the economy and benefits the whole society.

An evaluation of the transition study support was recently released, conducted by researchers on behalf of Studieförbundet Näringsliv och Samhälle. It showed some shortcomings, but one must also remember that the transition reform is new. The important thing is to nurture the reform and to safeguard the accuracy for the tax resources available in the transition study support.

We have also taken into account the great interest that this support has shown to have. We have previously decided on both simplifications of rules and temporary resource reinforcements to CSN in order to reduce processing times. One must receive their notice in time to be able to start their education. It is a responsibility for an important reform. It shows that we do not just take new initiatives but that we also ensure that they work in practice. We take responsibility for the reforms we implement.

At the same time as we do this, we also strengthen the possibility for education by prioritizing more places within vocational adult education and higher education. This initiative is not only an investment in people but also in Sweden's future growth and competitiveness. For those who take these courses, there must also, of course, be student grants, and therefore we take responsibility for this. By increasing access to education in shortage occupations, we contribute to meeting the labor market's needs and the transition that is required in the economy.

Mr. Speaker! Let us take the question of the write-off of student loans for persons who work in rural areas or in shortage occupations as an example. Vänsterpartiet and Centerpartiet propose this. Research shows that such measures have a limited effect and can be perceived as unfair by other borrowers. Instead of subsidizing previous loans, we want to work to ensure that the functionality of the entire labor market is strengthened. It is a strategy that provides more long-term effect.

Mr. Speaker! When it comes to the study start support, which the Social Democrats and the Left Party want to reintroduce, we have chosen a different path. The National Audit Office's report shows that a significant proportion of those who receive the support already have a high school education, which is not in line with the purpose of the support. To phase out the support and instead focus on effective, targeted measures is the more responsible path.

Mr. Speaker! We are also ensuring that we strengthen other systems that support people with short education, for example, the possibility of receiving activity support while studying. Furthermore, investigations are underway to clarify the division of roles between the state and the municipality in order to optimize support for students with great needs and for those who are long-term unemployed.

There is at least one important thing to say about this change, Mr. Speaker. The Swedish National Audit Office's report on this shows that only three out of ten of those who have been assigned regular education with activity support by Arbetsförmedlingen sign up and participate. This suggests that we need to clarify the requirements. Previously, the explanation – or the excuse – for why more of all those who are unemployed because they lack education do not educate themselves for work has been an unwillingness to take loans like everyone else. But here, there is an opportunity not to have to take loans but instead receive activity support. This also does not seem to make it so that those who are unemployed and lack education educate themselves for work. Here, we need to clarify the requirements in our systems.

Mr. Speaker! When we last gathered to discuss student grants, the sloppy Social Democratic party beat its chest and claimed that they wanted to increase student grants. It turned out to be an empty promise. In their budget, there was no money for student grants for upper secondary school students. When Magdalena Andersson was Finance Minister in Sweden, we were subjected to seven difficult, sloppy years, and it now seems to have become a culture within the Social Democrats.

When I just asked questions to parliamentary colleague Niklas Sigvardsson, he admitted that they had been careless. There is no money. The money is on the wrong budget item. Good. I think that is an honorable admission of a mistake that can obviously be made if one does not keep sufficient track of the spreadsheets.

In today's debate, I want answers to some important questions. Have the Social Democrats apologized for having deceived high school students all over the country with this promise? How many high school classes have been deceived here in the Riksdag, who have been invited here to receive information about the parliamentary work but instead were told that "if only our budget had passed, you would have received higher study grants," when there is no money for this in the budget being presented? Have corrections been sent out to these classes and to the students who have been here in the Riksdag and heard this?

Members of Parliament have an important responsibility for a truthful political conversation. I hope that the Social Democrats in this debate disclose which upper secondary school students risk being deceived with promises that are not funded in the Social Democrats' budget and what measures they have taken so that no young person comes here to the Riksdag to receive information about the parliamentary work and leaves here with falsehoods in their backpack. One can, of course, focus on talking points, but the important thing in politics is, after all, budget items - and those must be kept in order.

Mr. Speaker! Our goals for student support are clear: It shall contribute to high participation in education regardless of background, act as a recruiting tool for everyone, and provide a good socio-economic effect over time. The opposition, on the other hand, is fragmented and furthermore has sloppy, irresponsible, unfunded proposals.

Our policy shows that it is possible to combine broad access to education with economic responsibility by focusing on the right measures, in the right place and at the right time. In this way, we strengthen everyone's opportunity for education and our society's future.

Mr. Speaker! I vote in favor of the committee's proposal.

(Applause)

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

Nadja Awad (V)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, the member, for the speech, even though a number of different accusations were directed at, among others, the Left Party. I requested the floor to simply answer them with a number of new questions.

The member of the opposition mentions the write-off of student loans to enable students to stay in rural areas and ensure that the supply of skills in the countryside does not deteriorate. This write-off would, the member argues, be unfair and not even possible. He refers to a number of different research studies. I wonder: What is the research the member is referring to? It is very exciting when this government suddenly thinks it is important with evidence, when at all other times they do not think it is so incredibly important.

There is a municipal investigation which argues that Norway's way, to enable the write-off of parts of the student loan, has been successful. Young people who have finished their education have actually, to a greater extent, chosen to stay and work in smaller places in the countryside after completing their studies. It is quite interesting that the member refers to research, when there are many different examples of this having succeeded.

Regarding the study start support, it is correct that it has been shown that incorrect payments have been made to persons who already have upper secondary school competence. But as the National Audit Office states, the errors committed concern the fact that the support has been administered incorrectly by, among others, the government, authorities, and municipalities. What does the member have to say about this?

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

Oliver Rosengren (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Member Awad, for the questions!

The most important thing for securing the supply of skills in the countryside is that we ensure there are good opportunities for a high quality of life all over Sweden and that jobs are being created. The comparisons that have been made of various measures also show that the absolute most important thing to ensure the supply of skills in sparsely populated areas and in the countryside is that there are jobs there, not that, for example, as is proposed here, the loans are subsidized.

There is an important discussion to be had regarding how we should handle student loans. We have, for example, proposed that student loans should be written off for police officers, in cases where one continues to work as a police officer. We believe that there are substantial differences between the police profession and other professions. This involves, for example, that the police profession is part of the monopoly on violence, that it involves a special education, and that one can only have the Police Authority as an employer. Our proposed construction is that one should receive this write-off only if one also subsequently works within the police.

One could have imagined that Vänsterpartiet would present well-considered proposals for a similar system where those who educate themselves and then work within one of a series of clear shortage occupations should have a similar opportunity, but I cannot perceive in the debate that Vänsterpartiet puts forward that is the way they have intended. Instead, they want to cast a wide net so that all persons who have completed certain educations should receive this type of write-off. It risks leading to an inefficient use of tax revenue.

Sweden already has one of the world's most generous student grant systems. We should be proud of that; it creates opportunities for many. But one must be extra careful when one wants to give certain groups greater benefits than others.

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

Nadja Awad (V)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, member, for the answer!

The member states that jobs are needed in the countryside. But the member represents a party that is part of the government, and the government is responsible for the fact that unemployment in Sweden is the highest in ten years and the third highest in the EU. Almost half a million people are unemployed, and the member mentions that jobs are needed in the countryside! They are pursuing a work policy. What work policy is it that causes this massive, historic unemployment? I would not say that this government has enough merit to say that they have the policy to solve unemployment.

But as I mentioned: The study start support (studiestartsstödet) is aimed directly at the unemployed so that they can increase their competence and establish themselves on the labor market. The only support that is specifically aimed at the unemployed is the support that this government, together with the Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna), wants to phase out. How is this logical, in this time of record-high unemployment? I think the member should answer that question. I did not hear anything about the study start support and how one views that it is the government, authorities, and municipalities that have the responsibility to administer it, which has been done very poorly.

When it comes to the countryside and the need to ensure the supply of skills for the future, it is not only police that are needed in the countryside. One also needs welfare personnel - I specifically mentioned elderly care. Skills are needed within the tourism industry and for the massive climate transition work that needs to be done. It is not only police that are needed, member.

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

Oliver Rosengren (M)

Mr. Speaker! It is telling that the Left Party's proposal to handle unemployment is a measure that has been condemned as ineffective by auditing authorities. This could be used as an example of the Left Party's labor market policy. It aims, according to the kindest interpretation, to move people who are unemployed out of the labor force into permanent exclusion so that they do not appear in the statistics. There, they shall be hidden and forgotten. No one shall ask for you or want your ability to work at their workplace, but there you shall stay.

We have a different view of humanity. We believe that everyone is needed. We know that no one is useless and that the abilities that you, I, and everyone else have are needed for this society to function. Therefore, we have strengthened the incentives for work in the unemployment insurance fund through tapering throughout the entire unemployment insurance fund, including the activity support, and sharper tapering for all groups. Therefore, we are lowering the tax on work - so that everyone who works feels that it pays off more and so that it makes a difference to make an effort.

That is why we have tightened the requirements on Arbetsförmedlingen, so that their support is directed towards people and supports them back into work. One must not forget them but instead set clear requirements, because requirements are a way of caring.

It is for these reasons that we strengthen the work line in all different parts. We are preparing a grant reform. We are investing significant resources in vocational training so that unemployed people without education can train for work.

The policy that the Left Party has supported for a long time, however, led to that one even tried to forget that one had set a goal for the lowest unemployment in the EU. So we will not do that.

We take the problem seriously. We have an unacceptably high unemployment rate, and therefore we are strengthening the work line.

(Applause)

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

Anders Ådahl (C)

Mr. Speaker! Sweden is in many ways an absolutely fantastic, elongated country with large areas, lakes, and landscapes. We have an equality policy that has been driven forward by previous politicians over the years, so we have a largely equal country. We have an educational situation that makes us in the chamber of the Riksdag agree that we should have a generous and accessible student grant system.

In many respects, Sweden has progressed very well through the centuries and decades. Now we stand here in 2025 and look out and discuss the student grant system.

We can, however, see two worrying developments that have a direct bearing on today's debate topic. We see how Swedish research is steadily losing in quality. That is how it has been for 20-30 years. The Government presents a research proposition that does not see the problems but continues in established ruts. If Swedish research continues to decline, innovations will also decline. Then the quality of the companies will also decline.

Sweden's only chance to develop is that we manage to have a high knowledge content in the products and services that our companies develop. It is about products and services that go for export. It is Sweden's way of competing. We cannot compete with low wages in Sweden. It was a long time ago that we were such a country. We need a policy to strengthen Swedish research.

The second deeply worrying area is Swedish unemployment. We are one of Europe's worst countries when it comes to getting people into work. There is an enormous gap in the Swedish labor market. There are very many unemployed and at the same time many companies and public activities that are crying out for competent labor.

There is a gap between people's education and the jobs that exist and will exist in the future. Previously, industrial jobs and perhaps some craft jobs were relatively simple, but that is not the case today. We need to sharpen our education level. We need to match better in our country.

Centerpartiet pursues a policy regarding higher education and research that is built on three cornerstones. First and foremost, we want to see a strengthened academic freedom, because in that way we also build quality in our research and eventually innovation in our endeavors. We want to see a strengthened development of our universities, and we want, not least, an accessibility to higher education throughout the country and throughout life.

I want to point out two aspects regarding student support. One is that we want to develop – I shall not say "reform" – the student support, so that it becomes more flexible in order to better meet the labor market we have today. But we also want to make it more possible than it is today for students to take a job on the side. Let me say something about both of these proposals.

The labor market is certainly different in 2025 than it was just 10-20 years ago. It is not particularly likely that those who enter the labor market today will receive a gold watch after having been at the same workplace for 25 years. That is no longer how the labor market looks. We must adapt during our lives. We must find new opportunities. Technological development is accelerating.

Then we cannot have a student grant system that only targets people who, so to speak, live under normal circumstances, i.e., people who are 20 years old, have completed a high school track and are seeking further education. It is a student grant system that is rigid and square.

We need a flexible student grant system that also targets those who may be single parents in rural areas and do not have the possibility to travel to university towns and study. We need a student grant system that makes it possible for more people to pursue studies at a higher level.

We want to see a carrot in the system, and it is a graduation bonus. It is a system that exists in Norway and which functions well. This is for two reasons. The first is that today there are many who undergo long educations but might get a job before the studies are finished. It could be about data engineers, who are in very high demand. But in a few years, perhaps that person becomes unemployed and stands there without a degree. We want a carrot, so that one actually finishes their studies on time. The second concerns people who struggle with their education and who could finish their studies if they struggle a little more. Then they can receive a financial gratification. Therefore, I move for approval of reservation 6 regarding graduation bonuses and finishing studies on time.

The second aspect concerns work alongside studies. We have submitted a motion on this previously. We simply want to remove the free limit for student loans. The student grant is designed with a part that is a grant and a part that is a loan. We want to leave the grant as it is, but when it comes to the part that is a student loan, we want our youth, regardless of age, to be able to take a job on the side and not be punished for their diligence and hard work. It is quite reasonable.

We want to remove the exemption limit. It serves no purpose, quite simply. Now we find ourselves in a situation where one might be forced to opt out of a side job in the grocery store, or whatever it may be, because one is punished financially. We do not want to see such a system.

Mr. Speaker! The only reservation I can move to approve is therefore reservation 6, so I do so.

(Applause)

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

Lili André (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by expressing my support for the committee's proposal.

Sweden is in a time of change. It is pleasing to see how the government is actively strengthening our country's competitiveness on several fronts with an eye toward a more just and sustainable future. In this process of change, proper education, lifelong learning, and the labor market's need for competence play a central role.

The Government is actively working to ensure that our student support system is modern and inclusive and that it meets both the individual's and society's needs.

Therefore, I want to begin my speech by emphasizing the importance of a strong and inclusive student support system. We Christian Democrats are proud that Sweden has one of the world's most generous student support systems. This government is strengthening it step by step. The support provides the opportunity for education regardless of economic background and is a guarantee for equality and social stability.

At the same time, there are always areas where we can improve. Therefore, the government has announced a review of the student support to ensure that it is adapted to today's education system and labor market.

The foundations of today's student support system have existed since 2001. Since then, no major review has been carried out. Changes have, however, been made, and new supports have been introduced. As a Christian Democrat, I am pleased that the government is now carrying out a comprehensive review of the entire student support system, as student support shall also contribute to increased throughput in higher education. This is both a necessary and welcome measure to increase the quality within higher education, which strengthens Sweden's competitiveness.

Universities and colleges are hubs for excellence, specialized expertise, and advanced knowledge that we know drives development within both the business sector and the public sector. Through high-quality education and research, we can strengthen welfare, promote growth, and reclaim our position as a world-class research nation.

In a time of great changes in the labor market with a growing need for further education, reforms such as the transition study support are crucial. This support plays a central role in enabling career changes, strengthening skills, and contributing to the labor market's development in new ways.

Mr. Speaker! We are aware of the initial challenges in the implementation of the support. The Government has acted quickly by allocating increased resources to CSN to shorten processing times and introducing regulatory simplifications that streamline the process. These efforts have now created good conditions for the support to reach the people who meet the criteria and need it most.

I also want to highlight the government's work to phase out and completely decommission the study start support, a support that has the purpose of strengthening the opportunities for those with short educations without upper secondary school eligibility to establish themselves on the labor market. Despite good intentions, the Swedish National Audit Office's report shows that many of those who received the support do not belong to the prioritized target group. But, Mr. Speaker, I want to assure that these groups will not be squeezed. There are already other financial supports available for job seekers with short education that can also help this target group to take the step into the labor market.

Mr. Speaker! It is our responsibility as politicians to ensure that the support we provide is used in the right way and reaches the target group for which the support is intended. The phasing out of the study start support is an important step to ensure that the state's resources - that is, the taxpayers' money - are used effectively and correctly.

I also want to highlight our folk high schools as a particularly important actor. The folk high schools are best suited for a broad target group, but they have a special strength in meeting the needs of people who need alternative paths to education. They have a unique ability to be agile and adapt their educations to the needs of society and the labor market. For many who have not completed upper secondary school or who need to retrain, the folk high school offers an opportunity for a new start and a path to the labor market.

When I now raise the issue of the folk high schools, Mr. Speaker, I view with concern that young people between 18 and 20 years old who choose or want to choose to study at a folk high school today do not have the right to student support. I have met young people who face that dilemma. It creates unnecessary obstacles for young people who see the folk high school as a suitable educational choice.

I think it would be interesting to look at whether student support could be offered to those admitted to the folk high school already from the age of 18. Such a reform would strengthen the role of the folk high schools and enable more young people to quickly make up for lost education and begin their journey towards the working life.

Folkhögskolan is also an important form of education for persons with disabilities. Therefore, this government has strengthened the resources for special educational support to facilitate studies at folkhögskola.

Several measures are being taken by this government to increase accessibility for persons with disabilities. One initiative is reinforced support for parents who need sign language training - 1 million kronor per year has been added so that the number of teaching hours in sign language to parents can be expanded.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I want to emphasize that our education system is an investment in Sweden's future. By strengthening and modernizing student support, we create better conditions for more people to educate themselves and enter the workforce. A student support system that is flexible, sustainable, and adapted to both the individual's and the labor market's needs is a fundamental prerequisite for our future growth and welfare.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again move for the approval of the proposal in the report.

(Applause)

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

Camilla Hansén (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member, for the speech! I have a few short and, for the Member, surely simple questions.

And I wonder about student aid when it comes to the folk high school. Are these parts that will be included in the government's investigation on student grants?

I would also like to hear the member elaborate a bit on the Christian Democrats' and the government's policy regarding popular education and the folk high schools. In their capacity as free and voluntary popular education, they are indeed a supporting part of the entire system of education and all the paths one can take toward education.

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

Lili André (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member Hansén, for your questions!

The folk high schools are truly important to us Christian Democrats. As I said in my speech, they are agile. It is a broad target group that can enter the folk high schools, and they have good accessibility. We really want to safeguard them.

If this regarding enabling student support for persons who are 18 years old is included in the review of the student support system, I cannot say right now, but as a Christian Democrat, I truly want to work for it. I think it is important to review it, because it is precisely those young people who often get squeezed.

Popular education in general is extremely important. I do not know if Member Hansén is referring to the fact that we have increased the budget allocation to the folk high schools but also decreased it for the study associations.

Studieförbunden are also very important folkbildning. But when it comes to just studieförbunden, one sometimes needs to reorganize, prioritize and review the purpose so that it becomes effective and the folkbildning really hits the mark there.

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

Camilla Hansén (MP)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Lili André, for the answer!

What I asked for was the government's and the Christian Democrats' policy regarding popular education. I mean the entire popular education, i.e., the study associations and the folk high schools. They are parts of the same ecosystem. I really look forward to seeing the Christian Democrats push the government for a substantial investment in the entire popular education.

It is of course important that money goes to what it is intended for, but education is based on freedom and voluntariness and not necessarily always on short-term efficiency. I believe that is an important value to carry with you.

Lili André also mentioned the government's budget allocation regarding sign language training for hearing parents who have deaf or hard-of-hearing children. This is an initiative that involves one hundred extra hours for some parents. It is a very short training - it is about less than a month for a parent to learn an entirely new language to communicate with their child. Is this the government's initiative, and that's it, or is this the beginning of a development where Sweden might approach Norway's levels when it comes to training for parents who need to learn sign language?

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

Lili André (KD)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Member Hansén, for further questions!

I would like to clarify what the member wants me to tell more about regarding popular education and the voluntary efforts.

Popular education is also civil society, and the government is investing in civil society being a part of popular education. As I said regarding the fact that the study associations have received lower grants in the budget, I believe it is important that we review popular education and get some movement to strengthen it. The study associations are important, and when one gets a new grip on it, one can do even more for popular education.

To address this regarding sign language, I am very happy that we are adding funds to this, because it shows that this is important. Here I believe that the government really ensures that the needs are met. There is a need, and now the government is adding more money. The previous government has not done that, and it makes us show that this is important.

What is also important in a budget process is to see that there are incredibly large needs that need to be met. Our government took over Sweden to make Sweden better, and then one has to take things step by step and bit by bit.

This is a beginning for families with deaf children and parents who need sign language training. I think it is fantastic that they are being seen.

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

Niklas Sigvardsson (S)

Mr. Speaker! When Member André brings up folk high schools and popular education, I can no longer sit still in my seat.

It is quite interesting when the member brings up specific folk high schools, considering that she is, after all, sitting in a government that has cut the funding for the folk high schools by 400 million. This means thousands fewer places at the folk high schools across this country.

This is a student support debate, and this also affects the student start support that the member spoke so poorly about. Thousands of individuals at the country's folk high schools with student start support have been studied, i.e., exactly the target group that the student start support is intended to take care of.

We have heard very much here in the chamber about the National Audit Office's report, and it is also the case that the main criticism from the National Audit Office concerns that the information about the support and the management of the support has been too poor. If the government had instead chosen to facilitate by giving clearer mandates to, for example, the Public Employment Service, more people in the target group could have actually participated in the support.

This means that more could have studied via the study start support at folk high schools - if it had not been cut on all places - and in that way made themselves both educable and employable. It could have happened both by investing more money in folk high schools and by ensuring that the study start support funds and support actually existed for the individuals who need the support. It is, after all, tens of thousands of individuals in this country who are not close to the labor market, or for that matter, education.

This is something the Christian Democrats actually must be held accountable for. How do you then get more people into jobs, and how do you get more people to study at a folk high school - as Lili André so gladly spoke about in her speech?

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

Lili André (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank Member Sigvardsson for his question.

It is such that we Christian Democrats safeguard the folk high schools. We fight hard for them. Now it is the case that there are more of us in the government, and we need to share the cake. However, we do not stop highlighting that the folk high school is good, and it is also about the fact that we can prioritize over time. We are therefore still waiting before we as a government could invest more in the folk high schools. We know that they are quick-footed, and we know that many go out into work after the folk high school.

For many young people who have not really felt at home in the upper secondary school they once started, and for many who later in life realize that they would really like to pursue an education, the folk high schools are very important. This we, the Christian Democrats, safeguard. I would like to say that this is a very important issue for the Christian Democrats, and it is this we work for.

When it comes to the study start support, we Kristdemokrater do not think we should continue to provide a grant just because it is a grant. We want a legally secure grant system, and we are now going to conduct a review of the study system. We welcome that. The study support system has existed since 2001. Finally, we are conducting a review, and in that, we will be able to provide input on what we consider important.

I believe that the government will do a very good job of making the student support system work for everyone. The purpose of the student start support will also be included. That target group will not be left behind.

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

Niklas Sigvardsson (S)

Mr. Speaker! This is not about grants for the sake of grants. This is about the fact that we Social Democrats want those tens of thousands of people who are very far from having a basic education, and therefore also stand very far from the labor market, to come closer to education and closer to the labor market. That is what this is about. It is not about the grant, but it is about the fact that we must ensure that more people get into work.

If the government could have proposed something else for this group of people! The problem is that the government that the Christian Democrats are a part of does not come up with any such proposals. There are simply no other proposals right now for how this group of people can get closer to education than through the study start support. It is therefore better to develop the system that exists and which reaches people who actually get closer to education and thus also closer to the labor market, rather than completely phasing it out.

It is a somewhat strange discussion, this one about grants for the sake of grants, because that is not what it is. It is actually individuals who can get closer to education and closer to the labor market.

In the exchange of replies, it is also quite striking that the Christian Democrats' voice for civil society, popular education, and folk high schools apparently weighs extremely lightly when the Sweden Democrats, the Moderates, or the Liberals say no. This shows that one must vote for some other alternative than what the government delivers if one is to get politics for popular education and for the sake of the folk high schools.

In the budget proposal from the Social Democrats, there have been funds for study start grants and more money for both folk high schools and folk education via study associations. In that case, it is our budget that should be voted on, not the budget that the Christian Democrats are defending here in the chamber.

(Applause)

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

Lili André (KD)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the member for the contribution.

Contribution on contribution is nothing that we Christian Democrats - and neither this government - see as strengthening an individual. It is about providing the conditions to grow, develop, take initiative, receive the education one wants, and then also be able to enter the workforce. It is about society and school providing support to an individual who is far from the labor market. Today, there are economic tools for exactly this group that is far from work, for example activity support. They are not without support.

When we Christian Democrats talk about being able to look at – or that we would wish that we, if possible, could introduce – student support from the age of 18, we mean that it is better to have a student support that is a combination of grants and loans. It is also a way to take responsibility for the education one receives. I mean, Mr. Speaker, that this does not at all run counter to what the government is doing.

We do not have an infinite budget. It is easy for the Social Democrats in opposition to talk about large investments and about the millions and billions you invest in education, but if you were actually in government, the budget would not suffice.

This government is taking responsibility step by step, and I, as a Christian Democrat, will work to ensure that the folk high schools are strengthened. It is an important education for people to enter employment.

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

Camilla Hansén (MP)

Mr. Speaker! We debated student support quite recently in the budget debate, so there is some risk of repetition. I am also the last speaker in this debate, where we are not dealing with particularly many new motions this year. There is therefore some risk of repetition even in my speech. This is a warning – a content declaration.

The subject areas I raised in the budget debate were increased support for sign language studies for parents of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, funding for Ukrainian refugees' right to student grants, an increase and indexing of high school students' student grants, strengthened funding to CSN for the administration of the transition study support and, finally, an increased student grant for students. We are the only party that delivers it in our fully funded budget.

Just to freshen up the atmosphere a bit, despite the previous exchange, I shall begin by praising the government for the work – which has occurred somewhat in the shadows – to strengthen the opportunities for sign language education for parents who have deaf or hearing-impaired children. It is good. But it is also important that it becomes as Lili André says, namely that it is a first step and that this will be developed. I will follow this closely, and so will many from my constituency, where many are affected by the issue.

I have previously described that parents of children with deafness or hearing impairment have the right to basic education in sign language via the region. One also has the right to 240 hours of education during the child's upbringing. For comparison, Norway has 1,600 hours. These 240 hours correspond to 30 full days or 60 half days, and then one must consider that a child's language develops both during the early years as well as during upbringing and adolescence. This means that as the adult in the family or a close relative, one needs to undergo intensive linguistic training.

The education itself is financed by the state via the National Agency for Special Needs Education. It is true that special support is needed for some parents who need more support to get through the education and acquire it. But the main problem is that the number of teaching hours is too small for all parents. As with all language education, we have varying ease or difficulty in learning languages and varying good or poor circumstances, and such a study grant must take this into account.

All parents who have had a deaf or hearing-impaired child therefore need a more substantial sign language education, not just some. We continue to keep our eyes on this.

A slight change of theme, Mr. Speaker: Sweden's support for Ukraine is strong and has strong support in the population. When the mass flight directive was activated, we did not know how long Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine would continue, and we do not know that now either. But what we do know is that those who have sought and received safety in Sweden need to be able to live their lives fully here, and that means that one also needs to be able to study and receive student grants for that.

As it is now, one can receive student grants if one is not a Swedish citizen, is resident in Sweden and has a permanent residence permit here and if the purpose of coming here is something other than studies. Persons from Ukraine who have received residence permits with the support of the EU's mass flight directive do not have such a residence permit that gives the right to student support. For a person to receive such a residence permit, special reasons are needed, and an individual assessment is made in each individual case. A strong connection to Sweden is required, for example a family connection. We know that one may have arrived at that time with the whole family from Ukraine.

Sweden wants to provide strong support to Ukraine, and that also involves other types of support than military support to win the war. It is also about giving Ukrainians the opportunity to study, so that it is not something that one has to put on hold until the war is over and one can return home. We understand that trained people will be needed and that the country will need a lot of support to rebuild its institutions again. In our fully funded budget proposal, we have of course accounted for this, unlike the government.

I move on to a new subject area. When Miljöpartiet was in government, we pushed through an increase of the student grant by 300 kronor for students at colleges and universities. We also made other reinforcements of the economic and social security regarding students' finances during sick leave and so on. This is work that must continue, and it is a good element to include in an upcoming investigation on student grants.

We are the only party that, in our fully funded budget, puts money on the table for an increased student grant for students in higher education. It has still come up – I know that this is not a budget debate, Mr. Speaker, but it is still connected.

Many parties express understanding that students have small financial margins and that the economic stress affects their studies in a negative way. Raising the student grant is an important part, and it is also about redistributing the relationship between loans and student grants. The students who might be listening now might think that 300 is good but not enough. It is at least 300 kronor; in the other budgets, there is nothing more than beautiful words about understanding and that the needs are seen. I think that one needs to put the money on the table, and one also needs to be able to stand by it for the whole year.

Mr. Speaker! In conclusion, I move for approval of reservation 2, which is precisely about giving Ukrainian refugees the opportunity to study here in Sweden.

Now that some pointing out has been made regarding order and tidiness when it comes to money, I would just like to add one thing. When Miljöpartiet and Socialdemokraterna came to power in 2014, the state's budget deficit was 72 billion. After two parliamentary terms, the surplus was 164 billion. That is also a way to create investment space.

Student financial aid

(Applause)

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(A decision was to be taken on 13 February.)

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